I wish all heater cores were as easy as a G-Body

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Wageslave

Royal Smart Person
Jan 25, 2017
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I just got through doing the heater core on a '98 Grand Cherokee and man that was a b*st*rd. About 8 hours of misery and plastic later it is done, but if I had followed the factory service manual I would be disassembling the thing down to the frame to get it out.
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emperorbrownsuga

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Apr 1, 2012
29
21
3
I feel you on that man! Changed heater core on a 2010 town and country twice! Leaking o rings and metal tube clamps. Not to mention pulling all the plastic coverings off to get to it!
 

455'ed80Regal

Master Mechanic
Nov 3, 2010
467
211
43
Lincoln, MO
90's Ford Ranger pickup. Disconnect hoses. Pull glove box. remove two screws on cover plate and remove heater core. Install in reverse order and done in less than 30 minutes. Easiest heater core I ever changed. The worst was a Ford Taurus, late 80's or early 90's.
 
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Longroof79

Rocket Powered Basset Hound
G-Body of the Month
Oct 14, 2008
12,156
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Gainesville, Fl
I've been wanting to replace the heater core on my '81 Mercury Capri (Foxbody), but A/C cars entail dropping the dash, where as non-A/C cars have a door like 455'ed80Regal describes on the Ford Ranger.
 

foxtrot

Royal Smart Person
Dec 19, 2008
1,489
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USA
90's Ford Ranger pickup. Disconnect hoses. Pull glove box. remove two screws on cover plate and remove heater core. Install in reverse order and done in less than 30 minutes. Easiest heater core I ever changed. The worst was a Ford Taurus, late 80's or early 90's.
I've had both easy & difficult experiences performing this job over the years. I once replaced the heater core in a 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood which was a similar experience to your Ranger experience. I've also had a few difficult experiences where the entire car was built around the heater core. With my difficult experiences it didn't help the situation that I didn't have the service manual and this was before the youtube days..
 

online170

G-Body Guru
Oct 28, 2010
726
319
63
Yup i agree. I've had A-bodies most of my life where you would swear the car was built around the heater core. Had put off changing the core in my wagon for years thinking it was the same hassle, and finally decided to do it at the same time as an oil change. The heater core was probably quicker than the oil change.
 

pontiacgp

blank
Mar 31, 2006
29,270
20,391
113
Kitchener, Ontario
You should talk to Mark (Bonnewagon) and you'll find you both have the same "respect" for the Jeeps. He just finished an R&R on the alternator in his daughter's Jeep and it took him 6 hours and we all know that Mark knows what he is doing.

I had a heater core in my 96 that was plugged, I flushed it with vinegar for a few hours and that cleaned it out. I took a look at the book on the R&R on the Jeep and I would have scrapped it and bought another before I'd change the heater core.
 
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Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2009
4,861
6,888
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Wellston, OK
Mark VII is the worst! Been there, done that, never again. Original (97-03) Expeditions aren't much better.

My F350 was a breeze, and G bodies are pretty easy too.
 
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