local dealer cant get heater core??

I just talked with the parts dept in the local Ford dealer and he says they cant get the heater core as of about one year ago. My other option is to use Advanc Auto or NAPA or Rock auto. Does anyone have experience with either of these? I know you get what you pay for and Advance and RA has 'em for around $18.00 so.....

Do not use the non-Ford stuff. I got one from my Ford dealer less than 6 months ago. Find another dealer, yours is or lazy or worse.

jason, i cant believe you didnt call me on this. which dealer are u using down there??? you need to sell whatever they are smoking. the cores ARE still availiable thru ford. part # is e9ly-18476-a. retail $54.63 wholesale about $40-$45. it will be aluminum you know. if you want brass/copper try a radiator shop for those....
-stu

The core i just got from ford was not aluminum and i just got it about 2 months ago. and it was 50 something here in columbia. in stock

i just bought a core and the same, it looks like the endtanks are copper and the fins are sluminum. i put a bit of steel epoxy on the pipes to stiffen them up.

-read: core is aluminum...
nothing about tanks......

Longbed

I just bought a core from my local dealer (Mallon Ford) in Tacoma, WA 3 weeks ago. The Part number is the same as listed above. It is still available and is much better quality than any other core that I have seen. I bought a Schucks/Kragen/Checker auto core 5 years ago and it did well till I went to take the heater hose off to replace it and then the tube going into the heater core tank cracked. It was much cheaper quality than a Ford core. I posted pictures in another thread. My core cost me $66.56 out the door (remember WA state is full of rich computer geekk's so we usually have pay a little more). You can reinforce the tubes on any core and it will help it withstand a little more movement but the aftermarket cores usually are not made with the same thickness of materials as Ford uses.

As for the cores from Ford being alunimun, (LOL) You better take a better look at them. My core was copper (tubes and fins). I have never seen a Ford heater core made with aluminum in any car made up and including the mid 90's. (I am not saying that they did not make a aluminum core) Believe me I have changed my share of cores in the fleet vehicles at my work. Most manufactures use Copper (tanks, cooling tubes and fins) on heater cores because they are usually not easy to change and they want them to last as long as possible. As far as Radiators go, they are almost all plastic and aluminun cause they are cheap and usually not hard to change.

The most important thing is to take care of your coolant. Just cause it can protect your car to minus 40 does not mean it is in great shape. You need to check the PH level yearly to insure electrolysis is not hapening. This is the number 1 reason heater cores need changing. Ford has a TSB out on this. I will try and post it some day.

Think about changing all your coolant hoses since your core will be out. They are all available from your local parts store (Gates hose)

Good luck on the core..

Scott

here is the link to the pictures listed above..

http://natomessageboard.com/ultimatebb.p...1;t=016259

i got a ford heater core less than 6 months ago and it also was copper.it only cost like $45.i local dealer said it was unavailable so i tried another 60 miles away and had it in 2 days.

The very last post in the link 57fan provided said something about the NAPA core being the same weight and construction. Did I read that wrong or is it true? I havent called NAPA about theirs.
Im going to try another Ford dealer farther away. I will let ya'll know what happens. Thanks!