ya mine doesnt have a heater valve the coolant im smelling is most likely from my radiator which i just noticed has a leak, its very weird but i had heat for the [ast two days not alot of heat just made it warm but i wasnt complaing, i will check the vac bubble by the bumber and see if thats the problem and will also listen to the blend doors as they change and report back

 

Did you ever fix your issue

 

Still no idea what the problem might be

 

If you look closely at the right side of this photo, you'll see my core after I cut it in half to see all the fins clogged and only enough room on side tube to make it look like I was doing something every time I flushed it out.



My problem was the same. Minimal to no heat. I replaced everything (including having long block machined) before heater core. Now too much heat.

 

So finally after all this time i brought my car into the shop i work at to properly backflush the heater core, let me tell you a bottle of CLR and a pressure flusher works magic i have to keep my window cracked its so hot now.. thankfully i didnt blow up the core

 

Nice. Glad it works.

Why is this the second thread I've read today mentioning CLR though?

 

No idea but that stuff really works great I've done multiple flushes with just about anything you could think of when I put clr in, mud like chunks were coming out

 

Let's hear how you did it.

 

Real simple take both heater hoses off pour about half of the bottle of CLR in one hose or until it starts coking out of the other hose the. Hang the hose up so they don't spill out or pinch them off let that sit in there for about ten minutes I used my shops pressure flusher but you can use like a power washer make sure you can regulate pressure and blast one of the hoses until clear water comes out ( or until the heater core blows up) this didn't happen to me but if the heater core is clogged there is a possibility that it will be to clogged to clear and it will blow up. Then pour the other half in the other hose and repeat the step before you should have better heat then

 

Mine's not clogged as I have flushed it before, but not with CLR. I'm gonna have to try this.

 

My heater core has been clogged since the last part of last winter. I tried CLR tonight, just as you said to do it. It worked! I am so glad i dont have to replace it.
Thanks
Scott

 

Good I'm glad like I said before I tried almost everything and nothing seemed to work but CLR defiantly did. Glad to hear this helped you out.

 

just to clear up some misinformation from earlier in this thread, the blend air door is vacuum actuated, not by cable for 97-01.