Smokehouse69

Well, after putting it off for more months than I want to admit, I finally got around to pulling my heater core on my 69 with A/C. All this was in preparation for the complete A/C overhaul I'm getting ready to do.
All in all, pulling it out wasn't that technically difficult, just sort of brutal.
I'd removed the hoses a couple of months ago, so that wasn't a problem. Removing the passenger side dash panel was easy, I'd had it off a couple times in the past, the center console gauge cluster the same thing. All the rest was new territory for me.
After the dash panel and center gauge cluster and radio were out, then I had to remove the right hand vent duct, it was no problem. Then I started trying to get the center main duct out, that was a little tough. The left hand duct has to come out and the right dash panel loosened to worm it out. After wrestling it around for a while I was able to get it out. Then the defroster vent has to come out, it was pretty much glued to the lower heater box with some black sealing putty that had pretty much solidified into rock. I had to pry it off in chunks, then I was able to slide the duct sideways to the right and finally out.
Finally we have the heater box and duct work, it is held on the firewall by 3 screws and one bolt. The screws are fairly easy to get out with an socket and extension. The one bolt is acutally a stud that comes out of the heater box and through the firewall. It comes out right below the wiper door acutator on my 69.
Then the heater box is ready to come out, with the exeception of the vacuum lines to the actuator on the heater box. They are sort of tough to get to with the box in position, but they can be removed.
Now getting the heater box out of the car even with everything disconnected is a little tough, it takes some lifting and pulling and twisting then it will come out.
Since the core inlet and outlet tubes point down, you have to sort of roll the top of the box toward you while lifting the box out.
After the box is out then you have to remove the core from the box. There are about 6 little sheet metal screws that hold the core and support to the box. After the screws are out you still have to seperate the support from the box. I used a flat putty knife, that I normally use for gasket scraping, and slipped it in crack and worked it around the support, finally it popped free.
The inside of the box was coated with rust and crud, but I could not see where the core had been leaking from. Nothing obivous, I noticed that the core was not an original core, it looks like it was replaced in 1981, since there was a sticker on the core with 8-81 on it and warranty void if removed.
I'll test it just to see if it acutally was leaking, the guy I bought the car from had told me that it was bad and was disconnected when he bought the car.
I'll sure be pizzed if it turns out to be good!
Anyway it took me about 2 hours of piddling around to pull it out, I'll wait until this weekend to put it all back together. Lots of scrubbing and cleaning before I put it all back together.

74 vert

Um, I thought you could get the heater core out from under the hood, though I never removed one. :smash:

Bobbyg75

You can remove the heater core from the engine side if no a/c. With a/c the core has to removed from inside. Any pics of the pre-install hose/wire routing would be appreciated! Email to rfgleas@charter.net

Bob

LFZ

thanks for the info...i'll be tackling this job next month myself. :cheers:

JJ Deuce

Hey smokehouse -

I'm almost to that point myself. Does it look like it'll be any easier with the drivetrain out of the car?

Smokehouse69

Naw, there is no interference of anykind with the engine or transmission. Now, if you were going into it from the firewall side, it would be much easier, but you'll have to pull the evaporator and case out of the way first.
I'm going to try and take some pictures this evening and see if I can post them.

Smokehouse69

Here's the pictures, they don't show much detail, but I promised I'd post them.

cardo0

Good work Smokey. Replacing the box isn't all that bad once all the Bubba fixes are corrected. Found all my seals missing when I rebuilt my heater box. Hot engine compartment air was flowing right into the people compartment. Found some good plastic repair goo and replaced a missing screw ear/pad with a washer too.
But what I wanted to say here is that the heater box R&R is nothing, nothing compared to the A/C system on the engine side. Just spent 6 hours last weekend connecting up my POV to the evaporator, condenser and compressor lines. My arms are still black and blue from contorsion efforts. Still have 3 screws on the POV support bracket to install and I'm having to regroup before next assult. But this is after having rebuilt the whole A/C box on the engine side. There has to be an easier way cause shop labor to do this would be very expensive. :rofl:

DMONSVETTE

:eek: :smash: :thumbs:

RS69

You can remove the heater core from the engine side if no a/c. With a/c the core has to removed from inside. Any pics of the pre-install hose/wire routing would be appreciated! Email to rfgleas@charter.net

That is not true. I pulled heater core from my 69 BB and I had to remove the right side interior dash, ducts, etc. There were some small screws that held the core inplace that were not accessible from the firewall side, plus my core would not fit through the hole unless I started cutting.




[Modified by Cool427shark, 8:02 PM 4/14/2004]

69stingray

:cool: :cheers: :cool:

rponfick

Cardo, did you say you took the AC box out from under the hood? I was looking at mine today on my '73 and it looked too large to get out with the motor in the car. Can you get that big thing out without removing the motor? I want to take my AC system out and replace it with just a heater/non-AC unit. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I feel you pain on connecting the can under the fender well, because I just did the opposite in removing mine. :cheers:

cardo0

Okay rp, I did have a cylinder head off while the box came off and back on. But I think just removing the valve cover should be enough for A/C box R&R. Took mine out in 2 pieces. There are some really obscure screws but if you stop, look it over and think it out you can do it. Something I wish I had tried when removing the POV or VIR or whatever its called is to remove the fender bottom splash shield - just four bolts but the running board trim piece has to be moved far enough out of the way - and reach up behind the POV from underneath to disconnect the lines. Then loosen the POV bracket and finally pull that POV up and out - removing holding bracket last.
To assemble the box I just used blue RTV and tossed the monkey poopie (stock type sealer) in trash.
I wish I had removed that lower/bottom fender splash shield before reinstalling. As I think now that POV bracket needs to get screwed onto box first. Next drop in the POV with the condenser and conpressor lines attached/installed from above or connected from underneath as required. Finally line up that POV and connect to the evaporator lines last.
Hope this helps. cardo0 :thumbs: