when i rebuilt my 22r in my 88 2wd i took off the heater hoses on the fire wall i tweaked one of the pipes in an attempt to remove the hoses. is there a way to replace just those pipes or do i have to replace the whole heater core? i know they are seperate but nobody sells them or the c clip that holds them to the heater core

 

Pics?

 

If it is the pipes coming out of the firewall, you will need to remove the heater core. I have bought cores that came with the C-Clips but not all of them have them when you get a new core. If you need to replace the core, the lip on the pipe to the core is easy to bend and get a leak. Pay extra attention when connecting back together.

The pipes are attached to the core and are separate. Dont know if you can get the pipes at a parts store or dealer. Might be a salvage yard item.

Here are some pics of what you will see.
Copied....
The temperture has been dropping around here and Steve was saying that his heater wasnt working. He doesnt know much about mechanicing so I looked at it and said it must be a clogged heater core so we tried flushing it several times and got very little junk out of it. So then I tried to soak it with CLR. Trying everything to avoid from swapping heater cores. Nothing worked, so today he went and bought a core from Oriellys for $62 if I recall right.

Flushing wasnt going to fix this one and is the first time that I have ran into something like this. His truck doesnt have AC, and instead of having the condenser, it has a square tube in its place. The heater core was full of dust,dirt and debri. My guess is with an AC unit under the dash it would of blocked the debri from getting to the heater core, but with a square tube, the debri goes from the blower straight to the core. Flushing cant fix the outside of the core.

I have listed on one of my threads about how debri gets thru the cowl and on the passenger side it can get down to the blower and that is how you can get fan noise from debri getting in from the out side. I am going to do the following write up so as I can just copy and paste it to my 88 Runner build as I am trying to make it where someone that has questions, that maybe the 88 Runner build can help solve their problems. I refer to it alot myself.

Remove Speedometer Bezel
Remove Speedometer Assembly
Remove Lower Panel
Remove Glove Box
Remove Dashpad
Remove the hoses clamps under the hood. I find it easier to leave the hoses attached to the core and push the hose thru the firewall with firewall seals attached.
Unhook the 4 cables attached to the heater controls.

Here you can see I removed the White plastic cover and the side arms that support the dash and where your stereo will mount to.


When pulling the heater core assembly thru, pull it til the metal hose portion clears the firewall and slide to the right to clear the bracket and core where my fingers are pointing to.


Here is the Core Assembly. You will have 4 clamps on top that are held by phillips screws. Remove and slide the core up and out.


Seperate the pipes from the core. My replacement core didnt come with new seals or the c clips. Be gentle with these as you will need to reuse them. When you stick the old pipes into the new core (you use your old pipes) do NOT try to squeeze them with pliers to try and close the gap. The edge will bend and then you have to straighten it out. I found it easier to have someone to push the two pieces together while I put on the clip.


The oring you will need to reuse. I should of went to the store and got a new one, but we didnt have any leaks when done.


Here is the problem with this core. Steve wanted a new one in it. The old one was actually in great shape, so I will clean the outside and keep it for a spare. I am a cheapscape and can have a core out in 45 minutes, just because I have done this several times.

The first time I changed heater controls, it took me 3 hours. This is not an easy job for your first time but will add this post to my 88 build to try and make it easier for someone who might have to do this. I have some videos of other steps.

New one on left and clogged one on the right. First time I ever ran into a core like this.