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    Much better to enjoy a birthday tinkering under the hood of a fine Ford motor company product Thanks again for spending the day here.

    Look forward to the heater core job on this car in the future!

    Security torx is a funny name for a fastener that you can buy the proper tool for...
    -Nick M.
    Columbia, SC

    66 Squire, 89 Colony Park, 90 TC, 03 TC, 06 TC, 07 TC (2x)
    03 BMW 540iT, 07 Toyota Tundra SR5 Dbl Cab/5.7 2WD

    Comment


      Heater core jobs on these cars are NOT fun! With all the old plastic and vacuum lines I would REALLY test everything prior to putting it all back together again. You really don't want to go in there again. As an aside, a few years ago, I was watching a video of two guys up maybe in Tenn. that did the job in like 1.5 hours but it looked like they took several short cuts.
      What I Own: 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis GS
      What I Help Maintain: 1996 CV / 1988 CV / 1988 Tempo

      Comment


        not that many vac lines involved honestly, its just a miserable job pulling the dash loose.

        Pressure test the heater core before it goes in. I put in an OE Motorcraft once that leaked right out of the box. Had to do the job again a year later when I could no longer put up with the smell. The second core got cobbled up with an air pressure regulator set to 15 psi and whatever hoses were around to connect to it. The other side I just jammed my finger into the outlet to plug it and stuck the thing in a bucket of water. If it leaks, you'll know it pretty quick. Annoyingly the Motorcraft wasn't just a cracked solder joint at the pipe, it was actually leaking from a tube inside the core. Not practical to fix that.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          Heater core got here surprisingly quick, ordered it Monday.

          Looks like the box went around the block a few times:


          Original Ready-Aire sticker was redone with an OSC, then superseded to a Four Seasons part number (399002 → 98620). Maybe if I'm careful I can peel away the old stickers and see when it was boxed.

          Listing showed an aluminum replacement, but given all the relabels, a more traditional brass/copper unit appeared instead.


          I'm also considering using a different heater core restrictor. I've got an appropriate sized socket jammed in the hose, but that mod wasn't done until the HO swap was done, and I still regularly would open up the car, so I dunno if the core started to go then, or after. I can grab a LMR Mustang one if I really need to since I'd like to extend the life of the core and I'm not sure how well these cores handle pressure compared to an aluminum one.

          Quaint reminder that a LoPo blew apart a "off-the-shelf" inline restrictor for Chrysler vans...



          I will certainly pressure test the core before any installation is attempted. No fun doing certain jobs twice, and having already done a heater in a '99, it's certainly worth doing right the first time.


          Unrelated to installation and more-so just reading stuff online: Should I be excessively worried about electrolysis in my system? I've been using conventional green antifreeze (due to be changed next year given the 2yr/36K recommendation) in this particular application, however, some people claim aluminum radiators and brass/copper heaters don't play well. I've converted my '97 to the Zerex G-05 gold antifreeze without any issue, and it was also a conventional green car, but carries an original aluminum radiator and heater. I am familiar though that it does offer better protection even with dissimilar metals. Since I'm already due for a flush-n'-fill, would anyone be dissenting regarding just converting to a later coolant like G-05?


          My Cars:
          -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
          -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
          -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
          -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

          Comment


            shouldn't be a problem but it might be worth doing a voltage check to make sure nothing funny is going on. Where you have to worry about is where things have an electrical connection. The core isn't tied to anything, so as long as the coolant hasn't gotten funky it won't really care.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment


              Went up to Nick's yesterday and we knocked out the heater core swap.



              Dash drop was reminiscent of that '99 I did last year, just the "magic stud" changed spots and was below the instrument cluster directly above the steering column. Took only about an hour and a half to get the dash down. Firewall stud didn't even really fight us much.

              Someone has already done a heater core on this car, and I managed to somehow get the exact same brand and style of heater core.


              I definitely ballooned this core.




              Certainly made it a little more fun trying to pull that out of the heater box.

              No idea how long the old one was leaking in my case. For the longest time I'd get a slight whiff of antifreeze usually the first time I'd start using the heater, and it would go away. Same thing would happen if the car was parked for several days and you first turned on the air, just a slight whiff. Antifreeze loss was so slow, I just chalked it up to the car being the way it was. I just knew the game was up when I goosed it one day and steam started coming out of the vents and then stopped.

              Anyway, that 13mm socket "restrictor" is still in place on the inlet side. Heat is great again. Didn't find any leaks, so I'll take it easy on this heater, at least until it's warm outside again. I did install a manual shutoff switch. Not the prettiest thing, and I'll probably have to move it out of the way when I do spark plugs and such, but I suspect it'll be useful in summer to help the A/C not contend with all the heat.



              I had wanted to find a vacuum actuated style that would work in Max A/C, but a proper bypassing style one is not offered with 3/4 fittings, and I didn't want it to just stop the flow on the inlet line since I have my concerns about just blowing that apart.


              Nick also had a few things for me. We swapped on a moderately better tan dash pad that has some minor imperfections, but not excessively cracked like my old one. He also gave me a very nice leather wrapped wheel that I need to try and recolor. The final part was something found while he was in the northeast:


              Finally have that air deflector I've been looking for.


              I've only got two minor dash things left to do. The shifter indicator I think broke internally behind the cluster bezel since after adjustment on the column, it just quit indicating properly and I found slack in the cable. Not too concerned, I think it had a crack in itself anyway and it's serviceable separately. Also need to adjust the trim on the driver's side as it picked up a slight squeak, but if you apply slight pressure, the noise stops. Overall not horrible for moving a bunch of old plastic around.


              My Cars:
              -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
              -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
              -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
              -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

              Comment


                Good deal. Nice to have help on big jobs like that. Some of this stuff just is not the same once ones hands have been into it a time or three....You will get used to the squeaks in time.

                Nice score on the wind deflector.
                ~David~

                My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
                My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

                Originally posted by ootdega
                My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

                Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
                But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

                Originally posted by gadget73
                my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




                Comment


                  Sly did one that was vac actuated, off a Ranger I think?

                  can't just shut the flow off. Not because it will blow something up, but the ECT is in the heater hose fitting on the engine and if you stop flow through it the ECT will not have an accurate read on coolant temp. Makes the fuel mix all stupid if that happens.
                  86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                  5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                  91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                  1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                  Originally posted by phayzer5
                  I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                  Comment


                    Yeah... Ranger/Explorer heater bypass. Hooked the vacuum into the panel vent actuator. Did that on the Mark VI. Wonder if sxcpotatoes still has that in place.

                    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                    rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                    Originally posted by gadget73
                    ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                    Originally posted by dmccaig
                    Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                    Comment


                      You're very welcome for the help Zach. Glad I could help. And enjoyed learning how the dashes come out on the 89 and older box body cars. Cheezy is how I would describe it compared to modern cars. The heater core bypass idea is a good one.
                      -Nick M.
                      Columbia, SC

                      66 Squire, 89 Colony Park, 90 TC, 03 TC, 06 TC, 07 TC (2x)
                      03 BMW 540iT, 07 Toyota Tundra SR5 Dbl Cab/5.7 2WD

                      Comment


                        never had one of these dashboards made of razor-sharp sheet metal and crappy plastic out before? They're a real joy aren't they?
                        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                        Originally posted by phayzer5
                        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                          Sly did one that was vac actuated, off a Ranger I think?

                          can't just shut the flow off. Not because it will blow something up, but the ECT is in the heater hose fitting on the engine and if you stop flow through it the ECT will not have an accurate read on coolant temp. Makes the fuel mix all stupid if that happens.
                          Originally posted by sly View Post
                          Yeah... Ranger/Explorer heater bypass. Hooked the vacuum into the panel vent actuator. Did that on the Mark VI. Wonder if sxcpotatoes still has that in place.
                          I saw that one, but the 5/8" hose barbs turned me off. I guess I could have cinched the 3/4" hoses down over the barbs, but that really didn't seem too appealing, and I didn't want to add four reducers to 5/8 hose to run in and back out. The vacuum style is definitely nice though given the automatic operation. I did see a vacuum one for an Astro with the right sized hoses, but it wasn't a proper bypassing type. Looked like it would only cut the flow to the core, but still allow for some to circulate into the return line each way, unlike the Ford design that does a 100% return operation.

                          Given how usually the weather drops from hot to cold around here, the manual one shouldn't be much trouble at all, since it'll probably only see action twice a year unless something bad happens to the heater again.


                          My Cars:
                          -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                          -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                          -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                          -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                          Comment


                            why do you have 3/4 hose? both ends of what it connects to should be 5/8.
                            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                            Originally posted by phayzer5
                            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                            Comment


                              Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                              why do you have 3/4 hose? both ends of what it connects to should be 5/8.



                              All my connections are 3/4". Heater core and the ports coming off the intake and water pump are all the same size. 5/8" would never fit over those fittings. Even the original molded hoses had 3/4" inlets. I think the one that went to the pipe that run under the intake was an exception, but that pipe is long since gone and was replaced with bulk hose.
                              Last edited by Kodachrome Wolf; 10-18-2022, 07:23 PM.


                              My Cars:
                              -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                              -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                              -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                              -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                              Comment


                                pretty certain my heater core is 5/8. Mine has the double pipe under the intake so my hoses there are different but those are definitely not 3/4.
                                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                                Originally posted by phayzer5
                                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                                Comment

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