tecar442

I fired up the 442 today and I had coolant dripping on the carpet. Looks like the heater core needs repaired. I suspect I know why it's leaking. My fault. Enough said. The service manual says to remove the cover and fan motor from the outside and DRILL A HOLE in the inner fender to get to the last bolt. I really don't want to do this. Can I loosen the inner fender to access the bolts? It would be much better to do it from inside the car if possible. Any ideas? Also, will I need to remove the carpet to to clean it or can I shampoo the carpet to remove the antifreeze?

oldcutlass

Prior to taking everything apart, make sure it's not a loose heater hose. If you have to replace it, this will be the only time that you own this car that you will be thankful you don't have A/C.

There are 2 styles of heater core, the old style with straight tubes and the new style with one having a 45 degree offset tube. Either one will work except the one with the 45 degree offset takes some finagling, the proper cuss words, and an extra set of hands.

I was able to remove the nut without removing anything. It's an advantage of smaller hands. On the firewall you will see a bunch of threaded studs with nuts on them. Remove all the nuts. Remove the 2 heater hoses, then lay on the passenger side floor and wiggle the heater box out. There is some insulation that run along the bottom, try not to tear it. Be very careful while you rotate the right side out just enough to get at the hex screw that holds the clip that secures the heater core to the box. Remove the screw and the clip, and pull the old heater core out.

Reverse all the steps for reinstall. On the nut that is in the precarious location behind the fender well, I left it off. The box is nice and tight without it.

tecar442

It's not the heater hose for sure. I was afraid I'd have to everything out through the engine compartment. I now understand how to do it...I think. I have this next week off so I'll attack it first thing in the morning.

oldcutlass

Seriously, it's not that hard. You can get one at your local parts store, I got mine at O'Reilly's for around $46. I called in the morning and had it that afternoon from their warehouse.

tecar442

I replaced it years ago but I had the fenders off of the car at the time. I'm a little concerned about cleaning the antifreeze out of the carpet. I'm guessing I'll have to remove the seats and console, pull the carpet, and clean it. This is not what I had planned this week.

oldcutlass

Shop vac and a foaming carpet cleaner. Let dry and vacuum again.

tecar442

Thanks for the info, I'll get on the project first thing in the morning.

Junkman

Anti freeze (Ethyl glycol) is a bear of a problem to get out of the carpet, and the backing. If you don't get it all out, then the carpet will always attract dirt, and have a sticky feeling. I would use a water extraction unit on the carpet, and try to find fresh jute to install under it. As long as you have the carpet out, you might consider installing Dynamat, or a similar product to the floor to keep the heat out. Worked great in my car.
When it comes time to remove heater hoses, I always cut them just in front of the heater core tubes with a razor, and then remove the clamps, and slice the rubber hose parallel to the hose with the razor. Then I peal the hose off the nipple, so I don't stress the soldered joints. When it comes time to reinstall the hoses, I used spit to lubricate the inside of the hose before pushing it on. It makes a difference whenever you can reduce the friction to make something go on easier. If you are adversed to using "spit", then you can purchase a tube of KY jelly at the pharmacy, and use that. Don't use soap or dish washing liquid, since it can cause foaming inside the engine block.
If your engine block and radiator haven't been cleaned in a long time, now would be a great time to do this project. The last thing that you want to do is clog the new heater core with scale from the engine. Just because the coolant looks clean, doesn't mean that there isn't build up on the inside of the block, that adds to the high under hood engine temperatures. The slime or sludge, or what ever you want to call it that builds up inside the coolant passages of the engine block inhibit the transfer of engine heat to the coolant. This sludge / slime acts as an insulator.

tecar442

Got it done. Resoldered heater core inlet, no leaks. I got all the nuts back on, however the MAW's have taken over and the project will take a little longer, now. Thanks for the help.