Last night I tackled a little job that has needed doing since I bought the car, and that's the heater core. I knew it was leaking a lil bit, but not bad. So after getting her running, I went out and purchased a new core from my new best buddies at Piston Ring. (for you non-Winnipeggers it's a local parts supplier) I'm sure they see dollar signs every time I walk in...LoL!
So for $63 I walk out with a new core and dream about how not difficult this job looks..bolts for the cover on the firewall look easy to get to..core is small..no worries...
So last night about 7, I go over to my buddy Lyle's garage to start..he's put his back out..so he says "Sorry, I can't help much..but I'll do what I can...."
So I get the 5 nuts I can see on the cover off..but the cover ain't movin...so we hit the interweb..."unbolt 2 bolts and drop the inner fender to access the 2 hidden bolts" it says..I look at my inner fender and count 13 bolts..interesting I think to myself...I undo the ones closest to the firewall..still doesn't allow the inner fender to move enough so I can find the bolts on the heater core cover..so I say F' it and take them all out..move the inner fender out of the way..it's now 8:15 pm..I stop and have a rootbeer..Lyle say's "Should be a piece of cake from here..."
I get the cover off, drain the coolant, unhook the heater hoses, pop out the old heater core..yup definitely done...then I notice the telltale sign of a wreckers piece on the old core..the evil yellow paint pen markings..Why the heck would someone put a junkyard heatercore in their car?? Especially when they would have paid pretty close to what I paid for a new one....
So I dry out the heater box, and then the struggle begins to get the new heater core in the heater box, and the heater box back up and in place..oh did I mention Lyle had installed my new hidden stereo right infront of the heater box under the dash..that made for some fun...it's now almost 10pm..
So once it is all back together it's time to put the inner fender back in place and bolt it down..oh did I mention the battery had to come out to get the inner fender unbolted? So now the inner fender won't line up and bolt back into place...
Finally after much swearing, pushing, cajoling and a bit more swearing it finally went into place, got bolted in, the battery re-installed and coolant topped off..and no leaks!! Surprisingly it runs cooler as well!
I arrived home at about 12:20 am this morning..tired..sore but satisfied that the car will make it to Gimili this weekend for their 10th Annual Criusin to Gimili Beach car show...not to mention driving to Edmonton...
Never a dull moment with you Shawn . So I see a leason with this for myself. And that is to put in a new heater core before I bolt on new fenders and inner wells on my car. Thanks. Something tells me I will forget all this and put on new fenders and inner wells before the heater core any way.
I changed the heater core in mine a few years back but I don't recall removing the inner fender well. Pretty sure I got at those bolts with a long extention and swivel joint. I would think '67 and '68 should be close if not the same. Main thing is you got it done. These heater cores are easy compared to the newer cars where the whole dash has to be removed to access. Usually a few extra screws left over after one of those jobs.
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'68 Parisienne 2+2 Convertible Matador Red (Resale Red but not for sale).
I changed the heater core in the 70 454 Laurentian last fall. I had the dash out already, so it made things a bit easier. There is no option to remove the inner fender, I drilled out the one bolt that is hidden on the firewall side. You can clearly see it from the passenger compartment side, so once drilled out the heater box is easily removed. I had about 1/4" of dried rust powder in the bottom of the heater box that I removed, then put everything back together. Even today, a small flake of the rust powder comes out, it looks like I was eating "Cheezies" and got a few flakes on the floormat.
WOW....reminds me of 2 heater cores I have doneMy 76 Trans Am- 3 hour job. And my 87 Grand Marquis-complete dash comes out-8 hour job. Must feel a scence of pride in workmanship after the cursing,swearing and new vocabulary was done eh? Last person manufactures think about is the tech whom has to spin a wrench on it. Glad your mobile
