2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Heater core replacement question

[krtcummins]

Has anyone here replaced their heater core in their 01? If so, what was entailed in doing so? Believe it or not, the dealer is the only supplier now. After market heater core suppliers are now obsolete.

 

[tolmsted]

WHAT? Dealer only? I hope that's only where you live, as I need to replace mine tomorrow!

 

[dspoon]

I replaced 2 of them in the last month one for a 94 and one for a 2002 got them both from napa 83. 00 bucks try this link.

NAPA Online

 

[krtcummins]

I already bought one from the dealer. Car Quest here was the source that said they were not available. If they can't get one, I'm surprised Napa could.

 

[JMetzger]

Performance Radiator has them for $70. 00 & in stock.

 

[KKlingbeil]

I got mine from Napa, but that was two years ago.

As far as what is involved, quite a bit actually. Remove steering column, then dash, then HVAC unit. I somehow was able to get the heatercore out without taking the HVAC unit out and breaking the AC lines. It was a real pain in the rear, and if you have access to a AC recovery system, it would be much easier to do it that way and split the AC lines. Good luck!!

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Heater core replacement was covered in Issue 59, p. 90. This was a summary of the article in Issue 46, p. 12. Go to the TDR homepage and click on “digital magazines. ” The "subject" truck was a 1997.

 

[AMatsonIII]

A few days behing but i just reccently did mine and sanel's had them in stock. I went on you tube and looked for a video. FOund an ok one the guy showed all the locations of bolts and a real quick run down of what it takes. Helped me out tremeandously. Take you time and it will go fine

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I can smell a faint coolant smell inside the cab with the heater on sometimes. Is there any chance that this is not the heater core?

 

[AMatsonIII]

It can be. Mine smelt like antifreeze and didn't produce nearly enough heat. When you do it you will be amazed at how bad the core is,

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

If the core is bad and not producing heat, that means the core is leaking, correct? Would we see that coolant come out the little drain hole in the firewall in addition to the floor boards sometimes?

As far as not putting out enough heat, mine has seemed like that for years! The air it puts out is plenty hot, it's just that the fan doesn't blow enough air through the ducts.

 

[Matt42]

If the core is bad and not producing heat, that means the core is leaking, correct? Would we see that coolant come out the little drain hole in the firewall in addition to the floor boards sometimes?

As far as not putting out enough heat, mine has seemed like that for years! The air it puts out is plenty hot, it's just that the fan doesn't blow enough air through the ducts.

When the core in my 1996 went bad, I got a faint smell of coolant at the beginning. It gradually got worse, as in not faint. It never leaked enough to leave a puddle under the truck that I could ever see, even on concrete. After a while, the core would fog up the windshield, but by then the stench was so bad that the problem was obvious. As the pinholes got larger and more of them formed, the tubes and fins got more clogged up with copper and zinc oxides mixed with dirty glup to the point where heat output dropped because the fan couldn't push enough air through. On a memorable trip home from Colorado, my daughter and I discussed the options of being warm and nauseated from the coolant vapor, or bundling up in layers of sweaters and coats and not being sick. We bundled up.



When you finally take the bull by the tail and face the situation, and replace the heater core, be double certain sure to ground every metal part of the new core. That'll prevent electrolysis damage to the new one. I suspect that a bad ground is what caused mine to go south.