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007GTO · 03-15-2005, 12:40 PM

My shop manual says cut a hole in the fender well to gain access to the nuts - gads, sounds kida evil to me! Is there a better way to replace the heater core in my car? I've had some friends suggest loosening that inner fender well and moving it slightly out of the way. Sounds like a real job! Any experience out there?
Thanks, Terry

007GTO · 03-15-2005, 12:40 PM

My shop manual says cut a hole in the fender well to gain access to the nuts - gads, sounds kida evil to me! Is there a better way to replace the heater core in my car? I've had some friends suggest loosening that inner fender well and moving it slightly out of the way. Sounds like a real job! Any experience out there?
Thanks, Terry

6t7gto · 03-15-2005, 01:50 PM

i removed my inner fender on my 70 lemans to work on my a/c system.
no big deal.
remove the two bolts on the bottom of the fender, by the door, so you can move the fender a little bit to get the inner out of there.
david

6t7gto · 03-15-2005, 01:53 PM

terry,
read this.
http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...1/m/4951056111
david

007GTO · 03-15-2005, 02:42 PM

Does that work as easily for my 67 GTO? Looks like I'd need to remove the stainless trim from the bottom in order to get the front fender loose at that end. I can just about see this ending up as a body-off restoration if we get too carried away.
Thanks,
Terry

6t7gto · 03-15-2005, 02:59 PM

sorry terry.
i wasn't thinking. and i have two 67 gto's.

maybe someone else will chime in that has replaced their heater core.
david

6t7gto · 03-15-2005, 03:27 PM

terry,
i did a search on here and all i could find was that it is possible, but not easy, to get to that last bolt against the fender to remove the heater core.
another post said to just unbolt the inner fender and move it a little out of the way.
david

67ConvFB · 03-15-2005, 08:22 PM

Terry, I did this twice on a 66' I had with AC. Should be the same. Did not cut a hole in the inner fender and am pretty sure I didn' t loosen anything else up. It has been over ten years ago, so I could be wrong about the latter. What part of Ches. are you from? I' m in Western Branch.

A-body · 03-16-2005, 09:10 AM

Terry
I just did mine last fall. I made the stupid mistake of assembling the entire car without checking the heater core.
The manual says to cut a 1" hole in the inner fender. There is a small dimple at the correct location. You can buy a plastic plug at you local hardware store. Remove all the nuts around the blower motor box. All are accessable but the one. Then you need to remove the nuts holding the underdash box. They are on the same studs as the blower motor box.
Go inside the car, remove the glovebox door and liner, then remove the main air plenum. Remove the clamp holding the box the the pass side kick panel, and you should be able to pull the box out. You will have to dissconnect the cable, vacuum lines, and electrical connectors.
Then, the underdash box needs to be split in half to remove the heater core.
Reverse order to re-install
Took me about 7 hours, but I had just installed everything a few months before, and everything was clean and new.
Good luck, and feel free to contact me with any questions.
Gary

engineer · 03-16-2005, 10:51 AM

just remove inner wheel well. just unbolt and move. no cutting. But You can get to all the nuts on the studs including the one behind the wheelwell without having the well removed. I have done it several times. Usually i leave that nut off after I change out the core for the next time.

A-body · 03-16-2005, 12:32 PM

I was able to see that last nut, and I was able to measure up and over and down, thats when I discovered the dimple. I didn't think I would have been able to get it back on again, so I opted to drill the hole. It was easier to do that than remove all the bolts holding the inner fender.
Gary

Brian D'Amico · 03-16-2005, 08:55 PM

I need to replace my core as well. So do you get to it thru the fire wall?? I wasn't sure if you replace it from the firewall side, or from under the glove box. Which way is correct?? I have a 67 Non-AC GTO.

67ConvFB · 03-16-2005, 09:20 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bada Bing:
I wasn't sure if you replace it from the firewall side, or from under the glove box. Which way is correct?? I have a 67 Non-AC GTO. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Both. You have to take off the firewall stuff to get to the nuts that hold the heater core in place so you can pull it out from under the dash.

007GTO · 03-17-2005, 09:26 AM

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Im going to be getting the car ready for paint later in the year and wanted everything done under/inside first. Its alwys been a driver but now is starting to show its age with a bit of rust coming out in the usual spots under an old cheap paint job. Its still gold w/black vinyl roof and will stay orig. I may do a replacement tail panel now that repros are avail but thats another post for another time. I'll try to get some pics posted eventually. For 67ConvFB-Im in the Great Bridge area - will send you an email.
Terry

engineer · 03-17-2005, 12:04 PM

what brand of core did you use? some of the aftermarket ones were too short to be held in place with the brackets.

Bill Morgan · 03-17-2005, 11:05 PM

I got mine from NAPA, and it was identical in configuration to the original.

itshea · 03-18-2005, 01:20 AM

I have a non AC car, and am unfamiliar with an AC set up, but recently changed my core...it was not too tough except for that engine compartment bolt by the inner wheel well. I left that last one a bit loose and have yet to loosen the fender and tighten it. I got it off with a long 3/8 extention, and managed to twist it back on a bit by hand. Guess I got lucky, but now I am warm!

Just sold my truck, and now I only drive a 67 lemans.

shea

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