Going to be changing the heater core, just some questions before starting the job.

[steveyblack]

Hey all after going all winter last year w/o heat because of a bad heater core I finally sucked it up and got a new unit. I want to have everything for it before I start taking everything apart. What I was hoping to find out is what size are the O-Rings that seal the heater core tubes? do they need to be anything special or can I just use the ones out of my Big box of O-rings? Another thing I was hoping to do it go through the ducting and clean up the insides(smells musty) and replace the foam seals. Should I just use the generic seals that you can find at Home depot? I used this closed cell foam stripping for my house and it worked great and I have a bunch more. So if I can use the foam then id be happy. And lastly, any tips on actually removing the heater core?

Thanks

 

[toyotanos]

I'd buy th O-rings from the dealer, as well as new clips to hold them in place. O-rings are funny like that, especially the way Supra's hold them in place (with said clips) fit is very important in this case. I wish you luck, I'll be doing mine here in a little bit here.

There are lots of threads on how to do the heater core, I would suggest looking through them- they have helped me in my planning process!

 

[Hacki_sack_kid]

I agree just get the o rings from toyota, one thing that was a pain is the wiring harness is screwed to the dash and the screws face the firewall, if you can take out the ac condenser, it would help a lot. when i took mine out i found out it was acting as a cabin air filter lol. it was bad instead of silver it was black. besides that its pretty self explanatory, evil as hell but self explanatory, i did mine in roughly 2-3 days (4-6 hr days lol) just make sure you have everything to take off the steering wheel and watch the turn signal when taking it out, i got careless and broke mine off.

 

[suprasick]

I changed mine back in 2004 with help from, at the time, the girlfriends dad. It took us about 6 hours but def worth every min in the end!

Here's the guide I used from Jeeves @ Toyotanation.com



Heater Core Removal Procedures

Remove Center Console Cover
1. Remove screw on side, below back driver's corner of center console.
2. Remove ashtray.
3. Remove 4 screws behind ashtray.
4. Pull up on back (behind shifter) of center console to unsnap.
5. Continue pulling to unsnap three spots around heater control area.
6. Undo connectors.
7. Remove console cover.

Remove Heater Control
1. Remove 3 screws on heater control.
2. Undo connectors.
3. Remove heater control.

Remove Stereo
1. Ensure 4 screws at corners of stereo opening are removed.
2. Remove your stereo.

Remove Center Console
1. Remove screw on bottom of armrest pocket, near front.
2. Remove carpet in bottom of center pocket between shifter and lumbar/mirror switches.
3. Remove screw at bottom of center pocket.
4. Remove 2 screws on sides of the center console near the back.
5. Remove 2 screws on front, top of console in front of shifter.
6. Undo connectors.
7. Remove center console.
8. Undo connector going to handbrake.
9. Undo 10mm ground bolt underneath the carpet strip running behind the shifter.
10. Route wires out from under carpet strip. Ensure they are loose from any bindings.

Remove/Loosen Shifter
1. Manual: Remove 4 10mm bolts/screws holding rubber boot.
2. Remove boot.
3. Untuck rubber seal from around shifter base.
4. Remove 4 10mm bolts/screws around shifter base.
5. Remove shifter
1. Automatic: Remove 4 10mm bolts.
2. Undo connectors.
3. Slide/Tilt the shifter as far back as possible.

Remove Driver's Underdash Cover
1. Remove 3 screws at bottom left and right side corners.
2. Remove screw underneath left switch cluster (cruise, driver's lights, etc).
3. Remove 2 screws under the hood latch release.
4. Pull hood latch release through the cover.
5. Unhook floor light.
6. Push down on back to undo the spring clamp around the steering column.
7. Remove cover.

Remove Driver's Underdash Duct
1. Pull down to remove duct.

Remover Left Switch Cluster
1. Pull out to unsnap cluster.
2. Undo connectors.
3. Remove cluster.

Remove Gauge Cluster
1. Remove 2 screws at bottom corners of cluster cover.
2. Remove 5 screws spaced across front underside of cover.
3. Remove cover.
4. Remove 3 screws across top of cluster.
5. Undo connectors.
6. Remove cluster.

Remove Driver's Kick Panel
1. Remove 4 screws along strip.
2. Remove strip.
3. Remove 2 screws on dead pedal.
4. Remove dead pedal.
5. Remove 10mm nut at front of kick panel.
6. Remove kick panel.

Lower Steering Column
1. Remove 2 17mm nuts at either side of steering column (notice ground loop on right side one).

Remove Glove Box and Covers
1. Remove 3 screws along front of passenger's underdash cover.
2. Remove underdash cover.
3. Remove 2 hinge screws at botton of glove box.
4. Unlatch glove box.
5. Remove glove box.
6. Remove 2 screws at top corners of glove box undercover.
7. Remove 2 screws at glove box latch.
8. Remove latch.
9. Loosen plastic hold down screw in center back of undercover.
10. Remove glove box undercover.

Remove Passengers Kick Panel
1. Remove 4 screws along strip.
2. Remove strip.
3. Remove 10mm nut at front of kick panel.
4. Remove kick panel.

Remove ECU
1. Remove 2 screws.
2. Undo connectors.
3. Remove computer.

Remove HAC (on glove box hinge bar, if equipped)
1. Not sure how. The car I did the write up on didn't have one. If you do this, email the procedure to me and I will include it.

Remove Anti-Slip Computer (if equipped)
1. Remove 2 screws.
2. Undo connectors.
3. Remove computer.

Remove Dash Pad
1. Remove 10mm bolt/screw at bottom left corner of dash pad.
2. Undo big, green, rectangular connector by driver's fuse block.
3. Undo medium, blue, rectangular connector by driver's fuse block.
4. Undo medium, white, rectangular connector by driver's fuse block.
5. Undo big, square connector that attaches to driver's fuse block.
6. Unclip the speedometer cable connector.
7. Move speedometer cable connector out of hole.
8. Remove 2 10mm nuts on either side of speedometer cable connector.
9. Remove 10mm nut deep inside dash directly above the right nut in step 5.
10. Remove 10mm nut deep inside dash above and to the left of left nut in step 5.
11. Undo big, square, white connector to right of nut in step 7.
12. Remove 2 screws around heater control area.
13. Remove 10mm bolt/screw at bottom right of dash pad.
14. Remove 10mm nut above area ECU area.
15. Undo small connector to interior temp sensor above ECU area.
16. Undo medium, yellow, rectangular connector by where the wiring harness runs through the firewall.
17. Pull out on the dash pad about 2-3 inches.
18. Remove dash pad by tilting up and over the steering wheel and shifter.

Remove Cross Bar
1. Remove 2 12mm bolts on left side of bar.
2. Remove 2 12mm nuts on left side of bar.
3. Remove 2 12mm bolts above the steering column.
4. Undo wiring harness clip behind bar above the steering column.
5. Remove brake pedal spring.
6. Undo 2 wiring harness clips from left of center arm.
7. Remove 2 12mm nuts at the top of the left of center arm (notice ground loop).
8. Remove the 2 12mm bolts at the bottom of the left of center arm.
9. Remove the arm.
10. Undo the wiring harness clip from the right of center arm.
11. Remove 1 nut 12mm nut at top of right of center arm.
12. Remove 1 12mm bolt at bottom of right of center arm.
13. Remove right of center arm.
14. Undo the wiring harness clip above firewall pass through.
15. Remove 3 12mm nuts on at right of cross bar attaching it to the bracket (not the 3 holding the bracket to the car).
16. Pull out on right side of cross bar.
17. Pull bar out the passenger door.

Remove Heater Core Box
1. Undo heater hose under hood by heater VSV.
2. Undo heater hose under hood by the brake booster.
3. Undo 3 connectors on left of heater box.
4. Unclip floor heater ducts.
5. Remove 4 10mm nuts at the corners of the heater box.
6. Remove 2 10mm bolts/screws holding the heater box to the a/c box.
7. Remove 2 10mm nuts on top of a/c box.
8. Remove 10mm nut on bottom center of a/c box (may be under carpet).
9. Loosen heater box by pulling out on left side first (pull on opening directly on top of the heater box not the ones on the sloped part or the left side as this can break off the plastic tabs).
10. Remove heater box.

Remove Heater Core
1. Remove 4 screws and clamps on top of heater box.
2. Remove the heater core.

 

[te72]

Just a word of advice, make sure you get the hoses that go to and from the engine bay on the heater core nipples far enough. Nobody likes unwanted heat and coolant dripping on their feet.

 

[Satan]

I soldered the tubes to permanently seal. When you get in there, you will see how easily they can leak, even with new o-rings. Good luck!

Also, this is a good oppty to tuck away alarm modules/wiring and add power/ground distribution blocks.

 

[te72]

Also, this is a good oppty to tuck away alarm modules/wiring and add power/ground distribution blocks.

Makes a good point here, this a job you might want to give yourself a few days for if possible, so that you can do everything needed at the same time. I've taken my dash off twice, and unfortunately going to have to do it twice more when swapping over to the other shell...

 

[mkiii222]

I didn't solder mine but I'll definitely 2nd the orings being a pain. I had to try multiple times to fit the little clips properly.

 

[IJ.]

New o-rings, Home Depot foam works well, I made some sleeves for the tubes in the engine bay to prevent them crushing if used with worm clamps.

 

[CyFi6]

New o-rings, Home Depot foam works well, I made some sleeves for the tubes in the engine bay to prevent them crushing if used with worm clamps.

http://ij.supramania.com/hcsleeve.jpg

I like that a lot! I wish Toyota would have done something similar from the factory. Any tips on repairing tubes that are already crushed/deformed?

 

[te72]

Ian, what did you make those sleeves from? That is ingenious! Looks like a little steel insert flared out at the end to me... What keeps them from coming out of the copper tube?

This was one thing I was always paranoid about damaging due to how difficult it is to access...

 

[IJ.]

I like that a lot! I wish Toyota would have done something similar from the factory. Any tips on repairing tubes that are already crushed/deformed?

When I made the sleeves I tapered the end of them then as you insert them they straighten out the tube enough to go in, once you use a worm clamp it completes the "repair" (mine were really sad)

Ian, what did you make those sleeves from? That is ingenious! Looks like a little steel insert flared out at the end to me... What keeps them from coming out of the copper tube?

This was one thing I was always paranoid about damaging due to how difficult it is to access...

They're just aluminium Brad.

 

[te72]

Still stronger than the copper bits we're blessed with on those I suppose. Yet another good idea I'll be borrowing.

 

[tfhorst]

I have replaced a heater core once. And the best advice I can give is PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT!!

 

[steveyblack]

When I made the sleeves I tapered the end of them then as you insert them they straighten out the tube enough to go in, once you use a worm clamp it completes the "repair" (mine were really sad)


They're just aluminium Brad.

happen to know the ID of the stock coolant tubes? Mine are in bad shape and cant get a decent measurement off them

 

[IJ.]

happen to know the ID of the stock coolant tubes? Mine are in bad shape and cant get a decent measurement off them

Sorry not offhand I had measured the inside of the other end while I had it apart.

 

[jetjock]

od - wall x 2 :icon_razz

 

[steveyblack]

od - wall x 2 :icon_razz

lol right now the car is still together, im trying to have these sleeves cut before ripping things apart. If the coolant nipples were in any sort of good shape i would just measure it the good ole fashion way.