456 GT Blowing coolant out the vents....

Labor to bypass is way less.

There would be no reason to replace the entire evaporator as you call it. It is actually the entire HVAC unit. It is made by a subcontractor to Ferrari and only sold as a complete unit. I have a number of times taken them apart and had a heater core fabricated by a radiator shop. No reason not to approach it that way. An entire unit may be very difficult to get anyway. Not the end of the world, the cars are getting older and many will be needing this. It is one of the many reasons I strongly suggest annual coolant replacements and with the correct coolant of which there are very few. Corrosion will render a heater core bad long before most engine components and the corrosion inhibitors for aluminum do not last nearly as long as most antifreeze advertisements lead you to believe.

 

That is how I explain it to my friends when they ask how easy it is to replace a heater core. "It's the first thing they put on a car down the assembly line"

 

Actually I think it is the 3rd but you get the idea. Plumbing goes 1st, wiring 2nd. Stuff that attaches to plumbing and wiring 3rd.

 

I will certainly check, but would a clogged evaporator drain hose put coolant film on windshield and strong coolant smell in cabin? Scuderia Car Parts in U.K. spoke to Ferrari Factory looking for new unit and were told to "make sure it's not a cracked hose first". That would be much better, but I'm not too hopeful.

John

 

John- No, not a coolant film, but probably not the cleanest water around.

 

I've replaced a few. I've used small radiator fab-shops for nice quality replacements. The original core is two-piece, I replace with single, no issues at all. The trick is opening the HVAC unit without breaking it to pieces, it is constructed of possibly the cheapest type of plastic I've ever seen...