FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi guys,

a little thread this time on heating.

I've just had my Smiths (beehive) heater re-cored.

I had a recurring problem, where the heater core would develop a very small leak.  In the past I had read that these cores couldn't handle the pressure of a later engine water pump.  This to me didn't really make sense as water at a given temp should theoretically be at the same temperature in a closed system correct??

when the heater core sprung a leak I decided to investigate and fix it right...

I had the heater re-cored and inspected the old core to see why it would leak.

Well the core was pretty much clogged with corrosion, which after 50 years was no surprise.  it did raise a question as to the previous fix. I paid for tank off, core clean and re-fit tank...

but the theory of coolant pressure then seemed to fit.
if you let water in to a clogged heater, the hot water will have nowhere to go and sooner or later the core will burst.

so the remedy is to clean it out before you use it. or re-core it.. which isn't exactly cheap however if it sees another 50 years works out OK.

Cheers

Ed

Hi Ed

Thanks for sharing your experience and findings.  Most appreciated - and very true that if it lasts another 50 years (or even 20+) and it keeps you nice and warm it's definitely money well spent!

But I do have one question - how do you propose to fit your beehive to a bike?  ;D

Kathi

on the handle bars of course  :P

Cheers

Ed

Ed, the original FE had a radiator cap pressure of 4 pounds, this was increased to 7 pounds later in the model and stayed at this pressure right through the grey engine series. Most heaters will handle this pressure OK. The problem is with later red motors & V8's running at 13 pounds of pressure. This is almost double the pressure the heater was designed to work at and if there is any corrosion in the heater then it is likely to burst. It has nothing to do with the water pump.

Ken

I have a round Smiths heater that was in my FC with a grey.
When I fitted a red, the core burst very spectacularly, dumping the entire contents of the radiator onto the front floor. I had no carpet in at the time, and was turning onto a 6 lane major road and the windows fogged up instantly, with boiling coolant swishing around my ankles.....SCARY!!
I just bought 1 of the beehives off ebay and plan to have the core cleaned and pressure tested before fitting.....hopefully before winter is over.
Thanks for the tip Ed.
Regards
Alex

ps. Anyone got a set of the demister outlets that come off the sides of the beehive?
Regards
Alex