Getting rid of heater core?

My heater core has developed a leak, and I never use the heater anyway so I'm thinking of bypassing it and just connecting the hoses that run to the heater core into a loop, skipping the heater core.

The Jeep in question is in a 1966 CJ5 with the dauntless 225 v6.

Would this hurt anything?

Thanks, you guys are awesome.

 

I would think the only thing it would hurt would be you if the weather was cold.

 

Thanks guys, but I live out in the sagebrush, and I get all the heat I need from the floorboards!

Guess thats it for the heater core!

 

You would be marginally reducing the engine cooling capacity, if that matters.

 

I've bypassed the heater core in several Jeeps with no problems. If you have enough slack in one of the hoses, you can connect the water pump to the back of the block. Or, if you don't have enough hose, you can get a coupler from Napa to connect the two hoses together. This is what I just did on mine.

 

I ditched mine to make room for my Hydraulic clutch/brake master relocation.. No issues.. Not like it ever kept that thing warm anyhow..

Bubba

 

Why don't you just plug the ports? Leaving the hoses in place is a potential leak.

 

Removed everything and plugged outlets on water pump. If it's cold, wear a coat!

 

Yep.

 

I have had mine bypassed for years but still have the heater in the jeep. One of these days I will plug all the ports. This jeep gets driven in summer only and if it's cold I put pants and jacket on or tuff it out. One nice thing about keeping it hooked up is if the engine is running a little warm just turn heat on hot and fan on high to get you home.

 

how did you guys plug the water pump port? on my engine the rear port is threaded but the front isnt so i ran a bypass hose.

 

i took my core out. i got rid of the hoses and everything. i plugged the holes with some brass plugs i found at a local hardware store. everything works great.

 

Plug the block fitting. Get a "heater hose block off cap" for the water pump end. http://www.hybrid-racing.com/store/heater-hose-delete-cap.html Google the phrase and you'll find lots of sources. You used to be able to get these at the parts stores - apparently Napa carries them.

 

that's perfect, I will have to bug my Napa Auto see if they can order me one.
been wanting to get rid of the kinked hose that loops back to water pump.

 

The PO on my jeep just undid the hoses on the core, and clamped them together.

I had to zip tie the hoses out of the way, they were hanging on the carb linkage.

Never had any other issues.

 

Cut the hose short to about 2 inches or so long, and stick some kind of plug into each. Then if you decide you just have to have heat, you can just put in new hoses, which you will have to replace anyway, somewhere down the line.

 

FWIW on my F-head I just took out the hose that carried coolant leading TO the core and ran it to the fitting that used to be filled by the hose running FROM the heater. Then took out the heater core fan etc. I had no problems with it. Well I do have problems but they were not related to that particular issue!!!