A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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xirdneh
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My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by xirdneh »

THE TEST: Hold your hand less than 1 inch from the heater vent for as long as you can and time it?

I did this 5 times and 20-25 seconds is all I could take before the heat was too painful to continue.

Speed of car 45-60 mph. Cabin and engine fully warm. Recirc/Fresh switch set to “Fresh”. Blower speed set to high. Upper right control lever position set all the way to left which directs air to upper vents on dashboard. Close left of steering wheel and far right dashboard vents. For center dash vent close the right one. Making a fist with right hand, hold knuckles less that one inch from center left vent.

Outside temperature was around 40 degrees. Model year 1987. Temp gauge needle just below half (about 1/8” below)

Pretty sure I have an exceptional Tercel.
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
Hoodwagon
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My tercel:: 1985 Tercel SR5

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by Hoodwagon »

Hmmm.... well if I had to guess I would say 93 degrees? I'm bout ta do a vinegar flush of the heater core and replace the foam in the flaps while I have the dash cover off to install the inclinometer.... I'm hopeful to get up to 115 degrees ;)
1985 Toyota Tercel SR5
Pacific Northwest, USA
jimcrazy
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My tercel:: 1985 4wd 1986fwd 1983 4wd

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by jimcrazy »

refoamed both doors in the box,no flush in the heater core
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splatterdog
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Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by splatterdog »

Current driver has very good heat due to my Gates flush gun and no chemicals. At 40, it would definitely achieve "hurt hot". That's measured by my shoe leather hands. So far this winter, the car hasn't seen anything above 30. AT -27 it does the job where I don't have to dress for ice fishing just to get to the ice fishing. Too many air leaks..
xirdneh
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by xirdneh »

i will have to put the temperature reader on it and see what i have
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by Petros »

darn, after several vinegar flushed, and several pulsing blast treatments, I am at best getting about 90 degrees.

It is just good enough to defrost and warm it up to comfortable, wearing a coat, but not very warm at all. I may try one more time, but I am about to try a new heater core, and just accept I have to pull the dash apart. A few other things I want to fix under the dash while it is out anyway (like locate the source of buzz and vibration when on rough roads...gonna use a lot of latex sealant on any suspects).

Anyone know where there are decent prices on Tercel heater cores? I might have a local radiator shop rebuild one of my junk ones if I can not buy one.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Hoodwagon
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My tercel:: 1985 Tercel SR5

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by Hoodwagon »

Cheapest core on roackauto is 43 bucks Petros. I guess less the 5% discount they offer to pretty much anyone

Given that it's such a b$@#% to get out I would go new or go home!
1985 Toyota Tercel SR5
Pacific Northwest, USA
xirdneh
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by xirdneh »

aluminum core are easy to find. have to look around to find brass cores. they use the same numbers sometimes for alum and brass.
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
Hoodwagon
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Posts: 77
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:41 pm
My tercel:: 1985 Tercel SR5

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by Hoodwagon »

^
Looks like the copper core is 76 bucks on rocky.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php ... 71&jsn=371
1985 Toyota Tercel SR5
Pacific Northwest, USA
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by Petros »

they had three heater cores at $43, I got one on the way to me. so must have sold out of the last two low cost ones.

Rockauto is funny like that, some days you can get new cv axles for $27 each, other days the cheapest one is is a reman at $95. if you plan on keeping your tercel you just have to regularly check on the high priced items, and stock up when they show up. I have boxes of many new spare parts I got really cheap, that I will eventually use (I hope)... or will put in my will to my children after I kick the bucket.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
xirdneh
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 2121
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: A Tercel CHALLENGE: How hot is your heater?

Post by xirdneh »

I took an eighty mile drive in 28 degree weather and brought along a laser temperature reader.
Cruising pretty much level road at 55-60 mph with cabin temp of 70 degrees. Holding steering wheel and laser reader in right hand pointing laser at left center vent with all other dash vents closed.
With fan speed a lowest setting I got 150 degrees
With fan speed on highest setting I got 165 degrees
The dashboard temp gage was about 1/8" below half.

Test done under same conditions but going uphill I reached temperatures as high as 193 degrees with dashboard temp gage at half way point.
My fingers were cooking on the steering wheel while holding the laser reader.
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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