heater doesnt work :-(

[1971ford]

in my 71 f250 custom the heater and ac doesnt work. im not going to worry about the ac because of ford's nifty triangle turning windows (dont know the name) cool me off pretty good. anyways the heater doesnt work and i want to fix it for those cold days. some of the heater is missing too i think. i know that the heater core and hoses (and fluid is getting through the hoses to the core because i started to take a hose off when green stuff dripped out) are there. the fan is missing but heat should still come through right? anyone know a good troubleshooting method for finding the problem? does anyone know of a diagram that shows how a complete heater system works, so i can understand it fully and know what im doing? i checked fordifications diagrams and shcamatics section but there isnt a heater diagram. ill take pics tomorrow when its light if that helps.
thanks

[jor]

Your core could be plugged or restricted or maybe your valve (the one in the hose) isn't working. Here are a few photos. Thank Keith for the drawing.
jor

[1971ford]

well ill take the core apart later and check it out. i hooked the cable form the heater switch in the dash to the core and i had my brother watch that valve, it barely moved. so i just cranked it with pliers to "on" and drove the truck around. when we were driving i put my hand by the core vent but no heat. that valve you are talking about (2nd pic). ill compare that first pic to my truck today. thanks for the help!!!

[foghorn]

I had to flush one out once and i used a old water hose that didnt have a end on it. I stuck it on the pipe and cracked the water facute on slowly so as not to blow the core apart. Of course this is after you take both heater hoses off. When it started comming out it was solid rust and other crude. I flushed it till i got clean and clear water. Was a darn sight easier than taking the core out.




Foggy

[1971ford]

ill check that out too. thanks

[fordman]

you need the fan to put air thru the heater core. air doesn't flow trhu it like a rad does. it is in a enclosed box. its not out in the open like a rad is. i think i have a fan motor if you need one. i know i have a whole box with core and all ready to go back in.

[1971ford]

i didnt have time this weekend to check the heater out but i definetly will have time tomorrow.

fordman: yeah i need a fan. that would be great if i could buy the whole core from you because mine is in pretty bad shape. well let me know.
thanks

[fordman]

pm sent

[1971ford]

my account has been messed up alot lately due to cookies. now its working and i dont know why. but anyways im glad it is so i can updaate.

today i tried pulling the heater out of my truck. it couldnt of gone worse . i tooke the first hose off of the core and i plugged it. little did i know that what seemed like a gallon of coolant gushed out of the core all over my interior/legs/shoes/drive way . i was so mad. so i let it drain all over everything while i ran to find something to catch the coolant.....
didnt work so well. it continued to gush coolant until i finally found something to put under it all.
now ill be smarter when taking the other hose off. i pinched the hose with (i forget the name.their pliers that lock in position). then i locked it again closer to the core. then i sliced the damn thing.
now i have the core out and coolant alllll over my interior, drive way , and me.
well, at least my cores out!!!

[fordman]

yeah you have to drain the radiator before you pull the core. but you will still have some coolant in the core after you drain the radiator.

[1971ford]

oh well. its over now. and i cleaned up the interior preaty good. i took out the carpet and cleaned it up as well as the rest of the interior.tomorrow i will deal with the core.

[oldbiker]

At least you'll get a clean interior out of the deal

[mjhaltom]

"Vise-Grips" are the locking pliers. Couldn't live without them.

[1971ford]

oldbiker: yeah i guess thats another plus to it all.

mjhaltom: yeah thats the name! i would have a even worse puddle of coolant in my truck without them!

update:
i took the heater apart and flushed out the crud inside. for a while everything that came out was dark rust brown. but then it cleared up.
a pic:


here is a pic of every part i have for the heater except for the stuff under the hood and the rectangle peice that directs air (kind of hard to explain, it opens up and closes the vent) . How much am i missing and what parts?


a pic of the core without the covering sheet.


i might be getting a heater from fordman. it depends on how much i need for the heater i have. plus the heater i have has small chuncks of it gone like it was dropped a few times and it is in bad conditon.

thats it for now.

[MaxKlinger]

Ooh good thread. I'm going to have to take my heater apart, too. All of my heater controls are missing and the hoses to the heater core are gone, too. Everything was bypassed years ago as I'm sure in Arizona the heater didn't get used much. I think the heater core and blower motor are still there but I doubt they're usable. So, if anyone is selling Bumpside heater parts let me know. Maybe I'll get to look at it over the weekend.