Heater core project

[hex0rz]

Alright, so I'm pulling the dash and replacing the heater core. I got the A/C evacuated and its ready to get started on. Although, I was hoping to get a list going of anything that should get replaced while I'm in there.I bought my heater core, got a quote on the evaporator and resistor, but dunno about anything else. How can I tell if the evap is bad or the resistor needs replaced?What else?

[dripley]

I think I would gather up any thing that wears out in there. I have to do mine sometime in the future and I reallly dont want do it twice. As far as a list of what, i am not the man for that. Heater and evaporator for sure. You can replace the resistor with out removing the dash, but i would be easier while it is out. I replace mine a while back but dont remember what it cost. Good luck.

[Mopar1973Man]

Heater core and evaporator core both are spendy pieces. Resistor is a good thing to while out. Check the blown motor bearing and the blower cage too. If the motor is wobbly or squeaky time to replace.

[flagmanruss]

Inspect & replace as necessary... the Vacume lines to the dash vent selector knob & back through the dash. The troublesome vacume powered vent selector on the hump to the right of the driver's foot, can't be changed without pulling the dash. judging from the amount of trouble with these, I think OEM is brittle or doesn't like deisel vibrations. The resistor is pretty easily done in the passenger's foot well. Must redo! The troublesome electric mixing control on the vent on the passengers side. The plastic coupler between the drive motor & the flapper. {It can be be fixed without pulling dash, by squeezing in, roll up the rug & tear out the foam cushion on the hump & use trick right angle tools. Fix it while it's out!} I suggest you replace the screws with hex or spocket heads. You'll need to reindex the drive motor after. The motor is not marked & can be assebled backward. You can make a new coupler or put a clamp around the OEM plaatic before it breaks or make your own out of steel & set screws or buy one from heater treater.net.

[hex0rz]

Boy, when I ask for it, I ask for it!

[dripley]

Heater core and evaporator core both are spendy pieces. Resistor is a good thing to while out. Check the blown motor bearing and the blower cage too. If the motor is wobbly or squeaky time to replace.

Rock auto has them both for $60 apiece. Is this as spendy as you are thinking? Only had one choice for and evap by Four Sesons. I dont know ay thing about them. The most expensive heater core they had was an AC Delco. What cores did you put in yours? 690 bucks apiece did not seem to bad.

[Mopar1973Man]

Well... Errr... Ummm... Local NAPA sold them to me at $130 for the Evaporator and $125 for the heater core... :banghead:

[dripley]

Welll....errrr.....ummmmh, like I said i dont know anything about the quality.

[hex0rz]

MY heater core cost me $69 at O'really's. The evaporator is a little more, $75.

[hex0rz]

Mike, in your video on the evaporator replacement, what is the weather-tape you used? There are all sorts of different tapes, just trying to get an idea if there was a reason why you specifically used the one you did, in the video.

[Mopar1973Man]

It was the left over weather tape I used on my topper... :lol:Cheap and it wasn't enough for the topper so I used the bits and pieces on the A/C...

[hex0rz]

AHA! Every little bit counts!Alrighty, so I got the dash pulled out just enough yesterday and got the heater case removed. Split the halves, and oh my!There was copious amounts of clogging going on at the evaporator. It kept the heater core nice and clean, but now I understand why my heat was not coming out so great. So, I managed to get them taken down to the local radiator shop. He pressure tested them both and they both checked out. Cool! Save myself the cost of having to buy a new core and evap.So he took my evap, sprayed some of the good ol' acid solution he had on it and then hit it with his steam hose. CLEANED her right up! I was shocked! Then he tooke the heater core and sprayed the water through to see if anything came out and it ended up blowing it out a little! He said that was from clogging. So, I put a new heater core in.Got the case put back together and back in she went! I noticed a couple things though. On my blend door motor, I think the coupler pieces have been upgraded? They look just like the pieces on heatertreater.net!Putting the dash back in was a little more difficult than I thought. Although, it was actually the easiest dash pull I have ever done! I got the dash back in and then proceeded to secure the bolts at the top. I broke 2 clips while tightening them down! I found that using any torque with the ratchet is a bad idea. Just hand tighten them down and thats it!I made sure everything went back in right. So far it seems to work good. Although I dunno if its just because I have worked on it and paying more attention to it, but it seems like the vent selector is kind of sticky.Gotta tell ya, once that evaporator was cleaned, the truck puts out some reeeeeeaaaalllly good heat now! I think I'm gonna have to figure out something for a cabin air filter. I would much rather pay for filter replacements then ever have to go back in like that to clean it! Especially since I may not always have my HVAC on recirculate.