AC/Heater core replacement Ugh!

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71XR7VERT

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
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Location
USA
My Car
71 cougar
Hello All,

Good forum with helpful people and info, happy to have found it.

I'm pulling the dash on my 71 Cougar, and have made up some new curse words.

Its all loose but hung up on something close to the steering column, which is hanging loose, so took a break.

Have to replace the evaporator because its leaking like a sieve. Going to replace the heater core and gaskets while Im in there, if I get in there haha.

Feel free to chime in on what this could be hanging up on.

Thanks

 
Hello All,

Good forum with helpful people and info, happy to have found it.

I'm pulling the dash on my 71 Cougar, and have made up some new curse words.

Its all loose but hung up on something close to the steering column, which is hanging loose, so took a break.

Have to replace the evaporator because its leaking like a sieve. Going to replace the heater core and gaskets while Im in there, if I get in there haha.

Feel free to chime in on what this could be hanging up on.

Thanks
Hey man not that bad if you take the dash out of the car. The dash is just like 7 or 8 bolts, unplug all the wires and take it out. Best to drop the steering column first.

I just put mine back in tonight. I took it out because the PO had hacked up the wiring harness that took nearly a year to find a good one. I cannot find my pictures of the vacuum hoses to the air and heater going to look in Ford manuals tomorrow hope they show everything.

If you go to the West Coast Cougar web site they have a great video on rebuilding the heater/air box. You need to watch before starting. It is not bad and after you do it you will think nothing about it the next car.

I took the car down to the bare firewall cowl so I could replace the insulation and get the wiring done right. I am not good on the wiring so going to let the smoke out tomorrow and see how it goes.

Let me know of any questions. Take plenty of pictures coming apart and keep them where you can find them. The foam kits for the rebuilds suck and you will have to make some of your own but a start.

A little tip. Get some 1/4" mesh wire and put it between the cowl and the heater box to stop mice, chipmunks and such from getting in. I also put it under the plastic vents in the cowl. Keeps the critters out. I bet you find all kinds of crap in the box. I also put POR 15 around the hat on the cowl while the heater box was out just cut the handle off a brush and did the best I could through the cowl opening. Need to stop #1 enemy rust when you can. I also took the cowl vent off and painted inside there and sprayed undercoat in.

Let me know if you have any issues.

David

David

 
Thanks Carolina and jbojo, appreciate the help.

Yup I've seen WCCC's vid on this and the convert top and this one is detailed about the heater/ac box but not helping me with the dash hang up.

I cant see what its hanging on even with a mirror, and couldn't feel anything back behind either so will just have to keep trying.

I did get the aluminum core and the new end pads, against his advice. My old core isn't leaking but there is NO way on earth I'm ever going to do this job again so in a new one goes, and after 45 years old pads are out.

I need that vacuum check valve he mentions in the vid but their site says out of stock.

Anyone know of another place that has these ?

 
Hello All,

Good forum with helpful people and info, happy to have found it.

I'm pulling the dash on my 71 Cougar, and have made up some new curse words.

Its all loose but hung up on something close to the steering column, which is hanging loose, so took a break.

Have to replace the evaporator because its leaking like a sieve. Going to replace the heater core and gaskets while Im in there, if I get in there haha.

Feel free to chime in on what this could be hanging up on.

Thanks
I've done it a couple of times and I've found that removing the passengers seat helps and the console and glove box too. Oh shit I just reread your post I thought you were just changing the heater core not removing the entire dash. Good luck with that I've never been there. Yet!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
On the mustangs there is a sheet metal screw 3/8 hex head -

It goes thru the dash [ right above the column ] into the brake pedal support

Cougar should have something the same or similar in that area

 
Up front, I am not restoring this car just doing a deep detail and it will be a driver. Not going to get hung up in the points car show world. I have done all this work by myself just the pup in the pictures is my helper.

Some words of caution and I will also post some pictures of my dash out of the car. When you get the new heater core or air conditioner parts DO NOT ASSUME THEY ARE GOOD. I personally have had two bad heater cores out of the box. One just last year for my 73 vert. You can put a couple short sections of hose on and apply about 15 lbs. of air pressure to the cores and put in a bucket of water. It is really bad if you get it all back together and it leaks. Do the evaporator also.

You can do the condenser I use a wheel barrow to get something large enough to submerge it. A little kiddie swimming pool will also work.

For testing the vacuum motors you can get one of the cheap brake bleeders at the Harbor Freight and check them to see if they function or leak down. I was just doing that last night on mine. I didn't have the Ford manual there to hook up all the vacuum lines but will today.

Like Don says there is a bolt just above the steering column. I also took the column out to replace the rag joint and go through the tilt. After you get the dash pad off there is a bolt on each side on the top, four bolts, two on each side on the bottom the wire form just beside the glove box that braces to the cowl. There is a plug just over the air conditioner and of course the main harness at the fuse box that connects the under hood harness. The control cable and vacuum hoses hook to the heater controls so be sure and not damage them. Take lots of pictures I could not find mine lost on a memory card somewhere. Had to put it all back together from memory.

The pictures are a 73 vert with gages, tach, automatic, with air and AM/FM, courtesy lights and convenience group. I have the entire interior out so enough room to lay down. If you take the entire dash out I think it is easier than trying to do with it in.You can also do a good cleaning on the air ducts, vents and everything. I glass bead blasted the brake pedal, gas pedal and emergency brake. I also did the phosphate coating on the ebrake and gas pedal and painted the brake pedal like original. I put clear satin paint on the brake pedal bracket and dash braces to prevent rust. I use some stick on foam with foil back to insulate and sound proof the cowl. If the 3 cage nuts for the steering column brace inside the cowl break loose you will have to face weld something back in place. It is in a fully boxed area that you cannot reach.

Like I said before put the mesh wire over the inlet to the heater box at the cowl and no mice or squirrels will get in. I think I put picture in.

You put all the brackets back in and the heater / air box then the dash all in one piece. So much easier than laying in the car trying to do it. In the factory they put the whole dash in in less than 2 minutes. It is just screws and bolts but the wiring is a mystery to me. I just cannot read the diagrams that are printed on multiple pages and trace anything. I am going to finish hooking up everything in the wiring under hood and in dash and test today before I tighten the bolts in the dash.

This is also my first time to rebuild a dash, heater/air conditioner. Just bought all the gauges and vacuum pump to do the air for less than they wanted to just vac the system at air cond. shop. Going back with something called Duracool to give it a try. Used in Canada a lot and available by order here. Says it is much more efficient than any other refrigerant. Will do a post on that when done.

This car sat for about 25 years and still had it's original heater core in place. The undercoat was still on the bolts that hold the heater box in through the firewall. Will know soon if it all works, need some luck for sure with my memory, lol. As our electrician at work use to say going to let the smoke out of the system today. Got some extra fuses I am sure I will need them.

I am accused of over simplifying things but cars are nothing but pieces put together and anyone should be able to work on them except for maybe the electrical, lol.

Keep us posted,

David

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On the mustangs there is a sheet metal screw 3/8 hex head -

It goes thru the dash [ right above the column ] into the brake pedal support

Cougar should have something the same or similar in that area

Thanks, that's what it was! that bolt was above the steering column.

Replaced the heater core and evap coil, pics to follow.

 
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