Great improvisation!! :thumbup:

 

I bet this is exactly how the "blast vac" was first developed. Great thinking!

 

Hmm interesting, too bad you aren't up here as I could really use such a device! Warranty won't cover my heater core because it's clogged and not a failure of the heater core .

 

Thanks. I get the car tagged tomorrow. My wife is already plotting how to steal it from me.

Thinkin now that Maybe I should of left the heater broke so she wouldn't drive it:banghead::banghead:

 

Thinkin' now that maybe I should of left the heater broke so she wouldn't drive it:banghead::banghead:

Put a solenoid in series with the heater core and power it from a hidden switch only you know about. :evil:

Switch off... no heat. "Sorry honey. This damn car is always a problem. I'll drive it so you don't have to freeze. see, I do care about you."
Switch on... yummy heat!:thumbup:

 

1. 1 foot of 3/4 heater hose
2. 4 inches 3/4 heater hose
3. Flush kit "T" for 3/4 hose
4. Air Blow Gun
5. Air Pressure regulator

1. How much air presure did you use ??

 

I set the regulator to about 35 lbs. I was afraid if I hit it full force I would be replacing the heater core

 

I was afraid if I hit it full force I would be replacing the heater core

No doubt. You can always crank it higher if needed. But if you explode the core on the first blast, there's no going back.

 

It's getting to that time of year when we'll be getting clogged heater core posts. It was time to give mine a good flush and thought I'd share my quick and dirty improvisation of the blast vac and jollyrogers version of it. Hook up the heater hose sections to the heater core inlet and outlet for the usual garden hose flush. I drilled a very small hole into the inlet hose - through a patch of duct tape so I could easily locate the hole. I attached a needle used for inflating balls to my air compressor blow gun and inserted it into the small inlet hose hole. Run water while operating the blow gun and you have my version of the blast vac. Leaks a little water and air at the hole but not much. Seems to have worked - heater now puts out good heat.

The pressure you set the air compressor regulator at doesn't translate to that much pressure to your core - the pressure in the core will never be high as long as you're venting the air and water through a return hose and don't "seal" the core air and water tight. The regulator setting just affects the volume of air you're putting to the core.

I wish you all warm travels in your Passat this winter.

 

This all sounds good.......but what if you don't have access to an air supply? Could you use a small portable air compressor?
Or can you flush just with a garden hose? Thanks...........Larry

 

If you reverse flush with a garden hose it might help a bit, but not likely to do much.
You probably could use a small portable air compressor, it would be fine if connected through a tank with a regulator.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/61-b5-information-base/383113-diy-bleeding-cooling-system-heater-core-flush.html

Do NOT use the"Singin in the rain" method, this is more likely to make it worse than better, Jay has said he has never had any success with flushing a heater core.

 

I'm going to assemble this for back flushing my heater core. Costs a bit more, but more adjustable and durable.

 

Like so:

 

Pretty good idea. I could have used one of those for the radiator on my Lawn Tractor when it was clogged.
Clark