Im gonna attempt the repair of my heater core and was wondering if you guys had any tips? what tools are needed and such, I found a nice thread on the process but wanted to know if anyone else had anything to add, I just cant swallow $600-900 bucks for someone not to put my truck back together correctly, atleast if I screw up then im ok with it.

 

1st tip, set aside a whole day. Second tip, two people make it go easier. Third, you might consider replacing the AC one while your in the box. They are known for going out.

 

Aftermarket cores are thicker and put out more heat. It is worth it if you HAVE to go in there.. Removing the plenum and box is a PITA but not impossible. Just follow the book if you have one. I think it took me about 6 hours last time I did it on a gasser. It didn't have A/C but I was working outside in a drizzling rain at 35*.

 

Um... I would set aside a weekend for it just to play it safe. This will give you time to get angry and frustrated, get a few beers, calm down and get back too it.

 

You don't need to drain the rad just clamp the heater hoses and cut them off even with the heater core. Then tape over the ends that come through the firewall with duct tape. (stops a mess in the cab). If you have A/C you need to discharge the system and disconnx the lines, If the truck IS an Auto there is a small cable that clips on to the steering column, you MUST disconnx it BEFORE dropping the steering column. Always drop the steering column LAST, just 2 nuts on studs and let it rest on the drivers seat. The dash does NOT need to come out just disconect it and lift it up as you pull the plenum out on the pax side. On reinstall be very careful of the heater core fittings, they don't bend well and leak very easy, be careful of the small black vacuum hose that comes through the firewall next to the A/C fittings. Also watch the plugs on the power port and the ash tray, they don't lock on and can come off real easy.

 

Man, you guys are making me nervousso only really special tool is the one used to remove the a/c lines? thanks for the tips, I guess a weekend will have to do, its getting cold in New England and the fog in the cab is not to nice.

 

im in the same boat man, i will be doing mine today and my brother did his on saturday and said it wasnt as bad as people say but did take him a good 4-5 hours and he is a mechanic.

 

Thanks for the encouragement, let me know how it turned out.

 

took me two hours to the minute! good thing i was so intimidated by what was said here and other places, better to overestimate things than underestimate. here is what you need. beer, a 1/4 in drive air ratchet, extensions, 8,10,11,13mm deep sockets, pliers, beer, phillips screwdriver and TDR magazine, edition 46. walks you through step by step, i need to call joe donnelly and thank him personally because that was the biggest help there, that i believe was the difference between an all day job and a 2 hour job. if you cant get it let me know and i can copy the pages and fax them to you or ship you the magazine. o'dark-thirty is going to be alot nicer on the way to work tomorrow!

 

lotero i need to change out my brothers 97 heater core if that article is for that rig could you email it . farmer0_1@yahoo.com thanks.

 

Good gosh, y'all don't scare him to death. I haven't done it on a Cummins truck, but on all GM cars I have ever owned they get clogged up/leak at some point in time. I have replaced them on a Buick LeSabre, S-10, and LT1 Camaro. It is not that big of a deal. I would recommend to drain the radiator, just to get most of the antifreeze out of there. I'm guessing the Dodges are like every other car I've seen with two hoses hooking to the core at the firewall. Unhook those, let the antifreeze go everywhere, you could even spray water through the core with a hose to clean out the rest of the antifreeze. Go under the dash, take the glove box out, and you can usually get to the heater core box from there. Remove a couple of screws, and wahlah, the cover is off. Remove a couple of more screws holding the core in and it'll come right out. Install opposite of removal. Fill up with antifreeze and have enough heat to sweat through the winter. Took me 2hrs on my Camaro, 1.5hrs on the Buick. I think I just flushed the one on the S10. Good luck.

 

you have to remove the dash and drop the column and most pull the HVAC box, i just bent up my old heater core and had flexible joints on my new one so i didnt have to fully remove the box, thats what makes it a little more complicated. i wish it was just removing the glove box and "wahlah"!

farmer, the article is in print so let me see if i can have it scanned. if someone you know has a fax machine or something i can make copies and send it out..

 

Hmm, sounds like fun. So, it's behind the steering column? Brilliant!

 

no its on the opposite side but you have to drop the column down before the dash will come out far enough, dont believe the hype its alot easier than it is made out to be. it was a two beer job, of course that was with air tools and good instructions.

 

lotero............would these directions be the same for my '03? If so could you please send them to daveowen@satx.rr.com Thank you.