heater core by/pass - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

gmhitec · 05-14-2020, 05:58 PM

Ok I did the heater core by/pass not much to it really, very easy. To all those who have done this because of the broken blend door, no doubt the air is a lot cooler, (i.e. not hot) however not as cool as the passenger vents.
Is this all I can expect until the blend door is repaired? Anyone else with same experience?
Thx,
WC

uptown · 10-22-2020, 08:04 AM

I did the heater core by/pass and my air is MUCH cooler. Awaiting blend door replacement. Also I suspect the actuator limiter failed, so I am changing the actuator also.

InFiD3ViL · 10-22-2020, 12:41 PM

My guess would be that the effectiveness of the bypass depends on what position your blend door is stuck in. But I really have no idea if that even matters once hot coolant is not running through it anymore.

For me, it got almost as cold as it should normally be when I bypassed it. But I didn't keep it bypassed for more than 10 minutes, just to test things out, so I have no idea how it behaved in regular vehicle operation.

Machh5 · 10-23-2020, 01:47 AM

I have a bypass valve in mine and bypass the heater core in warmer weather so I don't heat soak when parking the car going shopping etc. In the winter months I open it.

CHRISCAM · 10-23-2020, 02:23 PM

Yeah, I concur that for those of us who live in warmer climates (I see you're in FL)-- there's really no downside to omitting the heater.
My blend door broke last fall and I went the whole "chilly" (40s is lowest it gets here in Dec./Jan.) San Diego winter and I didn't miss the heater.
I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but using the AC as a defroster actually works really well. I learned that little trick when I used to drive a truck for work.
If you eventually decide to spend the $800-900 to have a shop do the "shortcut" repair, or have the full replacement without cutting the HVAC housing (which usually involves having the windshield removed @ ~$2K total cost)-- you can decide later.

InFiD3ViL · 10-23-2020, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHRISCAM

Yeah, I concur that for those of us who live in warmer climates (I see you're in FL)-- there's really no downside to omitting the heater.
My blend door broke last fall and I went the whole "chilly" (40s is lowest it gets here in Dec./Jan.) San Diego winter and I didn't miss the heater.
I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but using the AC as a defroster actually works really well. I learned that little trick when I used to drive a truck for work.
If you eventually decide to spend the $800-900 to have a shop do the "shortcut" repair, or have the full replacement without cutting the HVAC housing (which usually involves having the windshield removed @ ~$2K total cost)-- you can decide later.

True to all of that. I think the reason AC works so good as a defroster/defogger is because it is a dehumidifier by design. The main negative to using it as a defroster is if you have ice on the windshield, of course.

05-14-2020, 05:58 PM	#1
gmhitec Drives: 77 z28 Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Callahan FL Posts: 84	heater core by/pass Ok I did the heater core by/pass not much to it really, very easy. To all those who have done this because of the broken blend door, no doubt the air is a lot cooler, (i.e. not hot) however not as cool as the passenger vents. Is this all I can expect until the blend door is repaired? Anyone else with same experience? Thx, WC

10-22-2020, 08:04 AM	#2
uptown Old Man with a Young Car Drives: 2013 Camaro LS IOM Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Mandeville, La Posts: 17	I did the heater core by/pass and my air is MUCH cooler. Awaiting blend door replacement. Also I suspect the actuator limiter failed, so I am changing the actuator also. __________________ Old Man with a Young Car

10-22-2020, 12:41 PM	#3
InFiD3ViL Drives: 2010 CGM 2SS/RS LS3 Swapped A6 Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Spring Hill, FL Posts: 4,737	My guess would be that the effectiveness of the bypass depends on what position your blend door is stuck in. But I really have no idea if that even matters once hot coolant is not running through it anymore. For me, it got almost as cold as it should normally be when I bypassed it. But I didn't keep it bypassed for more than 10 minutes, just to test things out, so I have no idea how it behaved in regular vehicle operation. __________________ 2010 CGM Camaro 2SS LS3 Swapped A6 - GPI LS3 SS1 .647/.638, (224/237, 112 +4, 7º overlap) on CamMotion 8620 core, BTR Platinum .660" Dual Spring kit w/titanium retainers, CHE bronze trunnion upgrade, stock heads milled @ .015, Melling HV 10296 oil pump, TSP 1-7/8" long tube headers (W/Catless Off-road Pipes), Corsa Xtreme 3" Catback, GPI Ported/Rod Mod Intake, Stage 2 Ported Throttle Body, Vararam OTR CAI, Mike Norris Gen 2 catch can + GM 1LE clean side separator, 160º thermostat - Megan Racing adjustable coilovers (lowered 1.75"), MRR M017 10/11" wheels-Tuned by Ryan @ GPI

10-23-2020, 01:47 AM	#4
Machh5 Account Suspended Drives: Camaro Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: US Posts: 120	I have a bypass valve in mine and bypass the heater core in warmer weather so I don't heat soak when parking the car going shopping etc. In the winter months I open it.

10-23-2020, 02:23 PM	#5
CHRISCAM Drives: 2013 Summit White 2SS/1LE Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: SoCal Posts: 118	Yeah, I concur that for those of us who live in warmer climates (I see you're in FL)-- there's really no downside to omitting the heater. My blend door broke last fall and I went the whole "chilly" (40s is lowest it gets here in Dec./Jan.) San Diego winter and I didn't miss the heater. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but using the AC as a defroster actually works really well. I learned that little trick when I used to drive a truck for work. If you eventually decide to spend the $800-900 to have a shop do the "shortcut" repair, or have the full replacement without cutting the HVAC housing (which usually involves having the windshield removed @ ~$2K total cost)-- you can decide later.