HEATER CORES
Heater cores have much in common with radiators. They have similar designs: Two tanks and a core. They have hoses carrying coolant to and from them and they both work with fans to dissipate heat. However, their purposes are quite different. Whereas the radiator's goal is to keep your engine cool, the heater's job is to keep you and your passengers warm.
​
The heater core is almost always located inside the cabin, or under the hood very close to the firewall with openings into the cabin, and works in conjunction with the blower motor. Coolant is pumped into the inlet neck via the water pump and flows through the channels of the heater. As it flows through the core, the blower motor throws the heat off of it, simultaneously lowering the temperature of the coolant and warming the cabin.
The heater core as we know it, was patented in 1893 by Margaret A. Wilcox of Chicago and first arrived on the automotive scene in the 1929 Ford Model T. As with everything else in the early days of the automobile, there was a lot of experimentation, so there were all kinds of crazy designs, including those shown here. General Motors (Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and a few others) and British Leyland (Jaguar, Austin, MG and more) were responsible for the round heaters that you see, the U-shaped and double heaters were Chrysler products and the "triple nipple" heater is a Ford, which had a secondary outlet hose, hence the three necks.
Modern heater cores are mostly made of either an aluminum core with "plastic" tanks (actually a nylon blend) or just aluminum with the core, tanks and necks all made from the same material. These aluminum core heaters have very narrow tubes, which are prone to blockage.
​
Whether you drive an antique car or a late-model one, nobody has more access to the heaters and parts that you need than Acme Radiator!
Heater Core Installation
Installing heater cores can often be a very complex operation, whether it's a 1963 Buick Riviera or a 2011 Mercedes E550, the specialists here at Acme Radiator have the experience to replace your heater correctly on the first try, without having to worry about your dashboard shaking or squeaking, screws falling out or the new part leaking. We pressure test every heater that we sell, so that nobody has to do the job a second time.
​​
We've been installing heater cores since we opened the doors in 1950! You won't get a better heater job on Long Island!
