Technical Replacing the heater core

[Tipo19GR]

Hello and good day!

I am making an attempt at replacing the heater core on my 1.4 I.e. because it was leaking coolant fluid.

I have managed to undo the hoses and I can slide the heater core out of the plastic holder, but now there is a bar in the way. I suppose this is only an issues on cars for driving on the right side of the road as the steering wheel sits on the side where the heater core slides out. I hope the picture explains what I mean. I would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice

Have a nice day!

 

[jonti]

Hello and good day!

I am making an attempt at replacing the heater core on my 1.4 I.e. because it was leaking coolant fluid.

I have managed to undo the hoses and I can slide the heater core out of the plastic holder, but now there is a bar in the way. I suppose this is only an issues on cars for driving on the right side of the road as the steering wheel sits on the side where the heater core slides out. I hope the picture explains what I mean. I would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice

Have a nice day!

I thought I was annoyed having to make a custom pollen filter for the RHD because the originale Tipo casings were for LHD. However, this is the next level of difficulty. As you say there is no bar on the RHD. I see the writing on the bar is in Deutsche not Italian, so has it been added? I realise that is unlikely though. So how is it attached at either end? If it's not welded, then it is removable somehow?

Ok so I 've looked closer and there is italian. I would offer to look at mine for comparison, but I'm not near it for a few days.

 

[Tipo19GR]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! In the meantime I found that Porter’s manual describes the bar as a steering column reinforcement. It is connected with two bolts, one on the bulkhead, the other on a frame below the steering wheel. I removed the bar and thought everything was solved. But then I hit the steering column when sliding the heater core out of its housing. I am quite uncertain about touching the steering so I put everything together again and will ask a professional mechanic to deal with this. A real pity though as the process went otherwise smoothly. You do wonder who designed this mess

 

[jonti]

ok. It can feel like a shame when we have to do this, as we try to solve the problems ourself. I had my garage replace the trailing arm joints and the LH drop link. Are you sure it's the matrix itself and not the rubber seals? I recall replacing the matrix after a big leak (fortunately no bar) but actually it was the round rubber seals, which I may have obtained at the time separately?

 

[Tipo19GR]

Thank you for the advice. Where are the seals that you mention located? Are they between the plastic connectors and the heater core itself?

 

[jonti]

Thank you for the advice. Where are the seals that you mention located? Are they between the plastic connectors and the heater core itself?

It was these, part no. visible, which I recall leaked, which I thought was the matrix. If you check Eper it shows the location

 

[Tipo19GR]

I will check it out, many thanks