help replacing heater core in 85 f150

gingerbreadman · Sep 21, 2004

gotta love them $900 trucks :nonono:

heres the symptoms:
1. strong coolant smell in the cab with the heat on
2. windows fog up with heat on and on defrost
3. coolant overflow level droping
4. feel coolant under the air vent box under the hood

My guess is leaking heater core.

Its an 85 f150 4x4 300 i6, the big plastic looking thingamajig with the heater core and fan motor has "high output" on it.... Does that mean its a high output heater or a high output engine???

it looks to me like it unbolts from inside the cab,

can someone whose done this or has any input speak up here...

-gbm-

Hack · Sep 21, 2004

I just did it on my '92 this weekend. It took me maybe a couple hours. The hardest part was getting at a couple of the six screws holding the plastic case together.

The glove box snapped right out, no fasteners. The hoses were easy to replace. It was a little difficult getting the core to come out from under the dash, so I just pulled harder.

I hope your repair goes well.

WORTH · Sep 21, 2004

You have 3 nuts and 2 screws under the cash holding the heater case in, you have to pull the temp cable off the case, and unplug the blower resistor and the case should come right out for you. 1/2 hour for me, 3 hrs with the GBM Curse after putting the fire out

gingerbreadman · Oct 3, 2004

Well i got at it today,

It turned out the fitting for one of the heater hoses off the heater core came loose :shrug:

they are just soldered on so i attempted to re solder it :nonono:

...

Well since my soldering gun wasnt powerfull enough i fired up the propane torch :rolleyes:

Can you guess where this is going :notnice:

Well i got the fitting soldered back on all pretty like but in the process not realizing it i melted all the solder holding the top cap on :bang:

so as i did a little bucket full of water air test to see if my solder held i realized as the whole top bubbled away :rlaugh:

I managed to get the top soldered back on, im not sure how well its gonna hold but it seems ok so far....

trials and tribulations i guess :canflag:

-gbm-

WORTH · Oct 3, 2004

gingerbreadman said:
Well i got at it today,

It turned out the fitting for one of the heater hoses off the heater core came loose they are just soldered on so i attempted to re solder it ...

Well since my soldering gun wasnt powerfull enough i fired up the propane torch Can you guess where this is going Well i got the fitting soldered back on all pretty like but in the process not realizing it i melted all the solder holding the top cap on so as i did a little bucket full of water air test to see if my solder held i realized as the whole top bubbled away I managed to get the top soldered back on, im not sure how well its gonna hold but it seems ok so far....

trials and tribulations i guess :canflag:

-gbm-

I'm guessing it's JUNK, shouldn't be using propane on a heater core. I use natural gas, much cooler and easier to control. The heater doesn't have tubes like a radiator, the flat fins are soldiered together and it os almost impossible to clean them properly after you've screwed them up.

Chances are it will hold until it warms up, then sh'll leak like a siv :rolleyes:

, You may want to buy that new heater now

gingerbreadman · Oct 3, 2004

WORTH said:
I'm guessing it's JUNK, shouldn't be using propane on a heater core. I use natural gas, much cooler and easier to control. The heater doesn't have tubes like a radiator, the flat fins are soldiered together and it os almost impossible to clean them properly after you've screwed them up.

Chances are it will hold until it warms up, then sh'll leak like a siv , You may want to buy that new heater now

I also hooked the heater core up outside the air box and ran the truck to operating temp with it sitting on the air cleaner, i didnt see any leaks, i also went for a little drive last night and didnt smell any anti freez....

time will tell ill watch the fluid level, maybe ill get lucky..........for once :rolleyes:

-gbm-

Hack · Oct 3, 2004

gingerbreadman said:
Well i got at it today,

It turned out the fitting for one of the heater hoses off the heater core came loose they are just soldered on so i attempted to re solder it ...

Well since my soldering gun wasnt powerfull enough i fired up the propane torch Can you guess where this is going Well i got the fitting soldered back on all pretty like but in the process not realizing it i melted all the solder holding the top cap on so as i did a little bucket full of water air test to see if my solder held i realized as the whole top bubbled away I managed to get the top soldered back on, im not sure how well its gonna hold but it seems ok so far....

trials and tribulations i guess :canflag:

-gbm-

Wow! and I thought I was cheap.. :rlaugh:

To me $30 or so for a new one is a great deal.

Impressive patience though.

gingerbreadman · Oct 3, 2004

Hack said:
Wow! and I thought I was cheap.. To me $30 or so for a new one is a great deal.

Impressive patience though.

Well its $40 up north :canflag: for a new one :shrug:

and i was out just now for a good spin, i dont see any fluid leaking and i still cant smell any antifreez. :shrug:

i think it may have worked, and ya it did take somne patients,

p.s. worth, i may have exagerated just a tad for stangnet purposes on how bad i screwed the top up :rolleyes:

-gbm-

gingerbreadman · Oct 5, 2004

housten we have a problem

-fogged up windshield and the pleasant arroama of preston :rolleyes:

I kinda thought it was too good to be true, guess it just took a few days

-gbm-

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