My heater clean-out project
 

My truck is down for the winter, so I decided it was high time to take out my heater box to once and for all rid it of the old mouse nest inside. I've had particles flying out since 2012 when I bought it. I thought I's share pictures along the way - though I know the subject has been documented at least a few times. Here goes:

As it sat when I pulled the powering wire:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Removing the cable inside the cab:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Removing the heater hoses to drain the coolant. A handy Tupperwear container worked perfectly. Note: I already had the inner fenders pulled to paint this winter:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Here goes the top hose:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Hardware removed and box removed. With a little jiggling, it easily came out - clearing the still-attached hood hinge just fine. If there is any difficulty on the way back in, I will consider removing it:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Looking inside, the heater core is new and looks great! :

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

The fan looks ok - but is a little chewed up... mice? I may replace it before reassembly:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Now for the grisly pics!

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Next

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

The dis assembly took about 30 minutes - now onto cleaning up parts. More to follow soon.

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

I am in the middle of doing this now. Having trouble with the inner fender. I am a little scared of what I will find when I get it apart.

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

mask&gloves

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Good thing there's no Hantavirus in Washington !:lol:

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Yup...

Hanta Virus...

Gary

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

I'm guessing you might find Mr. Mouse's) skull and bones up between the sheet metal of the roof and the cab ceiling.. remove a sun visor and stick one of those borescope cameras through the sun visor swivel hole and fish around until you find him.. I think the mice can move up from the heater blower hamster wheel through the hollow front pillar to get into the space between the roof and ceiling sheet metal.. Lysol will help with hantavirus but don't rely on it (until they find a cure for the virtually certain death or at least permanent health effects of hantavirus)..

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Hantavirus is serious, sometimes deadly serious. Please use a mask and gloves to remove and clean. Then use plenty of disinfectant like Lysol.

I have flown several people out sick with hantavirus. Its not something to take chances with.

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

They can be made to look pretty nice. I restored this one last month

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

That looks really nice! The brackets holding my core in are pretty rusty as well as the inner door having some surface rust (light)

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

-
You got pretty lucky. It must have been cleaned out when they replaced the heater core. Here's what mine looked like.... You can tell by the size of the screwdriver how much stuff was in there.

LockDoc

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Yea them rodents can leave a smelly mess. The last system I restored, I could not reuse the heater box. Even though it was bead blasted and clear coated, the smell would not go away

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

I always replate the brackets.

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

That was bad! I think a lot of my nest flew out using the heater the last few years. I looked for the brackets but couldn't find them. I ordered a new fan cage because mine was a bit chewed up.

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

mine was so full I don't know how the mouse fit in there anymore . I thought the fan was shot couldn't get air through any where and the doors were froze in place thought the cables were froze . works good now but there are rust holes on the inner box thinking mouse pee

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

Do you sell the rebuilds? Or just use them again.

Re: My heater clean-out project
 

I sell them. That went to a guy in Florida.