Changing the Heater Core

[jay55jay]

So I park tonite and I look and there is Anti freeze dripping from the passenger side door. I look inside the cab and the floor is wet. I trace it back to the heater box. I def know it's the heater core my question is what would you guys do its spring should I do it now. How big of a job any advice or just disconnect it till fall. any pointers thanks. Jay

[Kalashnikov46]

ah, its an easy fix, but id say get to it now. if you put it off either youll forget or never find time to do it. plus, idk about where your from but we can have some really cold summer nights. weve had snow in the beginning of august at night last year. lol. might as well do it now.

[jay55jay]

LOL true whats the biggest task. I have to take the dash off.? just the dash cover I have never done one before.

[Kalashnikov46]

take a large trash bag, cut it along the seem and put it on the floor board and keep a drop bowl on hand to catch any fluid make sure your battery is disconnected. disconnect the hoses at the heater core tubes and plug the ends as fast as you can. loosen the studs for distributor duct thingy along with your glove box. pull all the cables drop the floor outlet. which is connected to the big black box pull all the retaining screws and the big black box will drop to the floor. hence the garbage bag to avoid the stupid mess. disconnect wires on the back and then you can pull the assembly out i think... there's some straps that hold the h.c. in and you have to pull those and its free! i think that's all? i had a Haynes manual when i did it, but if i remember that was the steps. let me know if i missed something. sorry for my technical wording.

[jay55jay]

Ok so take the glove box off what about dash cover? The bolts that hold the heater box in are outside I think right thanks jay

[Kalashnikov46]

you should be able to do it with the dash cover on, mine was. and yeah, some of the bolts/screw thingys will be in the engine compartment around the blower motor. hope this helps you and doesnt confuse you. lol, its easier to be there in person and show

[Kalashnikov46]

I found my manual! ill scan some pictures and email them to you. pm me your email bud.

[jay55jay]

It helps you gave me a over all vision of what I have to do thank you I will let you know how it goes.

[jay55jay]

By any chance do you know off hand the price of one.

[Kalashnikov46]

20-30 bucks. let me know if you got the pics?

[Kalashnikov46]

oh and the heater core with air conditioning and the core w/o are different, so if you go to the parts store and they dont ask you have them verify witch it is for.

[West Texas Z]

Originally Posted by Kalashnikov46

oh and the heater core with air conditioning and the core w/o are different, so if you go to the parts store and they dont ask you have them verify witch it is for.

What about if you USED to have a/c but have removed the compressor and just have heater now? Which one would one buy? Thanks.

[raws67]

Buy the one for a/c if you have the a/c box. Also I use a shop vac by disconnecting the two hoses and vacuming the one side. It will almost completely drain the heater core helping to eliminate the mess when you pull the old one

[Kalashnikov46]

Originally Posted by raws67

Buy the one for a/c if you have the a/c box. Also I use a shop vac by disconnecting the two hoses and vacuming the one side. It will almost completely drain the heater core helping to eliminate the mess when you pull the old one

raws right, buy the for a/c, cause the tubes are differant, and thats a great idea raws!

[TDS-MN]

Without all of teh under-hood A/C stuff, you should be able to get at everything fairly easily to change out the heater core.

I used a Haynes as a reference when I did mine, and it was a piece of cake. You will be working under the hood, and under the dash. Shoudn't have to remove more than the glove box door, on the inside. The housing that holds the core, is bolted thru the firewall.

Good Luck!

[motornut]

i had to remove the inner fender ,some bolts go from either side,inside i think a couple hold trim isulation,means remove a nut then deep socket for the next bolt head on it...

[jay55jay]

Ok so Heater Core went well not to bad there was only 4 bolts A Swivel for the one came in handy. it was a little tricky taking apart the heater box pieces but I got it and everything still works.

[West Texas Z]

Originally Posted by jay55jay

Ok so Heater Core went well not to bad there was only 4 bolts A Swivel for the one came in handy. it was a little tricky taking apart the heater box pieces but I got it and everything still works.

You should have taken pics of the progress for a referal for us noobs.

[Kalashnikov46]

Originally Posted by jay55jay

Ok so Heater Core went well not to bad there was only 4 bolts A Swivel for the one came in handy. it was a little tricky taking apart the heater box pieces but I got it and everything still works.

did those pages work out ok for you?