heater core

can any one help me is there a way of take out the heater core out with out take out the dash board and cracking the shit out of it ? thanks for all your help

Searching would be useful here, but:
http://www.coolcats.net/tech/troubleshoo...index.html

Just be as gentle as possible, and your dash might get away crack-free.

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Estoril blue 1987 TC 5spd, 146k miles, a237, Bailey BOV, rod's header, spec stg3 clutch, spearco FMIC, t3/t4 50 trim / stage III .63, 3" exhaust, eec-tuner, lm1 wb, 55pph injectors
Best 1/4 mile: 12.89 @ 106mph on 25psi, 1.78 60'

[This message has been edited by SteveX82 (edited 10-10-2004).]

thanks for all your help

I will say this as a tip. Leave the back two screws out. These two screws are the whole reason its such a pain to do a heater core.

If you ever need to do it again, its 100 times easier.

I know, you should have to do it again, but trust me. The first time you replace your heater core hoses and wonder if you pushed too hard, you will thank me.

I'm in the process of doing mine right now... there are two things that I think are worth mentioning:

After getting the $18 wonder-part from O'Reillys Advance Auto Parts Zone, I decided that this 9 hour job isn't worth trusting to such a cheap part. I bought the genuine ford part which was $52 at the stealer. The genuine part is NOTICEABLY heavier than the $18 wonder, so I expect it's quite a bit beefier.

Secondly, this was suggested to me by my Mustang buddy... swap out the stock 15 PSI radiator cap for a 7PSI cap. He said on his mustang that he had to replace the heater core every year before doing this. It's easier on the system and will help save the heater core. Might not get away with this in super-hot environments like AZ, but around hot Alabama he sez it's sufficient. Makes sense.

Put a flow restrictor in the core inlet line, as used on the police "special service" Mustangs. For some reason, my 86 Tbird 5.0 came with one of these from the factory, and the 19 year old heater core is still doing just fine. When I did the core on my TC a few years back, I made a restrictor by jamming a 5/16" (I THINK it was 5/16") brass compression fitting nut in the inlet hose. It has nearly the same size hole as the OEM restrictor.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 21 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 02 Taurus Vulcan(wifes car)

You could, god forbid, cut a hole in the fire wall and avoid the whole dash thing. I wouldn't, but it's been done. Ditto what others have said about getting only the Ford replacement core. For a restrictor, I just shoved a cheap old 3/8" drive socket in the inlet hose.

Impossible. You have to remove the dash. Took me two days to complete the job. Hardest heater core ever had to replace and hope never have to do it again. Not only do you have to remove the dash, but you have to have a special fitting to remove the connector under the hood. You will also loose your freon, so you'll have to gas that back up as well. Good luck!!!

Impossible

I've seen a car it was done to.
http://natomessageboard.com/Forum1/HTML/000132.html

Or http://natomessageboard.com/cgi-bin/sear...&default=1

Replacing the heater core really is not that bad of a job. In the seventeen years and 256,000 miles I have put on my car, I have had to replace mine twice. The last time I had the heater core in my hand in two hours, and had job finished and car running three hours later. BTW, you do not have to "break" the air conditioning lines....just bend them slightly to give yourself a little more length....and as GT350R stated...leave the back two screws out of the top cover!!

The Ford dealer "hour" charge for a 87/88 TC heater core replacement is nine hours. The 89 SC is eleven hours!!

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88 Silver T/C, original owner, 256,000 miles.
Loaded with everything except leather & auto trans.
K&N, Gillis, SVO roller #1, big SS valves, ported intake, head, & exhaust.
Bottom end & turbo original/untouched.
Polyurethane bushings throughout, Goodyear GT-HR 235/55R16's.