I'm having a hard time finding a new heater core for my 59' Apache. I can find heater cores from before and after in years. Will a '60 heater core work in a '59?
1955-1/2 to 1959 are the same. You can get the heater control valve from Classic Chevrolet Truck Parts. You will have to take your heater core to your local Radiator Shop and see if they can repair it for you.
Might depend what heater he has? There were three different styles of heaters used in 55.2-59 chevy trucks. The "deluxe" heater was the same for all the years, and most of the parts you'll find fit them. The "recirculating" heater was a round unit from 55-57, and a rectangular one 58-59. The cores for the deluxe heater are not that hard to find, but the recirculating ones are. If your truck has a big chrome control unit, you probably have the deluxe heater. If it's just one knob, then it's the recirculating. 60-up cores won't work. Although the recirculating heater in the early 60s used the same center part of the core as the 58-59, but with different shape tubes.
The 59 Deluxe heater is slightly different than the 55 1/2 - 58 heaters. A 59 heater core will have 3/4 inch hose connection for the control valve. The control valve for the earlier heaters will be 5/8 inch. Only the 5/8 inch valves are available in repro. The core for my 59 heater had to be slightly modified to use the earlier style control valve. Otherwise they completely interchange.
I always plug the hole in the control valve that's left after removing the guts...the valve doesn't flow enough water, and the thermostats don't ever seem to work anyways, so I just do away with the valve function.
If you have a "real" full service radiator shop in your area that is probably your best bet. I think we are down to one radiator shop within 40 miles of my house that can actually replace a heater core though. The other one won't touch anything that isn't a several hundred dollar job most of the time. Heater control valve if the original style replacement costs too much check one for a Ford F seres or Bronco. Straight through and cable operated and not spendy. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/R...+Number&Nty=1&Dn=0&D=C3UZ18495A&Dk=1&Dp=3&N=0 I don't know where the guy who suggested gutting one out and letting the coolant flow all the time lives but he damned well doesn't live where it reaches over 100 in the summer for weeks at a time, It's hot enough in a truck cab in the summer without having hot coolant flowing though the heater core to boot.
I have the same issue for My 58' apache. Mine is the rectangular core measuring 7 1/4" x 6 1/2" x 2". I'm having a heck of a time finding one ANYWHERE especially online even at LMC. And it's freaking cold out now!
I'm with Mr. E. My '59 has the rectangular recirculating heater. My core now leaks. I cannot find a replacement. I'm hoping that a local shop will rebuild it. But, I cannot help but think that there's a heater core from another vehicle that would fit, with little to no modification. I've been having too much fun driving the '59. I need to get heat in it!
Years ago when I rebuilt my 55 Cameo heater, heater cores for a deluxe cost way more than I had to spend.I went throught a buyers guide at the parts store that listed sizes,and had pictures. I found one out of a 1970"s Bronco that was close,and changed one of the hose connections so it fit in the heater box.Saved a bunch of money I didnt have.
Last time I had any info on heater cores the round were gone. The GM rectangle core was just a bit bigger than the flat core material that was being produced.
Man, it's now a week into March 2021. I started trying to address this when I originally posted to this thread back in November 2020! It was difficult, but I found a shop that was willing to tackle this with me! The company that I used was Sherck Radiator if Flagstaff. Well, actually, their parent company in Phoenix. The guy told me no at first. Once I explained that this isn't a part that can just be ordered, and that I had no option than a rebuild, he put me in contact with his boss, at the parent shop in Phoenix. They trucked the core from Flagstaff to Phoenix and we finally connected again over the phone. He stated that he had coreaterial that was the same depth, but longer, and that he could cut it down and make it work. They cleaned up the tanks, soldered them to a new core that is dimensionally the same as the old, and got it done! They reconnected the old bracketry. They also cut one of the tubes and sleeved in a tube that matches the other. I forget if both are now 5/8" or 3/4" (I think that both tubes are now 5/8"). From the conversation that I had on the phone with the man performing the work in Phoenix, he indicated that I wanted them to make this modification, so I trusted. Now, reading the other responses here, I know why. The only other modification that I wish that I had them make and didn't, was a talk we had about adding AN male flare fittings to the ends of the tubes,so that I could run very clean AN hoses from my heater/water pump, to my heater core. But, we were not as much on the same page about this and it was going to further delay the job, so I opted to not go that route. Although I wish that I dealt with this over the summer, I super glad that I got it worked out. If you have a conversation with the right guy local to you, and have an old core with good tanks, you should be able to get this done! Otherwise, you could probably ship it to the guys at Sherck Radiator in Arizona! FWIW, this work cost $140. Seemed like an extremely fair price! That even included them trucking it back and forth between Flagstaff and Phoenix! Nik
I just got off the phone with Adam of Serck Radiator in AZ. I shipped my 1958 Apache recirc heater core to them after reading your post. Adam will call me back when he determines if the core is repairable. I will let you know .
This is becoming more and more of a problem if the number of complaints on different forums are any guide. A lot of times it's possible to find a similar dimensioned core and only thing required is little fabrication or hillbilly engineering to move the inlet/outlet setup or bracketry. It will still move heat into the cabin exactly the same and nobody will ever know the difference.
Another old dead brought out because someone found it in a search and answered it. The round cores are available from a couple of specialty shops but at around 350 to 400 for a heater core just to keep the old shell you had be pretty well in love with the old heater. Classic parts shows a heater core for TF trucks that sells for 269.95 https://www.lithiadodgetricities.co...ities-wa-e16175050a0e0971486b3be13199cdb9.htm That is probably pretty close to the average price for one of those cores from the truck trinket vendors no matter who you ask. I stand by what I said in post 7 seven years ago Aug 8, 2015 in that radiator shops that will actually even work on a heater core anymore are few and far between no matter what the guys who haven't been to a radiator shop for the past 40 years say. In 1977 when I moved back here from Texas there were at least 20 radiator shops within 30 miles of the house I sit in right now. Now there is one that actually repairs radiators and they are beyond busy with semi truck and heavy equipment radiators. They won't even talk to you on a recore for something like my 71 GMC 3/4 ton but will offer to sell me a new one or at least that is what they did when I took the 4 row for it up to have it repaired. I have to go with what Truck 64 said on heater cores for older heaters. Search the heater core catalog for the one that is the closest dimensions and has the inlet and outlet in the closest proximity to what you need and rework the housing to get it to fit and function.
Is there a good way, or even a bad way, to simply check for leaks before installation? Pressurize it somehow. Not that I wouldn't trust their work you know, maybe the professional parcel manglers played a scrimmage game with it over the lunch break.
I checked heater cores of the vintage heaters I sold on ebay by just running water through them. better then nothing, also leakers usually had evidence of a leak with green or white crust where the leak is. I found 9 times out of 10 if the motor did not work it was the cloth wire shorting out on the housing, fixed that with a bit of shrink tubing
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