Well, last spring I had to bypass the heater in my '84 Euro 300TD because the severe window fogging became very hazardous. But the last time I priced one, a heater-core for my Euro TD's manual heat-AC unit, was somewhere around $400+, and I really dreaded having to yank the entire dash and heat-AC system. Then I read on one of the forums that it's NLA anyway.
So I'm considering plumbing in one of the spare Chevy Cavalier heater-cores I've been saving for many years. The heater-cores themselves are perfectly fine and were only replaced because GM heat-shrunk extension pipes onto the cores to connect them through the firewall. The tubes cracked off, but left nipples perfectly suited to connect with rubber heater hoses. Running longer hoses wasn't possible on the Cavalier, so those cores were replaced with new all-aluminum ones with the aluminum extension tubes factory-welded on.
My theory is that perhaps I can hang one of the Chevy cores under the passenger dash and run a duct into the recirculating vent of my heat-AC box. As much as I'm able, I plan on as little butchering as possible. The worst would be the two extra holes I'll need in the passenger firewall for the new hoses. I'm sure I'll also need to block the vent flap to stay in the recirculate position. And possibly go into the fresh-air intake below the wipers and restrict that as well. I may still need to allow a bit of fresh air-flow to cool the blower resistor.
I wish I'd heard back from the person I PMed on one of the Forums that claimed he rigged a Ford heater-core in his W123.
Any thoughts, comments, gasps of horror?

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Well, yesterday I pulled the lower dash cover and glovebox. I think my plan will work if I can fabricate an adapter to fit the recirculating air port. I'll need to drill or cut the pop-rivets in the blower-housing to remove the recirculating vacuum motor & bracket, but hope to leave the bracket and housing intact enough so it could still be restored to original someday.
I have a complete spare manual heat-AC unit out of a '79 240D I will use to mock-up/fabricate an adapter that will seal adequately and be easy to install with my original heater in the car.
At this point I haven't decided if I'm going to build a more complicated adapter that will connect to my Chevy heater-core AND block the fresh-air intake to the blower, or a simple adapter that requires I go in under the wiper-cowl and try to block the fresh-air intake there.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

I ordered a W123 heater core from a vendor on ebay (check your PM), $66 shipped. Should see it Monday. Pic looks about right, & shows included seals. Not OEM part, but may work better than a sawzall & duck tape job. Will let you know how it fits & works. Otherwise, I have a few untested spares, name your price. I've been throught the R&R twice, and didn't want to mess w/ used parts again.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I have a complete used heater-AC box from a 240D, but for all that work, swapping in a used part isn't an option. The only only major 'sawzall' work was going to be for the two holes in the firewall. But finding an optimum location for a couple extra holes in my firewall is proving tricky. If a new core is availible for $66, I'm putting my 'Chevy heater conversion' on hold until you get yours and see how good it is. Hopefully, it's not made in China!

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Cannot fix the factory part?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The original W123 heater-core is one of those plastic & aluminum concoctions, like the W123 radiators. Who fixes those? I thought maybe my heater could be leaking from the seals where the tubes attach to the plastic. But for $66, I'd rather have a new core on hand.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Pork, hamburger, purdue hens and corn syrup are about the only manufactured goods you can be sure about made in the USA any more.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Well, if not the USA, maybe at least somewhere other than China.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Received the core on monday, well packaged w/ bubble wrap & box around component box, fins protected w/in box as well. Core well made & clean. Tube lugs, all fasteners & gaskets included, foam tape to surround core as well. Box says made in italy. Fin pitch 20 fin/inch compared to 25/inch OEM, slightly heavier too. OEM core 1.75" deep, new core maybe 1.5" deep or a bit more. Less fin, but without 30 years of fouling as well. Don't know if the heat transfer capacity would be the same. Will put pizza box 'winter front' back in anyways.

Will probably be installed sometime this week, see how it works.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I guess I'll try to order one. Might as well leave off my glovebox and lower dash cover.
Being in Buffalo, you must have a heated garage. Hopefully the new core will outlast the car and certainly work better than my proposed Chevy transplant.
Not so cold & snowy here in N. Virginia, but without shelter, mine will have to wait 'till the spring thaw!

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Heating the garage is a bum deal actually. $5-10 of kerosene gets me a 40-50 degree garage that is still quite dark and cramped. I left a 1kW electric heater in the car w/ it outside. Warm enough inside, all the metal is nice to bare fingers, and the plastic is warm enough to be supple. Plenty of daylight to see where things go.

BTW, I pulled the dash to replace it but you need not to swap the heater box. I'll PM instructions.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Thanks. To change the heater-fan, I've pulled the heat-AC unit out of a couple W114,115 cars and the dash didn't need to come off, but it was still a job I had to spread out over two days.
When I found my spare W123 240D heat-AC unit in the Pick-N-Pull a few years ago, someone had already pulled the console & dash and loosened the heat-AC unit, so it was a piece of cake to grab it after unhooking a few wires and vacuum lines. The dash was in the trunk and looked pretty good too, so I thought later about grabbing it. But it was gone when I went back.
Hopefully the manual heat-AC in my Euro TD fits the 240D heater-core from that eBay site. Or I'll find a way to make it fit!.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

That's what I have. 82 Euro 240D. Cores are the same for all 123 as far as I know.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

New core leaks. Will see what vendor's customer service is like.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

someone measure the original heater core. I have access to some OE Nissan surplus. I'll see if anything is close. Send me a pm in case I don't get back to this thread.

edit: measure a 126 core also if you have it.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.