Heater core

[Callan]

Ok the heater core is leaking in the truck, i have a new one and tomorrow I am going to tackle it... Can i do it without discharging the AC? and how much am I going to hate life tomorrow when i try to do it?

Thanks

[sdstriper]

Can i do it without discharging the AC? and how much am I going to hate life tomorrow when i try to do it?

Thanks

Supposedly and alot...

[burnt_servo]

compared to alot of vechicles out there , the older dodges are super super simple and easy . no you should not have to purge your ac .

[Callan]

ok if this is easy i don't want to know hard! I cannot seem to get that heat/AC box split in the cab without disconnecting the ac lines and pulling the whole unit out from under the dash....

Speaking of the dash is the top of it simply wedged in under the windshield seal??

I thought the mustang dash was annoying but this is worse by far...

[PToombs]

Well, my .02. I don't have A/C, but after seeing what is involved, I'd say you have to purge it. My heater box splits top and bottom halves. No way to do that in the truck.
When I pulled mine, I unbolted the bottom of the dash, where it bolts to the right side wall, and the 2 screws to the left of the glovebox, then pulled the bottom out enough to get the heater box out.
Trust me, it wasn't as easy as it sounds.
The dash is a cast iron bitch to get out without pulling the windshield. There are screws under the rubber. They are barely accessible. If at all.


And here's a FYI for anybody whose heater controls work hard, check the shafts in the box. Turns out my cables were good, the shafts were rusty, causing them to bind and turn hard. A few minutes with a wire wheel, a couple dabs of grease, and it works nice and smooth now.

[sdstriper]

You don't want any impressionable children around on this task...

The dash has several screws up under the windshield gasket and there are bound to be a few places of the dash broken around those fastener holes. I got lucky I guess... I only had one to carefully hammer and chisel to get the dash out. That made the heater box removal less difficult. My A/C was self purged already but I don't see how the job could be properly done without purging and removing the box to cleanup and regasket the lid etc. The seal/gasket material in mine just disintegrated to the touch or dissolved when hosed off.

[Callan]

Ok this is what i know now, there is no way you can change that core without purging the AC, it just isn't possible unless you remove every single piece around it uncluding the entire dash. I was able to dispcharge the AC and pull the entire heater/AC box out from under the dash after removing some support brackets under the dash. Not a fun job by far but i am glad its back in.