Replacing this heater core is harder than I expected.

[gadget73]

it won't seal at all with it missing. You'll get lots of air but rather lousy heat since a lot of air will just push around the core. The core will also just flop and bounce in the hole if it doesn't have that foam rubber seal in place.

[VicCrownVic]

If it can't easily be purchased or the car needs to get back together quicker than it would take to find one, what about making one? Piece of Styrofoam cut to fit, or use some expanding foam insulation in a can. The expanding foam insulation could clog fins, so you would want to use the old core to try it then transfer it to the new core or wrap the new one in plastic, then trim the foam to fit and cut the plastic off. Or use the foam insulation to patch the original piece.

Might be a dumb idea and I'm not really sure if it would work, but just my

[BuffaloRider]

too late, most of the dash is back together already, so far I haven't broken anything as far as I can tell. Now that I know what I'm doing I can definitely get it done much faster if I have to pull it out and put something else in. As I said it has the top, bottom, one side, and about 1/3 of the other side so that's better than nothing. Fuck it. After this I'm going to try to wiggle the heater hose off the back of the engine and skip taking off the upper and leave that for a better time. Then I'll just throw on new hoses, new radiator, and get going.

[VicCrownVic]

It shouldn't be cold enough for a while to notice that some of the air is being pushed around the core and not all of it being heated by the core, and sounds like enough of it left to keep the heater core from flopping around and causing damage to the new heater core.

[packman]

Hmmmmm......might explain why my mom's CV has lousy heat after the heater core replacement. I may have to rob one of the JY cars of it's heater core seal.



Packman

[packman]

Hmmmmm......might explain why my mom's CV has lousy heat after the heater core replacement. I may have to rob one of the JY cars of it's heater core seal.



Packman

[gadget73]

isn't that the one they cut the firewall out of to replace the heater core? I'd be pulling the dashboard, replacing all of the parts that were hacked, and welding the firewall shut again.

[BuffaloRider]

Well first and foremost I had a hell of a time getting the shift indicator back on... but I think I know the trick now.

Things I would have done differently
Taken off the upper steering column cover, it's not hard at all now that I've done it but at the time I was like, it'll be fine... well it wasn't and it got scratched a little.
Taken off the hood release handle because the bottom of dash assembly was kind of resting on it and it scratched the plastic pretty good, not really visible though so I don't care.
Taken off the floor air distribution duct or whatever it's called, I think that would have given me some much needed clearance
Checked more closely for vacuum lines

I skipped a lot of steps and just kind of said fuck it once I got the dash loose. I'm really really hoping everything works alright when it gets started back up. There was a weird looking semi-circular plug looking thing on the bottom of the steering column that I'm not so sure about, I fear that I might have unknowingly disconnected vacuum lines or something, and I lost a dash screw (nothing detrimental, I'll grab a replacement next time I'm at the junkyard.) Other than that and the f'd up heater core seal everything went seemingly well. The anticipation is killing me though, I really hope I didn't fuck anything up lol.

I got the pain in the ass heater hose off but not without a good struggle. I got some of the hoses back on but I'm kind of pissed because I just bought a new gasket for my thermostat housing and now it's time to put the shit back together and guess what, I can't find it. Always something.

[BuffaloRider]

Yup... I fucked something up.

The air will only come out of the defrost vents. The blower works, I haven't spent enough time to tell if the ac or heat works because my transmission cooling lines were leaking. At this point I just have to be done with it and get it back up and running and fuck with it at a better time. Hopefully something just isn't connected right to the climate control. I don't know.

Any ideas guys?

Thanks.

[VicCrownVic]

Sounds like a vacuum line may not be hooked up, I know if there is a vacuum leak it will default to the dash that way if there is a problem with the system at least your windshield will be clear.

[BuffaloRider]

yeah... just as I feared. Looks like I'll be taking her all apart again. I'll try to see if I can find any loose vacuum lines with the dash still on but I'll most likely have to repeat the whole process again, and much more carefully.

[sly]

all the vacuum lines are loosely accessible with the dash in place. you just gotta crawl under the dash or reach behind the glove box. the important lines are on the driver side of center though.

[BuffaloRider]

Well I messed around with stuff a little, followed any line I could see and tried to press the fittings together, scratched my head, started it up again, gave it a minute... now everything works, ac, floor, defrost, it's all good. Sweet. That's a relief.

I have not yet fixed the transmission cooling lines so I haven't gotten it up to normal operating temperatures to see if the heat is really working yet, but at least I know I'm not in a worse position than I was when I began lol. I guess I'll just wrap those transmission lines in plumbers tape and tighten them a little more snug... As long as nothing leaks tomorrow I'm golden.

This has been a journey. It might not seem like much to most of you, but this was a huge deal for me.

[VicCrownVic]

Good to hear.

Trans cooler lines leaking at the radiator? Mine were when I got it, the PO installed a new radiator and those lines leaked. I ended up doing the same thing you said, pluming teflon tape the yellow tape that's made for applications where oil is involved.

[gadget73]

If its the quick connect type, you'll need to replace the fitting. I dont know if they had stopped using those by 91 or not. The difference is the quick connect fitting is longer and leaks between the tube and the fitting. There is an O ring in there that fails. If its a standard flared tube type thing, then tightening it will fix it. No tape needed or wanted. If its a flared tube type and its leaking, make sure the mating surfaces are clean and try again. Those seal on the flare face, not with the threaded part. There is a pipe thread to flare adapter threaded into the radiator though, and that will use thread sealant. Normally you don't mess with those though.