Dynaflash8 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Does anybody know where I can get a new or restored 1941 Buick heater core...............quickly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Earl, Do you have dimensions and/or a photo? I have a couple of odd heater cores that came with a recent purchase. I have no idea what they fit. I will be happy to measure them and see if they might work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 It's a donut-style core that fits under the seat. About a foot in diameter, maybe a little more. Two outlets next to each other at a 90-degree angle to the rest of the core. I thought I had a photo of the one I restored for my Century, but I don't seem to have it in my archives. But it's a rather large, round core with fins all around the perimeter. They are the same for most other GM cars with under-seat heaters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 2 hours ago, Dynaflash8 said: Does anybody know where I can get a new or restored 1941 Buick heater core...............quickly? Quickly? Winter is a LONG way off. Just bypass the sucker. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said: It's a donut-style core that fits under the seat. About a foot in diameter, maybe a little more. Two outlets next to each other at a 90-degree angle to the rest of the core. I thought I had a photo of the one I restored for my Century, but I don't seem to have it in my archives. But it's a rather large, round core with fins all around the perimeter. They are the same for most other GM cars with under-seat heaters. Like the one in this spare heater that I have left over from when I owned a 1954 Special? It measures about 13 inches in diameter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 That is the one! Earl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Sort of amusing that I was not talking about that one, but when you described it, I went to the cabinet where I had stored it when I had the 1954 Special and pulled it out. It is not new, it is not rebuilt, but it is one that I bought as a spare and it is supposed to be good. It looks good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Easy enough to test--plug one side, put your air gun with a rubber tip in the other, lightly pressurize it, and dip it in water. Here's a photo of me testing my defroster core: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 All of this lowers my blood pressure a little. I'm pretty sure the '41 is not the same as a '54 but maybe it will work. I'll talk to you Matt. I talked to a major restorer friend last night and if worse comes to worse I think he'll help me out. But, the car isn't on the rack right now, as I decided to go the extra mile and paint the door jambs and inside edges of the doors. It's funny, or maybe it isn't, but you make one thing pretty and then the part next to it that looked fine suddenly doesn't look so good. I'm still hoping the new hoses have loosened like new radiator hoses do. My restorer friend tells me that in his opinion they can't be repaired because if they're rotten in one place and you fix that, soon they'll start leaking in another place. I've also always heard that if you store them dry after they've had coolant in them they rot inside....I don't know if that is true. I have a repaired on one for a '39 on the shelf myself. The '41 isn't something you want to do twice, because I'm told the seat has to come out to get the core out from under it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 11 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: Quickly? Winter is a LONG way off. Just bypass the sucker. Ben Ben, I live in Florida, and I may just do that. It certainly is my backup plan. This said, I like everything to work and I might want to tour this car on a cool day in Ohio or something like that. But, while it's in a restoration shop that has in the past operated strictly as the best upholstery shop in Florida, and it's 85 miles away, it would be nice to do it right. They might want to pull the front seat again to do the new front wiring harness too. Their mechanic is in his sixties. I'm already upside down and backwards in this car so what is a little more? I'm 79 going on 80. If I get another old car, ever, it will probably be a Buick in the 1990's. The best Buick's I've ever owned were the 1991-2005 Park Avenue's. Our family also drove a 1972 LeSabre Limited well over 200K miles without ever any engine work. Parents bought it new, and eventually my wife and I, and both daughters drove it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Understand! I did not know it is in the shop. Prime time to replace it while in the shop' I have an underseat heater complete. NOT Buick. Packard maybe? Agree on the Park Avenues. My '95, newest car I own, just keeps going. I would like to have a newer lower mileage one. Good luck Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: Understand! I did not know it is in the shop. Prime time to replace it while in the shop' I have an underseat heater complete. NOT Buick. Packard maybe? Agree on the Park Avenues. My '95, newest car I own, just keeps going. I would like to have a newer lower mileage one. Good luck Ben Car Guru's notifies me constantly of Park Avenues for sale all over the country, but alas they are all newer. I'd like a 1991 as my parents bought one new that my daughter wore out. But, she works for a Buick dealership, and while she had the car they gave her a complete electronic shop manual which I now have. I missed one 100 miles away a year ago with 35,000 miles on it. Biggest problem with those is that the horn buttons pop out and get lost. The newest tour car for AACA is 1993 right now, but 1994 will come in, in January. It's an extra $200 registration for a '94 prior to January. I think J.C. Taylor would give me insurance before then; otherwise another car with regular tags would cost me another $500 a year for insurance here in Florida. There is no state income tax here, but they make up for it in the cost of insurance. Anybody planning to move here should take notice of that. Regarding the heater core. Well, I just looked them up in the Parts Books. There were two in 1941. One for the 90 and another one for all the other models. Then there was a different one for 1942-1949 series 40. Thee was a different one for 1949 50-70 and then a different one for 1950-1952 and 1953 series 40. Then there was a different one for 1953 50-70 and 1954 and I didn't look at the 1960 parts book I have long enough to remember. So, Matt Harwood looked at Matt Hinson's 1954 core and said "that's the one". So interesting. If they look the same, what is the difference? I'm still guessing (hoping is more like it) it is the new hoses hooked to the core need the clamps tightened. If you remember, every time you put on new radiator hoses, a month or so later you have to tighten the clamps. Why would the core suddenly start leaking while it's sitting in a shop for two months is the common sense question? Stay tuned to this station Edited July 19, 2018 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 A good friend is sending me one for a 1954 Buick for the cost of shipping. Nobody knows what the difference is in these 5 or 6 different parts numbers. The Buick restorer said it might be the thickness, so if it is too tall there's probably no way to use it. But, some 1953 Skylark guy will need it if I can't use it. I am guaranteed a good one, at a price, if I have to have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-g-g0 Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Earl Classic Radiator in NJ (advertises in the Bugle) shows he has a new replacement “round heater core” available in his product list. i recently bought one of his new OEM style copper/brass radiators for my 53 Super. Do not have the installation finished yet, but it appears to be a very well made radiator and looks original. Did have a minor issue with the mounting holes for the core support. Had to open them up a bit. Might give them a call or check out their web site. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Earl, It will be there Monday. I hope it works for you. I sent you an email with the shipping cost. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) Here's a lousy picture of the one out of my '41 Century as I removed it and before I cleaned it. Looks about the same. Edited July 19, 2018 by Matt Harwood (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Well, the shop is still trying to figure out the problem. Now that I have a 1953 50-70/1954 heater core on the way, they say they don't think it is the heater core, but the defroster core because they think it is coming from under the dash. I looked in the parts books again, and no defroster heater core listed. Now I was really perplexed. Last night I talked to a friend who restores many of this model. And yes, there is a small core inside of the defroster motor "capsule" (can't think of a better word). The shop thinks the water is coming from under the dash and swears that the hoses to the firewall are tight. The "capsule" is a sealed unit (hence core not listed separately in the parts books). IF that is it, I can get one. I'm still not convinced that is it. It didn't leak when it went to the body shop. They removed all the hoses to paint the firewall, the engine and surrounding area. So I wonder could the hoses be loose, could they be hooked up wrong, could they be so tight as to crush the tubes? I led them to the place last night and scanned in a diagram from a book I have that showed the routing of the hoses. Part of the problem was the doors openings were covered with plastic, as this all came about while the body shop was painting the door jambs and inside door edges (an afterthought on my part, suggested by the bodyshop guys). So, today all that comes off and the mechanic can get into the car and look up behind the glove box and find out really what is going on. Stay tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) That is a photo of a 1941 Buick defroster core in my orange photo above. I took it out of the defroster unit without difficulties and I don't remember it being like a sealed unit. Here are more photos: I lightly sand blasted it to clean it up, then straightened the fins and the tubes: I had to repair the neck on one of the tubes, which had been crushed and had stress fractures in it. I straightened it and made it round again using a socket, then soldered up the holes. Then I panted it using Eastwood radiator paint: I also powdercoated all the external parts and the fans: I reassembled it but I don't seem to have photos of that part. I don't recall that it was difficult so the unit can be serviced. Edited July 20, 2018 by Matt Harwood (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 Well, Matt, you know more about the defroster motor than most. It certainly looks like it could be taken apart and repaired to me. I was only relating what I was told. As of last night they were back to what I suspected in the beginning. The new hoses were removed for painting, and were leaking into the car they say now. I hope so. It was okay when it went to the body shop. They re-tightened the hoses and think they've got it stopped. I certainly hope so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Sometimes over-tightening a hose, especially with modern worm-drive hose clamps, can be a problem because it creates a pinch point on the hose that can leak. Snug is good, but a lot of guys just crank the heck out of them to get them to seal, which often is a mistake. The various OEM hose clamps that manufacturers have used over the years aren't used just because they're quicker to install--those spring-loaded ones seal better because they apply uniform pressure all the way around the hose. They can't afford to have leaks after the installation, so they go with what they know will work first time, every time. We hate them because they're sometimes difficult to work with, but they work well. I'm not positive what the '41s should use, maybe a wire-style clamp of some kind? Be sure your guys are using the right clamps and not the goofy modern ones that never look right anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) Thanks Matt. I'm sort of out of control of the issue right now since the car is 85 miles from here and I'm dealing with my wife's serious illness. The last I heard they tightened the hoses a little more and the leak appeared to stop. Once I get the car home and my wife well, if the problem comes back, I'll go with it here. The heater hose tubes were crushed under the car when I first got it and we had to round out the tubes. That wasn't where it was leaking. They cleaned and painted the underside of the car, but I doubt they took those hoses loose. This is a problem when you have your car done by somebody else, especially if they work on all sorts of cars and yours might have some new twists they don't have previous knowledge of. Remember, almost everybody who works in a shop today is much younger than the car. By the way, when I put the hoses on right after buying the car, I used the old-time clamps. I've often found they wouldn't quite get the hoses tight enough, and too, new hoses often leak after 2-300 miles driving and need a 1/2 or full turn on the screw. Hopefully they didn't change the type of clamp on those hoses. Edited July 22, 2018 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 I got both the heater core and the defroster motor/core from the same care that I got the front bumper and front-to-rear wiring connector. Poor old Roadmaster has been sitting there for over 50 years, and I've been picking her bones. A little of her will live on until another day. Makes me sentimental....don't ask why. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBman Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 I got a round heater core like in the first post approx 13 1/2 inches in diameter, from my uncle who died. It was sitting on a shelf in the basement when we cleaned it out to sell. Have no idea it was a buick part. Has a number 39 stamped into it by the tubes. looks to be all copper, would like to sell it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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