[krazy]

I just picked up a new heatercore for the project I'm working on (the current one is both really old and ugly and it is also about 1/2" too long to fit where I want it to go without a fight).

I went to the NAPA auto parts store nearby and dug through the catalog they had of heatercores. They should have pictures and dimensions. I picked a single-pass core for less flow resistance and easier de-airing. I actually just finished cutting off the mess of tubing that was used to connect it to whatever 1980s GMC light truck it would have made it's home in. I'm epoxying on thread adapters to screw hose barbs into and threaded rod coupling nuts to screw it to the back of the new case.

Measure and diagram carefully based on pictures of typical cores and then go to the parts store and ask to look through the book. You're going to have to find an older core (1980s or so) to get a nice copper and brass core because almost all of them are made from aluminum (ugh) these days.

When you find something that looks promising size-wise, hopefully they will have it in stock (this is rare for the kind of cores water coolers want) or find out if they can have one sent over. Mine was sent from a warehouse to the store by suppertime the same day. After work, I stopped back and measured the unit to make sure it was what I wanted. It was, so I parted with my $34 and headed home with a new core. Maybe we'll live happily ever after, too...