01 ram heater core

[billy]

yep
after being told $660 in labor to replace my core
i am doing it myself
(takin a lunch break)
i figure i will simply pay myself $89 an hour
i am willing to get poed for that kinda moolah

 

[21willys]

They are a pita!

 

[billy]

I got 5 hours in it
Tomorrow I will button it up
While I am at it I am replacing the coolant .
6 gallons

 

[billy]

Those long twisting metal tubes?
I cut them off and flared the ends
I am going to run the hose through the firewall
I am sealing the joints with THE RIGHT STUFF gasket sealer

 

[21willys]

I've know. Guys who have looped the lines and traded the trucks in to avoid the heater cores in the newer trucks. 100% dumb engineering IMO.

 

[Old Iron]

This long tubes are designed to rotate, where they fasten to the core, to get them through the firewall holes

 

[billy]

This long tubes are designed to rotate, where they fasten to the core, to get them through the firewall holes

it was impossible for the way i chose to go about it
i took the square clips off the ac lines on the engine side of the firewall
that gave me enough slack to pull the dash out about 8 inches and hold it with a ratchet strap

 

[billy]

 

[billy]

the plastic dash had to be taped up with gorilla tape before i started.
that crap is so brittle it will crumble if you look at it hard

 

[billy]

my spinal arthritis is raising hell
so i will double up on the pain meds and as soon as it is light
go out there and finish

 

[I-R-POPS]

Are you having fun yet?
You now know why I told you that I had done one core replacement on that model pick up and would not do another.
A real pain in the @ss and I got better things to do.
Good luck!

 

[billy]

all i gotta say is
thank god for impact drivers and screw guns!
i dont like working on regular cars n trucks anyway
rods are fun
these other things are chores

 

[Bamamav]

You done yet Billy? [ddd

 

[billy]

You done yet Billy? [ddd

yep!
took about 9 hours counting about 15 breaks
cutting off those stupid metal arms to remove the old one and install the new one and running the hose through the firewall was the best idea i ever had
no disconnecting any wires
no disconnecting then recharging the AC.
just took it for a 45 minute test drive
no leaks
AC still works fine and the new no stinky heater will cook you outa the cab[cl

 

[billy]

saved myself over 600 smackeroos

 

[Bamamav]

Good deal! My 99 F150 has always had a bit of a antifreeze smell when you turn it on. I just put some stop leak in it about 7-8 years ago, has held ever since. Never did loose much coolant. On the other hand, my 2000 Expedition has a blend door problem, common to the vehicle. You have to pull the dash on it too to get the heater box out. Heat doesn't get full hot, AC doesn't get full cool. Not planning on going into it unless it gets much worse. Stupid design I say. My old 84 F150, I could change the heater core in 15 minutes!

 

[billy]

Good deal! My 99 F150 has always had a bit of a antifreeze smell when you turn it on. I just put some stop leak in it about 7-8 years ago, has held ever since. Never did loose much coolant. On the other hand, my 2000 Expedition has a blend door problem, common to the vehicle. You have to pull the dash on it too to get the heater box out. Heat doesn't get full hot, AC doesn't get full cool. Not planning on going into it unless it gets much worse. Stupid design I say. My old 84 F150, I could change the heater core in 15 minutes!

use a sawzall to chop a big hole in the top of the dash.
then just reach in like you are grabbin a sixer from the cooler and yank the old core out and drop the new one in. [cl

 

[billy]

if i thought it was going to rain or if it was cold
i bet i could have done it in 3 hours

 

[bruno]

Even my Dodge mechanics at the dealers hate to fix them. Knock on wood we have had 7 Dodge trucks in the last 16 years and never had a leaker.

 

[Old Iron]

Even my Dodge mechanics at the dealers hate to fix them. Knock on wood we have had 7 Dodge trucks in the last 16 years and never had a leaker.

If you flush the cooling system every 1 to 2 years, fill it back up with fresh coolant, you won't have problems.
After a while the system creates an corrosive mixture, in the system, which causes this issue