First, I got a 10-foot length of heater hose from International Auto Parts. At $2.95 per foot plus shipping/handling, this can be a bit of a pricey option, but I figured I'd get something that works with the car. The ID is 13mm, so looking back, I figure I could source this locally and save on shipping.
The heater core is bypassed by disconnecting it at two places:
1. At the top of the engine, towards the back
2. At the water pump.
In order to avoid spills, I emptied the coolant from the engine. Raise the car high enough to fit a clean 5-gallon paint bucket under the radiator drain spout, open the drain spout, and wait. To hurry things, open the radiator cap.
Once the engine is mostly empty, close the drain spout, then open the two bleeder screws - one on the water pump, the other at the top of the engine (near the thermostat.)
Then, disconnect the coolant hoses at the two spots - at the top/rear of the engine, and at the water pump. Then connect these two places directly with 3" length of coolant hose. Make sure to route the hose away from any moving parts. Since hot coolant will flow through this hose, make sure to keep it away from anything that does not like heat.
Tighten all the various hose clamps, and refill the cooling system. As you refill the cooling system, keep the air bleed screws open until coolant starts seeping out, then replace and tighten.
That's it - it is really that simple.
Test driving the car verified that the coolant ceased to leak inside the car. Good thing. The flip side is that the car gets awfully cold at night, and with winter approaching, this becomes a major issue. But I suspect the car will be parked for most of the winter anyways, and so I will not worry too much about this yet.
Next up: removing the heater core; a few surprises.
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