Heater Core Replacement

[bolokid]

I left my 91 Festiva at Barb's house for awhile and flew home from Madness. I really miss my Festiva so I pulled the 93 5-speed out last night and drove it to work today. Among a few other small issues I notice that there is a faint smell of antifreeze and fogging of the windows, I suspect the heater core is leaking. Since this is going to be my "trip" car I want to replace the heater core instead of just adding a can of "quick fix." I have searched the forum and cannot find a write up for changing out the heater core, can anyone step me through change out or point me to a write up?

Thanks.

[SiliconSoul]

I have a dash removal guide in the interior guide section of the forum. Not the greatest job to do but not that bad.

[ryanprins13]

It sucks to do. I did mine last fall and have to do it again now cos i didnt put it back together right. Best bet is to buy a haynes manuel for $20. Basic steps are: remove every component of the dash to axcess blower box. Remove blower box. Split blower box in half. Foam tape up your new heater core and install it making sure you get everything in the blower box lined up nice. Reinstall blower box and dash. Bleed coolant system.
Took me 7 or 8 hours but i had a hard time getting the foam tape on the new heater core nice and getting the blower box back togeather. No special tools usually needed but some people like using steering wheel pullers to remove the steering wheel.


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[bolokid]

So I need to remove the entire dash to get at the blower box?

[SiliconSoul]

Pretty sure that part is mandatory...

[bolokid]

Ugh! OK, thanks.

[harpon]

ANNOYINGLY complicated- one of those "Don't bother with this, just buy new product- i.e. another CAR" things. Auto trannys can be that way too.

I was going to attempt it about ten years back on the old '88, and they sent me the wrong core

Other things needed tending to, so I never got around to it and then I'd drive the '96 Aspire in the cold months, and the unheated Festiva all summer.

They really could put that core someplace it could be removed and replaced without taking out the whole dash- but they don't

sell more product- it's what they learn in college these days. Really puts the "busy" in "busy-ness I think.
I'm hoping Global Warming may start to change some of that trippy kind of thinking.

[SiliconSoul]

I've done one once through the firewall... Used the new heater core as a template and then dremeled the firewall metal out of the way. Was a tad frustrated after it went again after doing it 2 years before. This was on an 88 Tbird turbocoupe. Was a much bigger PITA on that one!

[ryanprins13]

I've done one once through the firewall... Used the new heater core as a template and then dremeled the firewall metal out of the way. Was a tad frustrated after it went again after doing it 2 years before. This was on an 88 Tbird turbocoupe. Was a much bigger PITA on that one!

Lol, wow!
These cars you have to split the blower box in half and spread it the width of the heater core at least, so that still wouldnt work unless you wanted to cut a hole in the blower box too.


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[Flyin4stroke]

Same as my mustang. Pulling the dash isn't too bad. It's all in how complicated you make it. They are just nuts and bolts. I'd like to think I'm smarter than some nuts and bolts. Procedure is what the manual gives you.

[TominMO]

For pulling the dash, it's useful to have a 10mm offset box wrench for the upper cental nut (where the clock cutout is) that holds the dash on. Other than that it's just unscrewing stuff with the normal tools anyone should have laying around.

And yes, the smell and misting is sign of a leaking heater core. I had exactly the same symptoms in an MGB about 30 years ago. My practice for a long one-day job is to do it over two days; get it all apart the first day, and a running head start on the repair and replacement; then finish it up the second day. So a weekend job.

[SiliconSoul]

Lol, wow!
These cars you have to split the blower box in half and spread it the width of the heater core at least, so that still wouldnt work unless you wanted to cut a hole in the blower box too.


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Yup... Cut through the plastic too! On the downside it had a bit of a burnt plastic smell that lingered until I sold it a few years later...

[ryanprins13]

Yup... Cut through the plastic too! On the downside it had a bit of a burnt plastic smell that lingered until I sold it a few years later...

Nice crazyness but i can see why you did it for sure! How long did that take you to do and weld back up compared to how long it would have taken you to do it the normal way?

I agree the this isnt hard, its just dumb to spend 8 hours removing and reinstalling parts just to get at the part you need. Its not exactly a performance modification either... Lol. There are many things i would rather be doing. The part i did find a bit difficult was getting the blower box back togeather properly and getting the foam tape onto the new heater core nicely.


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[SiliconSoul]

I was young and dumb, so first way took me over a week! Just started getting into cars and the Tbird was a luxo bardge with tons of wires and screws.

Had the exploder a4ld tranny go and took it to a shop to get it repaired. While they were working on it they somehow managed to lean on the heater core hoses and when I got it back it puked antifreeze all over me the first block away. The owner denied any wrongdoing (long story) so being winter and working with no time I said screw it. One hour later the new core was in. Used some thick rubber matting to try and seal the carnage I did to the heater box and pop rivets and some sheet metal fixed the rest. Not the best fix, but it did work.

[ricko1966]

Dash comes out easy.Mark your fasteners for reassembly.Book time is 5 hours I really don't think mine took more than 3.It has been a while so time might not be as remembered but really no big deal.