Heater Core Replacement

[ew1usnr]

Disassembling my heater box part 2.

Someone had worked on the heater previously, though, because the box was missing one clip from the top, two clips were missing from the right side (with one attachment point broken), and two clips were missing from the bottom (with two attachment points broken). Here is a photo of the bottom showing the two missing clips:
08-bottom of heater box.jpg

I opened the box and found a two-inch deep heater core backed up with a rectangular ½-inch spacer. This is the back side portion of the heater box and the spacer is on the right.
12-Outer Shell.jpg

It was odd because the spacer was sitting on top of a rubber gasket. I think that the gasket was original and it pressed against a 2 1/2" core. A previous owner later installed the 1/2" spacer and used a 2" thick core.
15-Outer shell with spacer removed.jpg

The spacer has a rolled up inner edge that was in direct contact with heater core:
16-spacer.jpg

The spacer had a rolled up perimeter edge and the heater core had four leak spots along its base where it contacted the edge of the spacer. The leaks can be seen as white spots along the the left and right edges of the core (4 small ones on the left and one big one on the right). The rolled up edges of the spacer can be seen in the lower right hand corner of the photo.
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The spacer appears to be the cause of the leaks, so I ordered a 6” x 8” x 2 ½” thick, 5/8” outlets that I can install without the spacer. The thicker core will just be held in place with weather stripping in both sides. The replacement core was a “ToughOne or Ready-Aire” Part No. 399007 replacement core from Advance Auto for $41.79 - $6.27 discount + $3.53 tax + $10.99 postage = $53.91. I also ordered three heater box clips Mfr. #: C0DF-19A779-A from Summit Racing for $2.25 each plus $4.95 postage. I am happy with how easy it is to find replacement parts for this 52 year old car.

I cleaned the heater box inside and out with 409 spray cleaner and then wiped it with a wet sponge. I need to paint the inside metal parts with rust neutralizer and primer, replace the old dried gaskets that hold the core in place with weather stripping, and replace the hollow blower motor nuts and old heater hoses.

[SmithKid]

While on the subject of heater core replacement, it might be a good time for a reminder to check for electrolysis in our cars as this hasn't been brought up for a while. Especially if we have any aluminum components in our cooling systems (I do). Here is a typical link for the test procedure and some cures:
http://www.aa1car.com/library/coolin..._corrosion.htm

[Luva65wagon]

Dennis, Great write-up on the heater. The kit you buy with gaskets will supply all the correct foam sheets, so you may yet consider removing the shag carpet.

Those nuts are called speed nuts - though if you Google speed nuts you see J-nuts and all kinds of other nuts. A good hardware store should carry them and you can pack then with strip caulk to imitate the rubber seal. Or use 1/4-20 nuts. I'd probably use NyLocks and washers, wrapping a bit of strip caulk around the stud before tightening it to seal it.

[ew1usnr]

The kit you buy with gaskets will supply all the correct foam sheets, so you may yet consider removing the shag carpet.

Those nuts are called speed nuts - though if you Google speed nuts you see J-nuts and all kinds of other nuts. A good hardware store should carry them and you can pack then with strip caulk to imitate the rubber seal. Or use 1/4-20 nuts. I'd probably use NyLocks and washers, wrapping a bit of strip caulk around the stud before tightening it to seal it.

Hello, Roger.

I decided that I liked the carpet and will leave it in place. It is part of the history of the car. It works, and a previous owner spent a lot of time cutting it to fit and gluing it in place. He was probably proud of himself for what he had done. I vacuumed the carpet with a vacuum cleaner attachment to get the dust out of the carpet.

On Monday I bought eight feet of Part No. 1726 Thermoid 5/8” Heater Hose dated 09/30/14 for $11.12 at Advance Auto Parts See: http://www.hbdthermoid.com/images/au...ack_heater.pdf “A replacement for hose on most cars and light trucks. This standard grade hose is similar to SAE20R3 for normal duty service. Withstands the abuse of corrosive solutions and additives. Resists weathering to provide a long, trouble-free service life. Application: Heater, Style: Black, Grade: Black Standard, Specification: TH-STD-HH, Branding: Thermoid (Size) Heater Hose, Made In USA, Cover Color: Black, Tube: EPDM, Reinforcement: Two Spiral Polyester, Cover: EPDM, Temperature Resistance: -40°F to +212°F (Not for Steam Use).”

I also bought four general purpose #12 Autocraft Made in China ½” – 1 ¼” hose clamps for 2 x $2.49. “These versatile corrosion resistant clamps are comprised of high quality stainless steel and are designed to install easily.”
Question: The heater had its two original tower clamps in place when I took it apart.
1-DCP_0240.jpg

Would you guys replace them with the new stainless steel hose clamps, or put the original tower clamps back in? They did not seem to be leaking, and they have been there for 52 years so it is a shame to remove them because they are part of the history of the car. But, ... it will pain in the backside if I have to go back in and replace them if they leak.

Yesterday, I carried the forward half of the heater box into Lowes to find nuts to fit the mounting studs. A ¼” - 20 nut seemed to fit, but the threads on all four of the studs are damaged and will not accept a conventional nut. The self-cutting speed nuts may have been installed because of the damaged stud threads, or the stud threads may have been damaged by the installation of the self-cutting speed nuts. These emblem nuts look like what was screwed onto to the blower motor mounting studs:
Emblem Nuts.jpg


I was not sure what replacement nuts I would need so I bought a pack of four new ¼” speed nuts, four ¼” rubber washers, four flat washers, four nuts, four nylon lock nuts, and two small disposable paint brushes for when I paint the blower motor and vent door with semi-gloss black paint.

This afternoon, I bought a 40 piece carbon steel SAE tap and die set, Item #61410, at Harbor Freight Tools for the sale price of $15.99 (down from $34.99) + $1.12 tax = $17.11 and re-cut the stud threads. The studs cleaned up nicely and the nuts thread on easily now.

Cutting the threads.jpg


I used ½" thick x ¾" wide self-adhesive door & window PVC foam weather stripping ($3 from Lowes) to replace the original old and hard rubber gasket. PVC is a thermoplastic with a relatively low melting point, about 212°, but I doubt that my heater core would ever get that hot. I have a 180 degree thermostat and my radiator temperature runs about 160 - 180 degrees.

4-DCP_0235.jpg

I glued the weather stripping in place with rubber and felt adhesive and rubbed its outer surface with silicone grease so that it will not stick to the heater core.
Two halves.jpg

Close up.jpg

I received the replacement heater box clips from Summit Racing today. I can put this all back together this weekend if I receive the new heater core from Advance Auto before Saturday.

[Luva65wagon]

Dennis - I like tower clamps from a tightening perspective, but not as much from a loosening perspective. But have them on my car. Just last week suggested using them to Gene's son when we were putting his heater hoses on.

You can get them new if you want to maintain some originality. But in this case I think if they're good, there's no reason not to reuse them. Though they are not the prettiest, I can't see from the pic any reason to think they won't survive another x-number of years.

The rest looks real good.

[dhbfaster]

All this heater talk made me hot to go ahead and finally open mine up. What did I find?? More leaves and pine needles! Otherwise...not too bad. I think I'll clean up and paint the metal parts so they hopefully last another 50. The heater core looked pretty good on the outside and has the ford logo on it. On the inside it had some pretty big chunks of crud looking in the tubes and it seemed really heavy (loaded with junk?) so I decided to replace it. It's 2.5 inches thick. However when I go to the websites out there they seem to indicate that 2" thick is the perfect fit, and, Dennis it says that your 2.5 version will not fit my 61...so I never would have found the 2.5" version unless you posted the part number for me! So, ordered it...hopefully I'm not missing something! Fortunately...we don't have those stores here so...no tax, and 15% discount.

[ew1usnr]

The heater core was delivered today, but one of the hose nipples had been soldered in place at an angle that prevents it from passing through its hole in the heater box.

2-DCP_0243-001.jpg

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I called Advance Auto. They said to take the part to an Advance Auto store for a refund. Then they took my credit card number and ordered another of the part number 399007 heater cores for me. They said that there would not be a charge for shipping for the re-order and gave me an additional discount that made the total $39.37.

Oh, well. Stuff happens.