dal442

70 442 455 non air car most likely heater core issues. just need a bit of advise to issues of replacement.... more like the secret information some of you may have as to the tear out and replacement.

oldcutlass

Is it leaking coolant?

lemoldsnut

These are not impossible but not fun either. I have found the easiest way to get to the bolts is to jack the car up. (and of course use jack stands and all the other safety measures needed.) Take the right front wheel off. This will give you access to the inner fender bolts. I typically use PB blaster or WD-40 on the inner fender bolts from under the hood and all around at this point to make them come off easier. If you take the inner fender out then it is very easy to access the bolts on the underhood side of the heater box. Remove the heater hoses as well. Then there is a few screws on the inside that will also need to come off as well as the plug in and the control cables. Once all that is off the box comes right out. At that point I would remove the bad heater core and either replace it with a new one of have it repaired. I also would clean the heater box sections and paint them as this is a perfect time to make them look nice. This is also a good time for a firewall insulation pad to be replaced.

Then of course reverse the process to reassemble.

If you need some illustrations I could probably copy some from the CSM and the Assembly manuals for you.

Hope this helps

Larry

My442

Invest in a Service Manual.

Octania

In MI if you turn the rusted fender to fender liner bolts, you will shred the plastic fender liners. I would rather loosen the bumper, remove the fender and liner as an assembly. Unless you have a no-rust car.

oldcutlass

In my humble experience, find someone with small hands and remove the nut and not worry about replacing it. Its a lot easier than pulling the front of the car apart.

dal442

thanks for the replies....i have a service manual...just was inquiring to maybe pick up a few secrets in the core removal.... " usually there exists more than one way to skin a cat" again gentlemen --- thanks

pcard

I was able to get at the nuts from underneath, and then remove the box from the inside. But what a PITA. You have to be a contortionist and I knew putting everything back together was going to be a Chinese puzzle.
I bought a replacement core from NAPA and it fit in fine. Getting the nipples through the hole in the firewall was a different matter. I could not do it with the blower box on the firewall since the flange on the box was hiding most of the nipples' hole in the firewall.
I ended up taking the inner well off. Rust free car - piece of cake.
Make sure you have some of the black caulking strips on hand to apply to the blower box on reassembly.

While you have the inner well off make sure you clean out any debris from the inside of the fender.