Replacing the heater core is..............

[Bill Reichert]

About as much work as installing an engine? I now have about 10 hours in and the box is still in the car! Back to it after a frustration break.

[Hemi Dude]

About as much work as installing an engine? I now have about 10 hours in and the box is still in the car! Back to it after a frustration break.

I would much rather replace an engine than a heater core in a TC.

How far have you come so far, can we help...? with advice?

[Bill Reichert]

Well, someone dumb enough to do it for free would be good?

I have the seats out, the dash loose, the steering wheel laying on the seat, the four firewall bolts out, the rear console needs the electrical disconnected, then the forward console needs to be removed. It is just WAY more involved than on my Chrysler GTS's.

Is there anything else I should do while I have most of the interior out? I do want to lube the seat belt retractors and can't find the screws or snaps that hold the trim on.

I figured I might as well replace the heater hoses at the same time. WHY did they put the control valve under the battery and cruise control?

This is actually my therapy since no one in this area wants really fine piano restorations any more.

Do you remember Bill Lambros of LRE? He referred someone to me about problems with the OBX differentials?!

[Guest Butch91]

Bill;</SPAN>

I did this exact job 1.5 years ago. It took me a few weeks but just a few hours each night after work and I was in no hurry as I had other cars to drive. My heater core was blocked up and leaking slightly. Once the new core was in it has been working great, real good and hot heat and cold A/C. The old blocked core provided very little heat.</SPAN>

It is just time, time, time and persistence to get the job done. Once you get to the heater box, take the whole thing out of the car and when you remove the old heater core, take some time and clean all of the dust, crud etc out of the entire plastic box housing. Also, prior to re installing the heater box with the new core, take some lubricant and lube all of the joints and metal connections and mechanisms that move and are accessible once the heater box is out. Lube the swinging door hinge points, This will make for a much more smooth and easier operating heater control mechanism on the dash. Take your time as I am sure you are doing. Anyone that has done this job knows that nobody would do it for free and if a dealer or other shop had to do it; it would cost a small fortune. Another thing I did was to lubricate each and every nut, bolt, screw etc. with anti-seize lubricant prior to putting the whole thing back together, it makes for much easier re-assembly and if anything has to be taken apart again it will not be seized shut. You will have to re-charge the A/C once back together; may be a good time to put in new expansion valve or anything else that may need attention with the A/C system. If your small light in the ash tray area and the small light that illuminates the gear shift selection are out, now is a good time to replace them so that they work again. Mine were both burned out. I am sure there are some things I am forgetting but if you run into any specific difficulty or problem; I may be able to remember and help. Good Luck; you will need it. Take care, Mark</SPAN>

[Bill Reichert]

I bought some cheap carpet padding to replace the rotted foam in the door panel and after I clean the dissolved foam out of the console area, I'm going to use that replace the foam. $9 for one yard as opposed to $90 for what the auto sound shops sell. Th only casualty so far is one cheap shop light crushed by the seat.

I'm just about ready to pull the box. That make 10 hours to get it out.

thanks for the lube tip on the heater control. They all stick!

I replaced the odo gears while I'm in there.

[Digger914]

I bought some cheap carpet padding to replace the rotted foam in the door panel and after I clean the dissolved foam out of the console area, I'm going to use that replace the foam. $9 for one yard as opposed to $90 for what the auto sound shops sell. Th only casualty so far is one cheap shop light crushed by the seat.

I'm just about ready to pull the box. That make 10 hours to get it out.

thanks for the lube tip on the heater control. They all stick!

I replaced the odo gears while I'm in there.

Now that you have it all apart, does it look like it might be possible to cut through the firewall and replace the heater core from the engine compartment?

[Bill Reichert]

That would be the easy way. Just pull the engine and put it back after you weld the firewall back in without melting the heater box.

[Digger914]

That would be the easy way. Just pull the engine and put it back after you weld the firewall back in without melting the heater box.

Bill, I know the question might sound snotty, but I'm absolutely serious. Up here in the frozen north a car without a heater is useless 9 months of the year. In my area dealers take cars in on trade for hundreds of dollars less than value when a heater core needs to be replaced and shops around here have developed their own methods for cutting hours off the service manual time. Take the 96 and up Ford Taurus, they made millions of these things and eventually heater cores needed to be replaced, the book says 8 hours and after you have done a couple you can follow the book and get the job done in 8 hours. After you've done enough of them, you find out that 5 of those 8 hours are spent making the room to clear the assembly bracket that the robot arm uses to hold the darn thing during manufacturing, you cut it off and cut your time.

I use the Taurus as an example of cab removal, it could be done by cutting the firewall and people who don't know about the bracket sometimes do it the harder way. There are dozens of models where through the cab is a 10 hour job and cutting the firewall or air box cuts it down to two. Others require moving wiring, brake lines and engine components out of the way and they take longer. When you do cut a service port you don't weld it back in place, you fab a metal flange for the remount and paint to match, when it's done well it looks like it came from the factory. With only the service manual pictures and what I can see under the hood of my V6, I think it's a possibility. So I'm asking the question. From the book it looks like the heater core mounts at some degree of angle to the firewall.

If the TC had a heater core service port and you could pull into the engine compartment following that angle, would moving the brakes out of the way give enough room for removal?

Not like I have bone yard full of dead TC's to examine and practice on so I'm asking for your best guess.

Larry

[Dwight Romberger]

You should get a '30 Buick. If it takes more than 2 minutes to remove the heater, you are slacking off.

[Bill Reichert]

I didn't think your remark was snotty. I just don't see how it could be done. The box sits right against the firewall.

I think it's just better to bite the bullet and do the surgery the old way with no anesthetic.

Aaannndd for Dwight, the 53 Studebaker had the heater under the passenger seat!? I hung an old pickup heater under the dash.

[Digger914]

You should get a '30 Buick. If it takes more than 2 minutes to remove the heater, you are slacking off.

My grandpa had one of those Buick's when my dad was a kid. Dad said it didn't have much of a heater and the horse was warmer.

[Digger914]

Thanks Bill,

I hope to get to Pheonix this winter and see some old friends while they're still upright. Not quite sure where they live and where it is, but TC Parts might be close enough for a day trip to view the bones and if it can be done without damage, I will take pictures if I ever have to do it.

[Dwight Romberger]

My grandpa had one of those Buick's when my dad was a kid. Dad said it didn't have much of a heater and the horse was warmer.

ha ha. Good story!

[Bill Reichert]

Digger914 There is NO way to get it out easy. There are 2 metal screws that hold it in the box. It sits in slots. Slides out from the top of the box. Easiest thing if the heater is bad is to sell it to someone in the tropics. Mine was leaking and this is going to be the wife's winter car since over $5,000 hail damage.

As long as I have the seats out I'm going to see if the extra Daytona seat fit in the car. They have adjustable lumbar and thigh supports and adjustable wings on each side of the seat. Maybe I'll put them in the "parts car" and have 3 TCs, 1 88 Daytona, 2 87 Chrysler GTS, and 1 87 Shelby Lancer.

Edited September 21, 2013 by Bill Reichert (see edit history)

[Digger914]

Digger914 There is NO way to get it out easy. There are 2 metal screws that hold it in the box. It sits in slots. Slides out from the top of the box. Easiest thing if the heater is bad is to sell it to someone in the tropics. Mine was leaking and this is going to be the wife's winter car since over $5,000 hail damage.

As long as I have the seats out I'm going to see if the extra Daytona seat fit in the car. They have adjustable lumbar and thigh supports and adjustable wings on each side of the seat. Maybe I'll put them in the "parts car" and have 3 TCs, 1 88 Daytona, 2 87 Chrysler GTS, and 1 87 Shelby Lancer.

Damn, that does not sound promising, hope I never have to change mine.

On the bright side I just had a hell of an idea for a money making invention, a brand new automotive product, any patent and new product people on this site???

[rofly1]

I believe it will only be a matter of time. I have two tc's and one heater core is bad

[Bill Reichert]

Well if you need to replace the windshield, that would be the time to do it. You could use an engine hoist to lift the dash out of the way? I'm trying to slide it up and forward to the final position. The upper mount for the forward console is a pain. I managed to get past it yesterday. It looks like foot on each side of the box pushing or lay on back, head to front of car and do a lift sure to pull some muscles, or maybe a scissor jack at 45 degree angle to coax it in place.

[Digger914]

Well if you need to replace the windshield, that would be the time to do it. You could use an engine hoist to lift the dash out of the way? I'm trying to slide it up and forward to the final position. The upper mount for the forward console is a pain. I managed to get past it yesterday. It looks like foot on each side of the box pushing or lay on back, head to front of car and do a lift sure to pull some muscles, or maybe a scissor jack at 45 degree angle to coax it in place.

Bill,

Have been fooling around with some old surgical equipment, experimenting with inserting heater core stints and following your progress.

Suggest using a small porta power for lifting and holding your dash. Got one from harbor freight tools after an accident that weakened my neck and back, know you can rent these things, they are handy to have around, two days rental pretty much pays for a top of the line Chinese knockoff.

[Bill Reichert]

I have been raising the dash with wood props but the upper steel mount for the front console is still in the way and had to be "finessed" aka "man handled". I'm past that part now and have the box at the right height on the right but it needs to go 2" to the right yet. I at least remembered to get the 2 vac lines through the firewall. During "breaks" I have been using carpet cleaner on the passenger side to remove little pieces of the rotted foam aka grease. I would recommend laying an old blanket over the carpet when doing this and securely fastening it down till done. I did some flammability checks on the home carpet mat I used for the door soundproofing since it seems a good candidate for replacing the rotted foam. It does NOT burn when a cigarette lighter is held to it. I will try a propane torch today. I am considering it for a hood liner also if it passes the test of not burning.

[Bill Reichert]

The box is back in place!!! Now I just have a LOT of pieces and screws to put back.

[Digger914]

The box is back in place!!! Now I just have a LOT of pieces and screws to put back.

Good Deal and Congrats!!!

Grab the tag from your pad and save it for us. If you've found a pad that looks like it came with the car and it doesn't come apart after a couple of years under the hood, we will all eventually need to know who made it. Odds are it weighs more than the original liner and it will need some extra help to stay in place. Lots of holes in the hood for the push in plastic retainers that held the form fitted liner, they might not be enough to support the extra weight and keep your liner from sagging. I suggest adding a heat resistant spray adhesive to the hood side of your pad when you put it in place. I have used this when installing hood insulation on a couple of the older cars and trucks I've restored over the years, it works best with aluminum faced and is more than adequate with light weight (looks like pressed ground rag) floppy flexible padding.

[Bill Reichert]

The pad is just the thinnest wall to wall carpet pad at Lowes! It is dense chopped foam.

[Digger914]

The pad is just the thinnest wall to wall carpet pad at Lowes! It is dense chopped foam.

DO NOT PUT THAT STUFF UNDER YOUR HOOD!

It will not not hold up to engine compartment heat, do not use it as under hood insulation.

Cheap, effective and available from JC Whitney, find a foil backed automotive insulation suitable for under hood use, also find high temp contact adhesive. Use some aluminum duct tape from whatever home store is close to your location as an edge binding, spray paint the foil side flat black, install with fabric side up and from a distance people who know what the car looks like with the hood up won't know what you've done until they get up close.