Bending heater core tubes

Syleng1 said

Save yourself an emergency trip and just take it to the shop and let them bend them if they are off a lot. Are you sure you got the right core? Same as the one that came out? Bring both (original and new) and for like $25 they can fix you up.

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I'm positive they are the same as the one that came out. Got them both at RockAuto. The new brass and aluminum pieces are identical and the tubes on both are oriented identically, except for they are oriented different than my OEM piece. They are off by a slight amount, but keeps them from fitting through the firewall cut-out hole. Looking at comments online it seems this is a very common problem. I'm concerned I'll break a weld.