1961 Buick leSabre

[despaired1]

I need a Heater Core for a 1961 Buick Lesabre. Anyone know where I can find?

[despaired1]

I need a Heater Core for a 1961 Buick Lesabre. Anyone know where I can find?

[DELTAWINGFLYER]

If you have the core a rad shop can rebuild it...

[DELTAWINGFLYER]

If you have the core a rad shop can rebuild it...

[brh]

I was told a long time ago that rebuilds do not hold up as well as new, may not be the case now--just some info. I think I bought mine from Cars--I strongly recommend you run a search on this board about Cars. This is not a negative statement!!! Just a recommendation.

[brh]

I was told a long time ago that rebuilds do not hold up as well as new, may not be the case now--just some info. I think I bought mine from Cars--I strongly recommend you run a search on this board about Cars. This is not a negative statement!!! Just a recommendation.

[RICK YOUNG]

I have one for a 63 if that's same. came out of a no a/c Lesabre

[RICK YOUNG]

I have one for a 63 if that's same. came out of a no a/c Lesabre

[Tom]

Originally Posted By: DELTAWINGFLYER

If you have the core a rad shop can rebuild it...

I would recommend this as well. Recore should hold up with no problem and that way you know it's going to fit correctly as it's the same one that came out of the car.

[serb]

Recore means just that, recore. The old tanks are reused and a new core replaces the old one. A core is made up of 2, 3 or 4 rows depending on what the radiator has to cool. This is based on the size of the engine, TOC's (transmission oil coolers) and any auxilliary coolers which could be any other water cooled accessories under the hood. A core is made up of tubes (in the case of older radiators, they are formed from brass and then solder coated. New ones are made from aluminum.) There are ribbons of copper placed between the tubes. The copper has louvres cut into the strips to aid in heat exchange. All of this is held together by a header on each end of the tubes and a reinforcement on top and bottom (cross flow radiator) or on the sides (downflow). The tanks (brass)are then soldered onto the headers. In the case of the new aluminum radiators, the plastic tanks are crimped to the header with agasket between the tank and header. The assembly is held together with frames and put through ovens to melt them together before the tanks are assembled to the unit.

So, as I said, the core is not reused when a radiator is recored.

I only point this out because many do not know exactly what a recore is.

stevo
Retired manufacturing supervisor Harrison Radiator Div,GM.
Now known as Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems (I may be wrong with that because they seem to change the name every so often. I will have to look the next time I drive past the plant).

[imported_JohnD1956]

What about the heater core? is that built the same way?

[serb]

Basically as is the evaporator. The htr core is made with tubes, headers, tanks and the air centers and are now made of aluminum. The evaporator is a bunch of plates brazed together which forms the tubes between the plates with air centers to diffuse the heat and different pipes welded onto the top depending on the hook ups.

TOC's (transmission oil coolers)have a sheet of copper that is formed into a type of center but it is within the tube. The oil flows through the tube and the heat is dissipated to the shell of the tube and cooled by the water in the cooling system. There are a number of plates , again depending on how much cooling needs to be done. They could be 2, 3, 4 plate coolers.

Those are the basics, it gets a little more complicated as you keep going.

stevo

[imported_JohnD1956]

Without getting deeper into the complications, do you think there is any truth to a rebuilt heater core being less trustworthy than a NOS one for the 61, and for the 56? My core is leaking and I have to do something about this now. I hate to take the fender off twice just because I used a rebuilt heater core.

[serb]

The recore is only as good as the workmanship that went into the core. The same as anything else.

I don't know what the money difference is between a new one and a repaired one, I think that is one thing to think about. The whole thing is, as I said, Only as good as the guy that built it.