64 heater coil replacement

[Ken 6645]

My 64 thungerbird has a leaking heater coil..I dug out a couple of motor manual's and the way they tell me how to do it and if I do it like book said ,I may never finish .......why???? can't it be taking out thru the fire wall...If you know the old core size and you know where the tubes go,why can't cut a hole in the firewall and pull the darn thing out...? I don't have a clue whats behind the firewall that would be destroyed by doing it this way. I guess this question will give someone a good laugh .so I'll your welome........................thank you for your help and time Ken

[sseebart]

If you have a non-A/C car (maybe one with A/C, I'm not sure), you can bypass the core just by re-routing the heater hoses under the hood.

I replaced my core when I removed my dashboard for restoration. There is access to removed the blower motor from under the hood--a pretty tough job I hear, and it's pretty small compared to the coil.

I removed the heater box after the dash was out. It wasn't easy. They say it can be removed with the dash still in the car, though I have no idea how.

Good luck!

~Steve

P.S. The heater box removed from the car:


Here it is in place. It extends from the passenger door all the way over to the driver's side heat vent, and it's all one piece!

[Ken 6645]

From what I've seen and read,there is no easy salution to the fix..maybe I could hire a good
machanic ..Ken

[Terry64HT]

I can only speak from my experience with an A/C car, I have no idea if a non-A/C is much different.
The only way the heater core can be removed is from inside the car side of the heater plenum. I have done mine twice (replacement cores aren't much good), the last time this past spring. The core is attached to the plenum by 4 screws, one on each corner of the flanges. You would have to cut a huge hole in the firewall to get to them.
Pop off the brite trim on the passenger side of the dash and remove the lower half. Disconnect the cable for the fresh air duct and remove the front of the plenum. You will see the core on the right. The two front screws are easy, but the two rear ones are a bear, one is very difficult, but it can be done. Almost no one reinstalls the really awkward one, so if you are lucky and your core has already been out, it may not be there.
Undo the hoses in the engine compartment and pull it out.
Steve is correct saying that you can connect the hoses under the hood in a loop. I did that when my core began to leak last fall until I could replace it.
Hope this helps
Terry
64HT

[HeadacheGuy]

Pulled mine on my 65 for A/C conversion. Assuming yours is non A/C you do NOT have to pull the dash though you do have to pull the box out. It doesn't come off hard. Had mine out in 2 hrs (but have to admit I do this for a living). When you pull the chrome trim (it pulls straight out but you want to be carefull not to bend it) on the passenger dash and get out the 3 phillips screws out (there are a couple of bolts underneath the same panel)and get the front panel off the job gets way easier. If yours is an A/C car you have to contend with the evaporator lines which I understand is a bitch but still do-able. Box appears to big to come out through the door but it is actually a good fit if you roll it on the way out. Good luck

[HeadacheGuy]

BTW....looking at my old box and Steve's picture you could cut the firewall and get it out but your going to carve up a perfectly good firewall in the process. If these cars eat them every few years it is always an option but grounding the core and/or installing a restricter in the heater hose may be a better idea for longevity. Mine already had a new core when I got it but I pulled it to put the A/C in which has its own core so I couldn't say if these where problem children or not.

[Terry64HT]

It sure would help to know if we're talking about an A/C car or not. All the advice I've seen is good, but only applies to one or the other.
Terry
64HT

[HeadacheGuy]

This is true

[Ken 6645]

I don't know why i didn't mention that the car was a A/C car....the information you guys have helped The photos were great thanks to everyone who replied
Ken

[Terry64HT]

With an A/C car, the only way to get the heater core out is from inside the car. The photo shows the lower dash removed and the front off the plenum The shiny black vertical thing on the right is the side of the heater core. You can just see one of the screws holding it in place at the bottom. There are two at this end and two at the other. The two at this end are easy, one on the other end isn't too difficult and the last is a bear. Almost all cores are reinstalled with only 3 screws.
Terry 64HT

[Montana Tbird]

I've taken the dash off my car while replacing the heater box and all of the vacuum lines. My air conditioned 65 had the heater control valve (the vacuum operated version) removed completely. I have a new one ready to install. Question: is the valve mounted to the firewall, or just supported by the water hoses? thanks

[Terry64HT]

It mounts to the inner fender, slightly behind and below the support brace. There's a threaded section on the bottom of the valve that a bracket slips onto and is held in place with a nut. Two screws hold the bracket to the inner fender. These brackets are now fairly rare, but it shouldn't be too difficult to fabricate something.

Terry
64HT

[stubbie]

Is it easier to pull the complete heater box out to get to the core? It's only 4 more bolts behind the vent door and the fresh air inlet rubber to remove. You wouldn't have to struggle with the screws in the core then.