Another Heater Core Veteran
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Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2
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From: Fishers, IN
Another Heater Core Veteran
I've got a '97 Exp., 4.6L and the heater core recently sprung a leak. Two estimates later, I decided I was too cheap to pay someone $650-$850 to replace a $45 part. So, I coughed up the cash to buy a Haynes manual and did it myself. In all, it took me about 12 hours to complete (found the manual to be less than complete).
Lessons learned:
1. There's no need to drain the A/C, or remove the condensor.
2. Just when you think you have all the wires disconnected, there's another plug lurking in the darkness.
3. A diagram showing which screws to remove would be REALLY helpful. That could have saved me an hour or two.
4. Remove the Q/D clips from the old core before trying to pull it through the foam barrier (bend the clips forward to remove).
5. A deep dish 9/32" socket would have been helpful.
6. A magnetic 5/16" socket would have been helpful.
7. Ford should take a lesson from Xerox and require all their engineers to work as techs for the first year.
8. That $800 I saved sure will come in handy for that $1100 tax correction I got in the mail on Saturday.
Lessons learned:
1. There's no need to drain the A/C, or remove the condensor.
2. Just when you think you have all the wires disconnected, there's another plug lurking in the darkness.
3. A diagram showing which screws to remove would be REALLY helpful. That could have saved me an hour or two.
4. Remove the Q/D clips from the old core before trying to pull it through the foam barrier (bend the clips forward to remove).
5. A deep dish 9/32" socket would have been helpful.
6. A magnetic 5/16" socket would have been helpful.
7. Ford should take a lesson from Xerox and require all their engineers to work as techs for the first year.
8. That $800 I saved sure will come in handy for that $1100 tax correction I got in the mail on Saturday.