Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Heater core replacement

[Ncostello]

I've often wondered, while laying down at night staring up at the ceiling fan... why, oh why cant MFG's just make the core removable by taking out 4 screws of an access panel and pulling it down, or out, or whatever from the heater box. I mean... if you've ever looked that the complex design of heater boxes... would it be impossible to make the core fit in there in such a way that it can be removed without pulling the entire interior out and having 50 sheet metal screws laying around and laying in a floor board in contorted positions trying to see why some electrical connector won't pull out?



Imagine... . "Drain Coolant. Disconnect heater hose quick connectors using special tool 83-5766T. Remove glove box door. Remove 4 screws to heater core access panel. Remove core being careful not to drip any coolant on interior surfaces. Replace in reverse order. Connect hoses. Fill system and check for air. "



Must be impossible. Rant over.

 

[jnewcomer]

heater core replacment

the local napa store has one that has flexible joints for about $80 dollars we destroyed the old one getting it out ,but the new one went in with out cracking the ac. so far so good no run drips or errors J

 

[Matt42]

I've often wondered, while laying down at night staring up at the ceiling fan... why, oh why cant MFG's just make the core removable by taking out 4 screws of an access panel and pulling it down, or out, or whatever from the heater box. I mean... if you've ever looked that the complex design of heater boxes... would it be impossible to make the core fit in there in such a way that it can be removed without pulling the entire interior out and having 50 sheet metal screws laying around and laying in a floor board in contorted positions trying to see why some electrical connector won't pull out?

Imagine... . "Drain Coolant. Disconnect heater hose quick connectors using special tool 83-5766T. Remove glove box door. Remove 4 screws to heater core access panel. Remove core being careful not to drip any coolant on interior surfaces. Replace in reverse order. Connect hoses. Fill system and check for air. "

Must be impossible. Rant over.

Not an impossible dream, just a fond memory. I had to replace the heater core in my 1976 full size Jeep Cherokee. It was mounted outside the firewall, and was a 20 minute job. Six screws and two hose clamps, but otherwise as you describe. All the full size Jeeps were that way. I had a 1961 Rambler Ambassador where the heater core gave out after ten years of neglect. It was inside the firewall, but access was by five or six screws. I couldn't afford to replace it, but it was easy to take out and put the cover back on.

 

[Matt42]

the local napa store has one that has flexible joints for about $80 dollars we destroyed the old one getting it out ,but the new one went in with out cracking the ac. so far so good no run drips or errors J

This is the variety I installed, but not from NAPA. To ensure that electrolysis didn't ruin the new one, I made certain to firmly ad reliably ground each metal part. The ground screw connector on the OEM core had been stripped on the assembly line. May or may not have contributed to its demise.

 

[Bob Cochran]

I've often wondered, while laying down at night staring up at the ceiling fan... why, oh why cant MFG's just make the core removable by taking out 4 screws of an access panel and pulling it down, or out, or whatever from the heater box. I mean... if you've ever looked that the complex design of heater boxes... would it be impossible to make the core fit in there in such a way that it can be removed without pulling the entire interior out and having 50 sheet metal screws laying around and laying in a floor board in contorted positions trying to see why some electrical connector won't pull out?



Imagine... . "Drain Coolant. Disconnect heater hose quick connectors using special tool 83-5766T. Remove glove box door. Remove 4 screws to heater core access panel. Remove core being careful not to drip any coolant on interior surfaces. Replace in reverse order. Connect hoses. Fill system and check for air. "



Must be impossible. Rant over.

In days of old when knights were bold I owned a Valiant not sure what year but had no money and heater core leaking. Went to junk yard got another but when removing (not sure they let you do this anymore) I noticed how it was mounted. I cut a square hole in my plastic heater housing removed old and reinstalled new junker core. Then made up some metal straps and sheet metal screws to put the plastic piece I cut out back in place and sealed joint with silicon window sealer. It worked and the junker core lasted(surprised). Would have been easy to change next time. Oo.

 

[Matt42]

In days of old when knights were bold I owned a Valiant not sure what year but had no money and heater core leaking. Went to junk yard got another but when removing (not sure they let you do this anymore) I noticed how it was mounted. I cut a square hole in my plastic heater housing removed old and reinstalled new junker core. Then made up some metal straps and sheet metal screws to put the plastic piece I cut out back in place and sealed joint with silicon window sealer. It worked and the junker core lasted(surprised). Would have been easy to change next time. Oo.

Some places still let you do that. In the Phoenix area, about a half dozen do. Back when I had the Ambassador, I used to get six volt horns from junk yard Chevys for a buck each, and run them on my 12 volt Ambassador. Man, they were loud, but they didn't last. So I got `em by the six pack. Can't find anything six volt in junk yards any more.

 

[Ncostello]

I had a 78 Dodge D100 stepside slant 6. I too found a replacement heater core at a junkyard and installed it, from memory, in no time flat. The one thing I did learn from all of it was... that nice sweet smell, cold feet and fogged up windows from a leaky core.



I used to roam junkyards. And I mean spend hours at them. Thats where I got all my parts. Used to be good times for me in a way. The owners of the various yards got to know me pretty well and would basically let me walk on in, scrounge around and get whatever I needed. Then they'd charge me next to nothing. Good times.



A person can learn so much from a junkyard or two. All those cars piled up. These were real junk yards. Not these new salvage yards with everything on racks and torn apart. These cars and truck still had the engines in them. If you needed a transmission they'd flip it over with a tractor for you. Saw so many cars. It was as if I could hear them crying.



I also spent alot of time at big rig junkyards to get parts for our volunteer fire trucks. Thats whats really sad. All these big ole work horses put out to pasture. The things those trucks must have been put thru in their lives. Ole Macks and Petes. Its sad.



I'm getting all misty eyed.

 

[surfbeetle]

My sister just had hers done in her 99. I told her to replace the core and the AC as well. The guy who did it for her messed up and did not totally check things as they were going back together and now the heat won't turn on. She gets to take it apart and find the issue. She's out of state so I can't help her. Anyway, the other thing that you may need is the dash top from Geno's. Her's was badly cracked.

 

[Joe Mc]

I'm getting all misty eyed.

You almost had me going there for a minute :-laf



I hear ya tho

 

[Curious Dave]

I swapped a core in a Ford Ranger one time. I called around and was told 4 hours for it. I got ready to do it and upon looking under the dash I discovered that the 4 hours were only going to take about 10 minutes. The darn thing had a couple screws on a cover... undid the hose clamps... pulled the hoses... pulled the cover and the core slid right out. Why can't they all be that easy?

I have a Honda 2000i Inverter with me all the time so I just use a household electric space heater now. The core is still good... But the truck won't stay warm during idle.