While I was under the car a couple of days ago changing the ATF, I spotted that the cooler lines to the rear passenger heater matrix were basically two cylindrical rust formations. Given how effective the main heater is anway, I decided it would be a good stop-gap to just pull the rear heater out of circuit.

Doing so is quite easy, although physical access to the piping is just a bit awkward as it’s attached to the bulkhead in the centre of the engine bay – just the size of the cruiser means you’re always working at arm’s length. I just popped off the existing hose clamps and ran a screwdriver around the edge of the hoses to break the seal that invariably forms between the rubber and the fitting. On the return-side, it was just a case of removing the T-piece and shoving the main engine return line onto the heater matrix output.

The supply side, given the ridiculous arrangement of the temperature control valve, needed an extra pipe, so an old Land Rover coolant pipe I had knocking around was cut to size and fitted, again eliminating the copper manifold, hence taking the rear heater completely out of circuit.

I don’t like removing functionality from the vehicle, but in this instance it’s preferable to the contents of the cooling system making a bid for freedom. I might end up making replacements, but I can’t see it happening any time soon…

Of course, while doing this a reasonable amount of coolant had to be drained, so I ended up doing the whole system. It was refilled with red Toyota Long Life coolant which seems to work a treat in every situation I’ve come across, and it’s a deal cheaper than the stuff you get from Halfords!