Replaced heater valve and cable, now no heat?

Update: I reversed flushed the heater core today. I did see some small particles of trash come out, and one narrow, long piece of what looked to be a gasket...gasket from what is a good question. Anyway, flushed through about 15 gals. Tried the heater again and seems to be slightly better, but not much and still not 100%. Another observation I've made is that the air coming out of the driver vent is hotter than that out of the passenger vent. The passenger vent also has some bits of foam trapped inside, but I don't recall if it was like that before or after I removed the dash to replace the cable and its certainly not uncommon for a 20 year old truck. I'm starting to think that it may have more to do with the blend door being blocked or not going through the full range of motion. Either way, looks like im taking the dash back apart to get to the blend door...and possibly going ahead and replacing the heater core while everything is apart.

 

If the heater core isn't leaking I would just clean the outside of it real nice and put it back. It collects a lot of debris.

 

There is a can of spray cleaner that is used for cleaning refrigerant coils in a spot that you can't really reach or access. Just have to be able to hit it with this spray. I use it on coils under fridges also the coils for the AC house unit that are in the furnace ducting/venting.
And this is to clean it if you aren't removing it. If you're gonna remove it by all means no need to buy the spray cleaner. Clean by hand as mentioned by se7enine

 

Second update: After reading through some other heater core threads, decided to check my passenger floor board after the flush this afternoon. I happened to remember a few weeks ago when cleaning out the truck I noticed a small damp spot. At the time, i thought it may have been condensation dripping. Now after the flush, sure enough, the passenger floorboard is wet under the mat. Looks like I'm replacing the core.

 

Your using straight water ??

No antifreeze ??

You could not smell the antifreeze ?? How much coolant do you add every day??

 

Straight water was used to reverse flush but antifreeze is used other wise. I don’t know why I have not yet smell any antifreeze. I have wondered that as well. I’ve added coolant to the overflow, but not into the radiator yet.

 

This right here makes me think there is air that is still being worked out of the system and then when engine cools off it sucks up some of the overflow coolant to replace that air it worked out.

 

True....I tried to burp the system after I flushed it, but don’t think my ramps were able to elevate the radiator cap over the heater valve. So there very well could be air in the system. However, still doesn’t explain the floor being wet.

 

Ahhh, good point. I completely forgot about that. If floor wet from coolant, obviously looking at the heat core, if floor wet and doesn't smell like coolant it's likely water pulled out of air for AC and not draining out the drain, right?

 

This could explain the wet floor and no coolant smell. I’ll check the drain for the AC, could be that it’s partially clogged. Almost gave the core out, so I’m going to check it for leaks as well. Also have another otw just Incase

 

I know I can`t live without my Pressure tester so worth every dollar!!

 

Got the core out, flushed it again to check for leaks, nothing found. Still getting small particles of stuff coming out but the flow seems to be fine.

 

Was the drain hose in place in the engine bay on the firewall? Before I zip tied a hose there off that nipple on the firewall I would get water draining onto passenger floor

 

yes, with the core in the truck I had a drain hose attached to the core going into a 5 gal bucket, and didn’t appear to be leaking around the outlet and hose connection

 

Sorry I wasn't very clear at all. I'm saying the nipple for the condensate drain of the evap box. Passenger side under the hood firewall, I dunno half way down or so. If that drain hose isn't there, the condensate (water) can be forced to exit the evap box and onto passenger side floor

 

Good @DrZ is here and knows his freaking stuff. Whatchu think Doc?

 

Ah, now I’m with you. I’m not sure, I didn’t notice. I know it’s been leaving a puddle under the truck so it’s gotta be partially there at least. But I will look and double check that!

 

That guy could be out source of water in the cab, and then hopefully you're just battling a gnarly air pocket trapped somewhere that seems to be ever so slowly removing itself and replacing with coolant from your overflow. At least that's been the theory in my head

 

I think at high RPMs the water pump will force coolant through the heater core even if there is air in there. It will force the air out. That's as long as the heater valve on the firewall is open. You should be able to hear the coolant swooshing through it.

It sounds like the blend door isn't opening correctly. I'd investigate that.

This shouldn't be this complicated to figure out.

 

complicated is the only way I know how to do things the blend door and the rest of the doors appear to
Be operating correctly with it now out of the truck, other than missing the majority of the foam on each one.