Dear Garage Journal: Thank You!

[rocket1420]

....

 

[u118224]

Congrats, a good accomplishment. I'm a diyer and normally don't work on Fords but I've never heard of removing the steering wheel and dash to change a heater core. You do normally have to remove the dash to change an evaporater.

 

[KZ1000J]

Back in July, I basically did a complete overhaul of my cooling system except for the heater core. All my repairs performed without any flaws but I also had the thought that my heater core was now my weak link. I researched what was involved in replacing the heater core and that's one job I don't look forward to. The dash has to be removed and all kind of connections have to be disconnected. I drive a Ford Ranger and I hope my heater core lasts a long time.

I will say that once completed, it's a good feeling for us DIY'ers.

KZ

 

[nine4gmc]

your avatar should be wearing eye protection

 

[gsingh]

So I've been a member here for about six months, and it's been quite the experience.

Today I changed the heater core in my mom's '99 Crown Victoria. I volunteered before I knew it involved removing the steering wheel and the entire dash (and how heavy that thing is!). Anyway, it took me about four hours of actual work. I can't imagine how long it would've taken if I still just had my Craftsman RP ratchets and the few Craftsman sockets. I used so many different tools, and what a difference it makes having the right tool for the job.

Sure, I could've bought a decent car with how much money I have in my tools, but what fun would that be?

So, thank you for saving me so much hassle. Even though it's cost a lot of money, and there's sometimes some pointless bickering, the positives of this forum far outweigh any negatives.

So, thank you all for all of the help and amazing wealth of information.

Good job, BUT the entire dash did not need to come out. You only had to unbolt the passenger side and could have slid it out that way.

EDIT: 30-45 Minute job. Just for future reference.

 

[GTA Matt]

Not a crown vic, but an f150, crown vics can be done similar. Same with dodge trucks and suv's. Although I wouldn't recommend it for first timers. Best to learn the 'hard' way.

 

[warmpancakes]

New Cadillac ATS you have to pull the front doors to do a heater core

 

[GTA Matt]

New Cadillac ATS you have to pull the front doors to do a heater core

I forget whether its the new fusion or focus, but one of the fords, you also have to take the doors off. Newer camaros you have to remove the windshield

 

[Brownsfan]

Not a crown vic, but an f150, crown vics can be done similar. Same with dodge trucks and suv's. Although I wouldn't recommend it for first timers. Best to learn the 'hard' way.

Same as the 2000-2007 Taurus. Dealer wanted 1300 for the job. It was my buddy's car. He asked if I could do it, should have said no. It wasn't too bad just time consuming and a lot of screw. Also had to un-bolt and lower the steering column. I understand why it cost what it did.

 

[RustnGrease]

Rocket: I ran an 89 lincoln town car aka the landyacht for a few years as my road car. I changed the heater core so i feel your pain. Had to loosen or remove the entire dash, to slide the heater box out. Wasn't a terrible job but it was time consuming. I hate to admit this but i bypassed the starting system to use a push button after i changed it, turns out i missed/forgot about the harness plug that goes to the nuetral safety switch/transmission. Whoops

 

[gsingh]

I don't see how. It's held in at the top by a nut against the firewall that's wedged in behind a control box. It was difficult enough getting to it with the dash there. And the entire box that holds it has to come out a good ways (about a foot) so that the tubes coming out of the heater core and through the firewall can clear the sheet metal under the windshield.

If you can give me a better idea on how to use your method, I would definitely be all ears. I'm sure Chryslers aren't put together quite the same way, but I love to learn. It's looking like I might get a job at the Chrysler dealer, so I doubt any technique/method I learn will go to waste.

Its the same concept as matt showed, but with crown vics you don't have to far out like that. learn how to "properly" do the jobs first at the dealer a first. As time goes on you will figure out where to cut corners or someone will show you.

Okay so you take the heat-core hoses off from engine bay, also take the nut off that is holding the heater-core.

Go inside take the glove compartment out. Take out the nuts and bolts that hold the right side of the dash.

Have a helper. Pull right side of dash outwards/backwards ( not too much). As the helper is pulling the dash you will have enough space to mover the heater core box backwards and should be able to pull it out.

 

[espyking83]

This really is a great place. There's a few hard-headed posters here (I am one of them), but no matter how awesome of a wrench-turner you think you are--there's always someone who can teach you something. This place has made me a better mechanic, and that is no ****.

 

[amlv20]

New Cadillac ATS you have to pull the front doors to do a heater core

I forget whether its the new fusion or focus, but one of the fords, you also have to take the doors off. Newer camaros you have to remove the windshield

It's the new focus,escape,and the mkc(all same mother chassis) that require the doors to be removed to remove the dash.theres no way around it,there's bolts for the dash in the door jambs and they are pretty long.fords first non diesel powered car pile of junk in years!

 

[wild cowboy]

I have pulled my share of dashes in my time (I am an A/C specialist = lots of evaporators & heater cores & blend doors), and dash-pulling, to me, is really the worst job in auto repair - in some older cars, if you try to save time and pull one side as in the photos above, the customer's dash can crack on you. And if you pull the entire dash, it is easy to miss a single electrical connector and have to pull it again. Ugh!

Nowadays, I just punt any dash-puller jobs to another shop. There is way too much pleasant mechanic work to do in life, that I don't care to pull any more dashes no matter how much the job pays!

 

[gsingh]

I might be able to pull this off now that I've done it the hard way, since I see what needs to happen. However, I had to remove the two hoses from the engine side and had to unborn it from inside. I took the nut off in the engine bay and the box refused to pull away from the firewall.

There's now a wind sound as well. If the heater is on, there's no noise, but if it's off or the a/c is on, you can definitely hear a little air moving. Please tell me I don't have to take the dash back off to fix that.

Damn, haven't had wind noise problem. Sorry cant hep you on that one. But i do hope someone else chimes in.

 

[devoncoolman]

Cutting corners is hard if you don't know where everything is. Ive done crownvic's in under two hours thats pulling the dash back on the right side. Job pays like 4 hrs anyway so i see no reason to hack it all up. Good job. Just put a belt on my broinlaws truck ram1500 5.7. Had to use his tools so it took like 3 mins with crappy tools. If i would have had my serp belt tools i could have done it in 5 minutes. So it always pays to have the correct tools.