Anyone have detailed instructions on removing the inner fender on the passenger side of a '68 convertible, pursuant to replacing the heater core? There seems to be dozens of bolts, do they all need to be removed? Also, does the chrome lip around the wheel opening need to come off? And lastly, there's a 3-sided rip (like a flap was torn our of the inner fender) in the fender liner in my car, and after talking to a mechanic friend of mine, I wonder if a lazy mechanic sometime in the past, tore the fender liner to get to that last heater core bolt so he didn't have to take out the inner fender. If so, I guess I could carefully peel back that "flap" and try accessing the heater core nut. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike.

 

There's a tweak to remove the heater box on a non A/C car that involves removing all the nuts you can get to and then grinding off the head of the last one you can't get to from inside the car. You can't replace that one when you're done but you don't really need it anyway. I found it on one of the other Abody sites

 

Yes, the Chassis Service Manual does. It tells you exactly which bolts to remove to get the blower out from the inside of the front fender.

It also tells you to remove the heater core from the inside of the car, after removing the glove compartment.

If you don't have a Chassis Service Manual, I would strongly recommend getting one. They are available on eBay every day, and you can download a copy from WildAboutCars for $!0 if you need it right now.

The fender liners were often cut to replace blower motors - some models even had a thin line marking the area for the mechanic to cut in the event that this was necessary.

- Eric

 

The only problem with the Service Manual is it explains that you completely remove the fender in order to get the inner liner out (to get to the heater box) and we all know that the inner liner can be removed without removing the fender with a little "persuasion". The problem with removing 75% of the inner fenders (without removing the fender) that have been installed for more than 10 years is the cage nuts on the inner fender are always rusted and you end up twisting at least one or two them and tearing the plastic. If your car is recently restored you may be able to get them off OK.


The wheel well trim does not have to be removed.


But to echo what Eric said............. Get a Service Manual and an Assembly Manual. It will save you a ton of time

 

Interestingly, the CSM only advises removing specific fender liner fasteners, and then peeling it back slightly, and not removing it.

Also, note that they recommend this for getting to the blower motor on a heat-only car (which I believe this is). To get to the heater core, they recommend going in from the interior.

- Eric

 

Eric,


Where did you read that? I was looking at the 68 Chassis Service Manual. In Section 1 page 1-6, for the blower motor replacement, it directs you to removal the inner filler panel and says "Refer to sheet metal Section 11". When you go to Section 11 it tells you to remove the fender to get the inner filler out. I was looking at the 68 Chassis Service Manual, not the Supplement, which would have come out later in the 68 model year. Maybe they changed it in the Supplement?