'94 heater core R/R - done (1 Viewer)

[Guyute]

Well it's back together and on the road again. Took me two weekends and a few hours here and there. I'm slow and distracted easily so that doesn't help.

This 80 has a little over 200K miles. Had the classic interior fogging and slight anti-freeze smell. We had a A/C leak before this so I had taken it halfway apart before.

Took a ton of pictures to help put things back together correctly. The pictures helped mostly on the routing of wire looms and such. The plugs only seem to fit the correct switch.

The FSM does a good job of leading you through most of it. Dropping the steering column helps a ton.

I'll post some pictures now...

Careful not to break these little tabs on this main upper trim piece>

locker, dimmer, mirror and OEM security>

Speedo and stuff>

I've had a 'D' bulb on the shelf for about 5 years. Forgot to put it in while it was all apart! Doh!

Hidden bolt under the false vent (US passenger side)>

n00dly appendages>

Gooey center>

Cross support bar was kind of a PITA to get out>

New core and CB. Also replaced heater hoses while I was there.

There is your problem>

The unit>

Inside the unit>

This is as far as you'll have to tear it down. All downhill from here>

I went with the constant torque clamps. Got them home and had buyers remorse. They are over $4.20 each. I used one for the PHH (block side) then bypassed the metal hose and used Breeze Liner Clamps for the rest. Took the CT clamps back to Napa and bought the liner clamps from a trucking company for a little over $1.30 each >

Breeze Liner Clamps

New core, new home. I think I paid like $260ish for the core>

Installed a new CB and MP3 Modulator while I was in there. I somehow lost the stereo antenna inside the dash monster and there was NO WAY that I was pulling sh1t back apart. The OEM antenna had been broken twice so I replaced it and ran a new antenna wire trough the firewall. Need to have that stinking antenna to make a MP3 modulator work. Doh!

Cheap universal stereo antenna >

Mounted all the MP3 stuff under the shifter console and ran the wire out here>

All done>

Need to charge and check the A/C still. Overall it is not too bad. I was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I kept pulling but, it went back together well. I think I spent the most time cleaning up a mess the alarm installer created several years ago. Hope this helps someone.

Later,
Brian

 

[Brian894X4]

Nice pics, thanks for sharing.

Quick question, sorry for being off topic, but what's the computer fan thing for? Is that factory? What is it cooling?

 

[Guyute]

Nice pics, thanks for sharing.

Quick question, sorry for being off topic, but what's the computer fan thing for? Is that factory? What is it cooling?

Hello,

Not sure what it's for. I didn't add it and the dash had never been apart so I assume it's factory. Maybe to cool the big ol' factory stereo? Looked like it pushed air down but, I didn't spend too much time looking @ it.

I read that you were doing some cooling system work @ the same time. Hope all is well. Your rig used to belong to some friends of mine. Nice low mile rig.

Later,
Brian

 

[concretejungle]

i wonder if that fan is for the stereo maybe?

Guyute, are you an ugly pig? who danced a jig?

 

[gisham]

this post freaks me out- looks like another job i would have to pay someone to do, and it dont look like it would be a cheap one-

god please dont let my heater core go bad!

 

[Guyute]

i wonder if that fan is for the stereo maybe?

Guyute, are you an ugly pig? who danced a jig?

Stereo is the only thing I could think of too.


Nah. LoL. Our first FJ55 was named 'Guyute' for obvious reasons. Sold a couple years ago >

The newer 55 is just called the '5-5'

The 80 here is named Suzy G (Greenburg)

 

[Guyute]

this post freaks me out- looks like another job i would have to pay someone to do, and it dont look like it would be a cheap one-

god please dont let my heater core go bad!

Ahhh. You can DOOO IT! It looks worse than it is. One piece @ a time, take a ton of pictures. It goes back together well. It was time consuming but, not too hard.

Doesn't sound like many cores have gone bad so you'll be fine.

 

[Buckru]

I am about to undertake this project myself. If you had hit this project hard, how much time do you realistically think it would take? Trying to guage if I need a day or two.

Buck Buchanan

 

[Brian894X4]

Hello,

Not sure what it's for. I didn't add it and the dash had never been apart so I assume it's factory. Maybe to cool the big ol' factory stereo? Looked like it pushed air down but, I didn't spend too much time looking @ it.

I read that you were doing some cooling system work @ the same time. Hope all is well. Your rig used to belong to some friends of mine. Nice low mile rig.

Later,
Brian

Now that's a small world! No, everything went just fine. Just a little overkill PM work. This rig has been very nice to me so far and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

That probably is for the stereo system, seems to be mounted right above that. Quite strange, but then Toyota didn't seem to leave many stones unturned when they designed the 80 and these rigs were meant to spent quite a bit of time in very hot conditions in certain parts of the world.

 

[96r50]

You can hear that fan run if you turn the key to ON and have everything else off. I know I've heard it a few times (and wondered what it was).

 

[Guyute]

I am about to undertake this project myself. If you had hit this project hard, how much time do you realistically think it would take? Trying to guage if I need a day or two.

Buck Buchanan

Me? I'd take two days. If your quick, experienced, have all the parts and don't add any "while I'm in there" stuff then a long day is possible. We have an extra vehicle so I was able to hit it when I had time. Less stressful for me and the famdamily.

Good luck. I have more pictures if you need anything let me know.

Brian

 

[concretejungle]

You can hear that fan run if you turn the key to ON and have everything else off. I know I've heard it a few times (and wondered what it was).

by golly, i think you are right!! I wondered what the heck that was, i even thought maybe it was fluid running through the heater core, but now, i really think it's the fan!

 

[Brian894X4]

You know I don't hear anything on my '95, maybe the later model dash doesn't have that fan?

Sorry to take your thread off topic.

 

[96r50]

You know I don't hear anything on my '95, maybe the later model dash doesn't have that fan?

Sorry to take your thread off topic.

Mine's a 96

 

[sandcruiser]

anyone know if you can pull the heater core unit without pulling the AC?

I'm part-way into it and can't easily take the AC to a shop to get it evacuated.
Can't pull the AC core without evac.

What to do?

 

[veeLC]

Good info and pics (my favorite part) Thanks for sharing your effort bro

 

[sandcruiser]

fwiw: I couldn't get the heater core out w/o removing the AC housing. I was too worried I'd bust the AC lines

just a data point

 

[Texican]

Deeeaaaammmnnnn!!!

 

[sandcruiser]

ugh

what a lot of work that is!
Mine took a lot of time. Taking photos along the way would have helped.
also-- labelling where the bolts/screws/nuts come from is a good plan. I mixed and matched on the installation because I didn't know what went where.... that required some re-doing when I had obviously used the wrong fastener.

All said and done....
and I've got a sweet coolant smell in the cab when the heat runs. I could cry.

It is probably due to having used a used core that was shipped. The core was fine, but the hardlines were slightly tweaked. I tweaked them straight, but could easily have over-stressed the joint during installation.

Bummer


For this week, I'll just suffer glycol fumes. I can't bear to re-do the job just yet. Tooooo much work.
I'd rather change a clutch. Heck, I'd almost rather change a motor.

despite that, I'm enjoying driving the truck. At least I have that.

 

[Sc0-]

Hmm, I have a slight coolant smell when I use my heater.................

I guess the best part of this repair is that it's a chance to fix dash rattles and squeaks, but thats a lot of work.