The radiator shops are closed in my area. I need my heater core pressure checked .I have the core removed and on the bench. Any suggestions, routine, air pressure amount ,etc. on how I can do this myself so I can keep moving on my project.
2 lbs air, Put it in a bucket of Water and check for bubbles. May be someone will chime in on the air pressure
2psi over what your radiator cap says for release pressure. Not any more than that. You don't just want to check it for leaks, you want to make sure it won't burst under normal operating pressure, plus a little over head. Make sure you have a good regulator. Just hook up hoses, fittings and clamps, as necessary to get it attached, and the other end plugged.
Take an old bicycle tube. Cut it about 6 inches on each side of the Schrader valve. Hook each end to an outlet put air in the Schrader valve. Put it in water if you have it out. Sent from my SM-G960U1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
that could give you way more pressure than you want. I have an adjustable regulator I use for painting, I set it down to about 15 psi, and use a cone shaped tip air nozzle to apply pressure to the heater core, while it's submerged in the sink. They almost always leak in a place that I won't even attempt to fix.
One of the local tire repair shops had a bathtub they used to fill with water for checking tires. It was called "The Tub of Truth"
This is what I did on my Ford, left it in the heater box. Used a broken radiator tester and rigged it up to fit the core.