Heater Hose Seal? (Page 1/1)
Jncomutt MAY 05, 06:48 PM
I'm tearing apart the blower motor area to clean the trash out of a new to me 86GT. I noticed that there is seal missing around the heater core hoses. Turning on the fan, lots of air is leaking through here. Does anyone know of a replacement, or have a picture of the seal to replicate?
Jncomutt MAY 05, 06:49 PM
La fiera MAY 05, 07:02 PM
Hey John!! Mine has a piece of foam filling that gap and I've had that for years.
Patrick MAY 05, 08:04 PM

Yes, from the factory there was a cheap piece of thin foam with a couple of holes for the pipes to go through. It was nothing fancy... or effective. It's pretty easy to come up with something much better at sealing.
theogre MAY 06, 11:08 AM
Yes is/was a cut close cell foam piece to close the area. Close cell foam won't let air to leak out.
Between O3 and other crap from polluted air and if heater removed spilling coolant on it, the foam dies.

cut a piece close cell foam slightly larger big rectangle then 2 holes for heater core.
If you don't want to mess w/ heater hoses, cut a "slot" or 2 in the foam. Slot can leak some but if careful not much.
push foam inside of the rectangle.

slots could be
1 to each hole from long side
1 to both holes from short side
Not sure which way matters. I think the foam after install is slightly compressed and slots closed but may matter which way the slots are cut.

Alternately...
Cut something harder to fill the gap then "glue" that w/ Duck Seal make for Electric and HVAC jobs.
Examples:
https://rectorseal.com/prod...nds/duct-seal-group/
https://www.gardnerbender.c...l-Compound-1-lb-Pugs
Get at lowes etc.
This doesn't "dry out" and allows a bit of moving as parts heat cycles.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

Jncomutt MAY 06, 11:33 AM
Thanks guys! I have the whole box apart for cleaning, I will glue on some new foam or silicone sheet, etc.
Jncomutt MAY 06, 11:35 AM




I also removed the core to blow it all out, and some spray cleaner on it. Should be much better!
olejoedad MAY 06, 12:05 PM
The foam seal is not glued.

Cut the perimeter of the seal oversized with tight provisions for the heater core tubes and it will stay in place.

It installs from the inside of the HVAC box cover.
theogre MAY 06, 01:43 PM
Yes, OE Foam isn't glued. Just pushed in w/ the heater core when made. GM and others did this to save time and money to make a car.
Replacement Foam shouldn't need glue too.

Only "glue" if you use something harder. This takes more time to much more time to fix whether you try to emulate GM or do it w/o pulling hoses off etc.

Duct seal doesn't dry and easy to remove if you replace a heater core etc.
If you don't mix a lot of crap in the "glue" often can be reuse too after you replace a core.

Whatever new foam can have same problem as old and die sooner or later depending on exact foam used.
Duct Seal etc w/ harder plastic to span the gap doesn't care air pollution or spilled coolant, windshield cleaner fluid, and related.

Some may have seen Duct Seal examples but have no clue...
Often find sealing big wires on Electric Meter Boxes etc outside of a building. Even w/ "water proof" parts often is extra layer to seal out water running down a wire. IOW about same thing as use Silicone grease even in some Weather Pack and other "weather resistance" plugs in cars.