So today while trying to remove my coolant lines next to the firewall, I proceeded to pinch the hardline running into the passenger side firewall completly shut. After several minutes of , I was able to open it up a bit on the end.

Does anyone know how difficult it is to change out that copper line and are there any special tricks to it.... or is there a way to open it back up without destroying it. Any help is appreciated.

 

You could always cut off the bent part of the tube, and run a longer rubber heater hose to the fresh part you just cut off. Then you wouldn't have to go junkyarding and replace the hardlines

 

can you cut the smushed piece and put a stint of hose to replace it with a clamp each side of the splice.

 

is there an echo in here??

 

Are you talking about the short piece protruding from the firewall? Damn, I'm glad I'm not you~

 

isn't that short piece (well two) protruding from the firewall the actual heater core itself?

 

I'm pretty sure that's what he's talking about. That's why I said I'm glad I'm not him~

The heater core is a PITA because you have to disassemble the entire dash~

 

bend it back into a circle with a screw drive or awl, JB weld any cracks, and seal the heater hose into it with a crap load of Permatex #2. It just might work!

Or bypass the heater if you don't want to mess with it.

 

I used a pair of needle nose pliers to straighten them out on an 86 . Put the tip of the pliers inside the pipe and open them just keep rotating and opening untill you get the shape back.

 

Problem solved. I took a harbor freight brass drift (cone shaped) stuck it in the end and used to a 3lb sledge to "massage" it in. Got the tube back to some semblance of a circle. Thanks for all your help.