the fan works, but no heat comes out. This would have been really handy when I blew my head gasket last month.

Anyway, what should I look for? What should I replace/fix? I have access to about 5 cars of the same year, make, and model at a local salvage yard.

Try to point me in the right direction please

 

first check to see if the valve to the heater core is opening as you turn the temp dial. just turn it and have someone look in the engine bay behind the thermostat to see if the valve is opening. also double check by touching the heater hose on both sides of the valve.

if that is working properly, then crawl under and behind the center console from the passenger side and look straight up. reach around (or have your friend) turn the temp dial and youll see the two cables moving. it should be moving a white plastic lever. this can become out of adjustment or just come completely loose. readjust and everything should work. that valve controls the flap that directs air through the heater core or not. if its stuck closed, the ventilated air never goes through the heater core.

 

heater control valve outlined in center of pic:

push it toward the firewall for heat..

 

Very cool Tyson and 88DXCRX... I'll be checking it out later tonight.

 

if neither of those work, your heater core might be clogged with crap. did someone dump in radiator "stop leak" when you started losing coolant from your headgasket? because that loves to clog up heater cores. you can sometimes get lucky by hooking up a garden hose and running water through the core BACKWARDS to push the clog out of most of the fins.

 

The heater didn't work before the headgasket blew, so I doubt it's related.

 

The valve is opening when I turn the dial, so I've been able to rule that out. Tomorrow I'll look under the dash for the little white thing...

I notice that the valve is connected to the engine via a hose. Should I also try to just remove that hose and see if it is clogged at all? Any danger in removing this hose and reattaching it?

 

I'm voting that its the little arm under the dash. Thats what my problem was.

edit: >_<. My bad for replying to a 6 month old post. I wasnt paying attention.

 

your thermostat working? is the water temp guage at normal temp when driving?