Thanks very much for this video!!! I have a nice 1994 Buick Roadmaster Sedan, had same problem as you: little interior heat, more when you step on the gas, or let it idle for 1/2 an hour. Well, I followed your instructions, flushed it to death, used the Prestone flush, and now I've got too much heat!...;o) Yay Great! I was wondering how I was going to get through this cold Winter up here in Canada, and now I'll be nice and warm. I did do something different - I was lucky enough to be near the house, so I hooked a garden hose to the laundry room hot faucet, got a threaded spray gun, and screwed on one of those Gardena quick-disconnect nipples (with the o-rings) onto the spray gun outlet. The Gardena nipple happens to fit nice and snug into the heater hoses, so I blasted them both to death back and forth into a big tub under the engine - got a few bits and rusty water out of the core, sprayed out my coolant tank, and now it works great! The hot water was a blast to use, I even cleaned all the coolant off the engine front when I was done, and it kept my hands warm as I was doing this in close to freezing weather. Thanks again for this great video, cheers! Bellarmine
omg I'm so glad I found this video. I just bought my first wagon. It runs, but it runs roughly and in about a week, I'll be coming off the road to drain and refill oil power steering and coolant fluids, but I definitely would like to flush the coolant system.
For an engine going on almost two decades, it sounds pretty good. I'm told that trapped air is the commonest cause of this but evidently you burped it before flushing. Good demo. I hate flushing cooling systems because of the huge weight of fluid that has to be trucked off to the recycler. Cheers.
I haven't heard of air being an issue in the LT1, I didn't do anything special besides re-attach the hoses. I think the positive flow from the water pump tends to displace any air that gets trap in there. The heater core is also relatively low, which might move air along.
you need to hook up to a pressurized hot water source--like a sink--and hook the garden hose up in reverse of coolant flow--take the other hose and pinch if off then release it--crud will flow out and you will be all set. gravity with a funnel doesnt work..neither does the chemical flush. you need pressurized HOT water.
I edited out the explanation. The 1994 LT1 runs a line from the expansion tank to the top of the radiator. Apparently this wasn't need as it wasn't on the 1995 model. My late 1994 lacks the radiator nipple but has the 1994 tank, so the factory plugged it with what you see.
this is a common problem with the aluminum heater cores in these cars..so backflushing is a great way to get it cleaned out without replacing the heater core..if its not leaking, backflush it and you will be fine...have done this a couple of times on my car. though i used hot water from a garden hose with fittings into the heater hoses where they connect by the coolant tank...simple and easy. use hot pressurized water from a garden hose, and you will see the crud come out of the other hose. you can buy the 5/8 and 3/4 plastic fittings at any auto parts store to connect your garden hose.
For the heater core, you can do it when the car is completely cold. Otherwise, let temperature be your guide...aka not scolding hot...any other temp is fine, just make sure you release any system pressure first.
is this the same as a coolant flush? The dealer wants $140 and I doubt they'll be this in depth...luckily they sent me a coupon to get a tranny fluid change for $110 instead of $220. Good video!
Some comments are saying use "pressurized water to flush" I don't think these people know that the LT1 has a built in baffle in one of the two heater hoses to moderate coolant flow that must stay in there or it will blow out the heater core so it should not have any air hose or pressure of any sort greater than what the water pump provides.thru the heater core system and maybe that baffle is what benefits this procedure more than the heater core itself. If someone looks closely on their heater hose they will see it molded in plastic near the water pump and it has an a arrow on the side of it to show water only goes in that direction thru it.
Great vid. But quick question I have no heat in my 95 caprice but my heater core does not leak at all I took it to a shop they flush it and my heat worked at about 40% then back to no heat at all..... should try flushing it again or just replace it
Mine is a 1994 chevy caprice classic N it leaks inside so The heat hasn't worked for awhile now N stop leak didn't work So should i get a new heater core in it Or still try n flush it
the main reason you dont have alot of heat at idle is because the gen II engines drive the water pump right off the cam..1/2 the speed of the crank. the old chevy small and big blocks drive the wp off the crank..so 800 rpm at idle is not 400 rpm wp speed. secondly..the heater cores plug up with dexcool gunk and need to be backflushed with hot..(hot) water. this will clear them out without an expensive heater core replacement. did my 96, sucks blows fire. cheap fix.
Great job,., you saved me a lot of time. I do have one question? You didn't seem to worry about getting the opti spark wet. Why didn't u cover it up is my question.
I kinda do worry about getting it wet but its gonna get spilled on no matter how hard you try. Optisparks are technically sealed. I had to replace mine about 30k miles ago and it is a pain in the butt, but if its gonna die by getting splashed a bit, better in the yard then on the road in the rain.
DID YOU EVER END UP CHANGING YOUR HEATER CORE?MINE STARTED LEAKING,THEN IT STOPPED.I HAVE A 1996 IMPALA SS.IF YOU HAVE A VIDEO,THAT WOULD BE GREAT.THANKS IN ADVANCE.
Not really. The car is still using the same coolant, it hasn't changed, I just ran water through the heater core and then cleaner to make sure there wasn't any buildup holding up the works. The whole car is actually easier to do, but requires a much greater volume of material and time as you need to get the engine hot enough in each step to open the thermostat.
thankx dude people that make these on caprices dont know how appreciate it they are cause there are none on this car..so big thanks..
This video really helped me and solved my issue, you was straight to the point and clear on everything you did..thanks
Thanks very much for this video!!! I have a nice 1994 Buick Roadmaster Sedan, had same problem as you: little interior heat, more when you step on the gas, or let it idle for 1/2 an hour. Well, I followed your instructions, flushed it to death, used the Prestone flush, and now I've got too much heat!...;o) Yay Great! I was wondering how I was going to get through this cold Winter up here in Canada, and now I'll be nice and warm.
I did do something different - I was lucky enough to be near the house, so I hooked a garden hose to the laundry room hot faucet, got a threaded spray gun, and screwed on one of those Gardena quick-disconnect nipples (with the o-rings) onto the spray gun outlet. The Gardena nipple happens to fit nice and snug into the heater hoses, so I blasted them both to death back and forth into a big tub under the engine - got a few bits and rusty water out of the core, sprayed out my coolant tank, and now it works great! The hot water was a blast to use, I even cleaned all the coolant off the engine front when I was done, and it kept my hands warm as I was doing this in close to freezing weather. Thanks again for this great video, cheers! Bellarmine
This is great. My heat has been a little weak. I will try this. Thank You for sharing the process.
my favorite car of all time. '94 caprice wagon. so comfortable, like driving a lazyboy
omg I'm so glad I found this video. I just bought my first wagon. It runs, but it runs roughly and in about a week, I'll be coming off the road to drain and refill oil power steering and coolant fluids, but I definitely would like to flush the coolant system.
great job! I never thought about isolating the heater core to flush it separately!
For an engine going on almost two decades, it sounds pretty good. I'm told that trapped air is the commonest cause of this but evidently you burped it before flushing. Good demo. I hate flushing cooling systems because of the huge weight of fluid that has to be trucked off to the recycler. Cheers.
I haven't heard of air being an issue in the LT1, I didn't do anything special besides re-attach the hoses. I think the positive flow from the water pump tends to displace any air that gets trap in there. The heater core is also relatively low, which might move air along.
you need to hook up to a pressurized hot water source--like a sink--and hook the garden hose up in reverse of coolant flow--take the other hose and pinch if off then release it--crud will flow out and you will be all set. gravity with a funnel doesnt work..neither does the chemical flush. you need pressurized HOT water.
ZeeboLaywicker so your saying put the water hose in the return
Very well documented flushing of the heater core....
.
Merrie-Merrie
I edited out the explanation. The 1994 LT1 runs a line from the expansion tank to the top of the radiator. Apparently this wasn't need as it wasn't on the 1995 model. My late 1994 lacks the radiator nipple but has the 1994 tank, so the factory plugged it with what you see.
this is a common problem with the aluminum heater cores in these cars..so backflushing is a great way to get it cleaned out without replacing the heater core..if its not leaking, backflush it and you will be fine...have done this a couple of times on my car. though i used hot water from a garden hose with fittings into the heater hoses where they connect by the coolant tank...simple and easy. use hot pressurized water from a garden hose, and you will see the crud come out of the other hose. you can buy the 5/8 and 3/4 plastic fittings at any auto parts store to connect your garden hose.
For the heater core, you can do it when the car is completely cold. Otherwise, let temperature be your guide...aka not scolding hot...any other temp is fine, just make sure you release any system pressure first.
is this the same as a coolant flush? The dealer wants $140 and I doubt they'll be this in depth...luckily they sent me a coupon to get a tranny fluid change for $110 instead of $220. Good video!
Some comments are saying use "pressurized water to flush" I don't think these people know that the LT1 has a built in baffle in one of the two heater hoses to moderate coolant flow that must stay in there or it will blow out the heater core so it should not have any air hose or pressure of any sort greater than what the water pump provides.thru the heater core system and maybe that baffle is what benefits this procedure more than the heater core itself. If someone looks closely on their heater hose they will see it molded in plastic near the water pump and it has an a arrow on the side of it to show water only goes in that direction thru it.
So did you start flushing with the top heater core hose or bottom heater core hose? Thanks for this video.
Great vid. But quick question I have no heat in my 95 caprice but my heater core does not leak at all I took it to a shop they flush it and my heat worked at about 40% then back to no heat at all..... should try flushing it again or just replace it
Lasean Ranks I would replace it because it might be damage or use hot water to flush it
Mine is a 1994 chevy caprice classic
N it leaks inside so
The heat hasn't worked for awhile now
N stop leak didn't work
So should i get a new heater core in it
Or still try n flush it
What would happen if i did everything you just did but with CLR instead of that prestone stuff?
the main reason you dont have alot of heat at idle is because the gen II engines drive the water pump right off the cam..1/2 the speed of the crank. the old chevy small and big blocks drive the wp off the crank..so 800 rpm at idle is not 400 rpm wp speed. secondly..the heater cores plug up with dexcool gunk and need to be backflushed with hot..(hot) water. this will clear them out without an expensive heater core replacement. did my 96, sucks blows fire. cheap fix.
Great job,., you saved me a lot of time. I do have one question? You didn't seem to worry about getting the opti spark wet. Why didn't u cover it up is my question.
I kinda do worry about getting it wet but its gonna get spilled on no matter how hard you try. Optisparks are technically sealed. I had to replace mine about 30k miles ago and it is a pain in the butt, but if its gonna die by getting splashed a bit, better in the yard then on the road in the rain.
Lol, thanks for the reply.. I covered mine with like 3 towels.lol.
open the drain on the radiator and empty into a pan and you get much less out of the hoses
Is there a video on how to chang one? I have a 95 buick with lt1
76,000 wow nice i have 180,000 1995 lt1 it still runs great
If you just reverse the hoses it will run backwards and unplug it. I did that once and it worked like a charm.
DID YOU EVER END UP CHANGING YOUR HEATER CORE?MINE STARTED LEAKING,THEN IT STOPPED.I HAVE A 1996 IMPALA SS.IF YOU HAVE A VIDEO,THAT WOULD BE GREAT.THANKS IN ADVANCE.
No need to change, the core itself was ok. Will post a video if I ever do.
bjeinsincity what did u end up doing change the heater core?
Sounds like it might be in the grid...or the connectors to the grid...start there.
wow your lt1 runs with the needle at 3/4 of the gauge? mines usually right below the center mark when fully warm
Not really. The car is still using the same coolant, it hasn't changed, I just ran water through the heater core and then cleaner to make sure there wasn't any buildup holding up the works. The whole car is actually easier to do, but requires a much greater volume of material and time as you need to get the engine hot enough in each step to open the thermostat.
Well done !!
Why is one of the hoses from the reservoir plug?
It was a revised design, it would go to the top of the radiator, I’m guessing for venting but I guess it wasn’t needed and it is factory this way.
I see. I was having trouble Finding a radiator that has the port. I’m just going to plug the line
So how long shld I let car sit before flushing ?
Thanks for the tips.
Does the antifreeze taste new or old?
No doubt old and gross.
is that a hockey puck in your intake?
Yes they do this because the stock config has a huge noise baffle that makes the engine quiet, but robs horse power.
Yes, it replaces a noise reduction baffle which is large and ugly. The hockey plug fills the hole nicely. Otherwise there isn't much benefit.
ok cool
All that water next to your opti spark cant be good
was jus thinking the same thing
Yeah...but I'd rather rid the system of what's in it vs. just moving it somewhere else.
thats best, just saying if you dont have any money and you just want a quick fix.