heater core is leaking ...can i use radweld or some other radiator fix to cure this . i dont want to spend 1500 bucks for a removal of the dash and install of a 200 part

 

You could try a small quantity, but think about the downside:

The liquid "stopz leekz" products use about a match head sized quantity of material to make a temporary fix. How long it lasts is anyone's guess. Most work with "water glass" (sodium silicate) and some additive (clay, ground walnut shells, copper dust, aluminum flakes, and now - nano-particles)

The rest of the bottle goes through your cooling system and can:

A. Settle to the low spot (the lower parts of the radiator) and seal that off, reducing cooling and making engine overheat on warm days.

B. Seal every crevice it can find (like all the rough ones inside the radiator from scale build up) - closing off most of the radiator.

C. Coat the entire inside of the cooling system, like wearing a sweater on a hot summer day...

D. Seal other cracks, like the one around the part of the thermsotat that moves open and closed to regulate engine temp.

And if you have other weak spots, like a marginal hose, it may go "pop" from the leak being "repaired".

If your leak is related to AC condensate, might not involve the heater core, could just be drains plugged up.

The RAVE tech manuals below have the whole set of manuals for the Freelander. While it would not be my first choice of a DIY project, the shop will assign a mortal techician. He has confidence and the motivation to buy a new flat screen. DIY and you'll save enough to buy an even better flat screen....

 

a question for you ???

1st i live in NYC and the street is my garage so i am limited by the amount of DIY i can do.
2nd The RAVE says i must remove dash to fix core and Orings
3rd The $ prices i am getting quoted are insane 975.if i supply the parts

is there a way to check orings for leaks without the removal of dash .

there is a leak but it is so tiny slow miniscule but it is a leak none the less

thanks DREW

 

1. Download the RAVE, look in file pdf\ln01, that is the Freelander section [where did you see O-rings?] [of course, I could also be on the wrong page]

2. When I looked, the shop manual did not show O-rings (which are common on Range Rovers). The heater matrix seems to be a straight "tiny radiator" affair, with two fixed metal lines that go thru the firewall to engine compartment. Coolant circulates at all times through these lines. SO - one test might be to disable these connections by removing hoses and connecting together with clamps and hose splice pipe. That would confirm that it is indeed the heat leaking, not AC condensation. And a blocked drain.

3. The drawings show removal of the heater matrix, don't mention an O ring inside or even show a joint inside. So if you had a coolant leak, seems like you would be dealing with hot coolant under some pressure. [Maybe it is not a coolant leak - are you having loss of coolant from resivoir?]

4. Drawings make it look like this would be somewhat of a pain to get to, but nothing out of the ordinary. More that you are going to have to be a pretzle to get to some things.

 

i just want to say a quick thank you for all the time you have put in ...i cannot get to this for a couple of days ,m but will keep you posted .. thanks Drew

 

You are more than welcome. Guys in the City have to be expert mechanics, since they have to take the engine block inside every night...