How hard is it to change the heater core in these trucks? Mine Has been leaking on the passenger floorboard. Is it something I could tackle on a weekend or is it better left to a shop?

 

You can do it, just takes some time. I didn't take the entire dash off but you can. I just took the 5 or six screws out on top of the dash, drop the steering column, and the two bolts on either side of the dash in the kick panel. Then rotate the dash back as much as possible. Then we disconnected the heater hose and cut the tubing in the truck with a saws-all and unbolted the core and pulled it out. If you get a replacement from Napa they have swivel hoses on the core which make it hell of a lot easier to put back in. It will be frustrating to get the new one it but it can be done. So far I have done a 95 cummins and my 02 cummins.

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Here is a video on it, not sure how much help it will be my internet connection is to slow to watch it.

 

it can be done in a day. i had to put one in my 02 i only took enough of the dash lose to pull the a/c box out and got my replacement from oreilys had it had the swivel tubing on it

 

I also did mine in a day. I didn't replace it, but I had it out. My evaporator was plugged solid, and I had no air flow. It's leaking a little now, just enough I get a wiff of coolant when I switch to heat.

 

I got one that has the swivel hoses on it, now it's just trying to decide when I'm going to do it in this South Carolina heat. Thanks for all the help and tips

 

only cost me about $360 at the local shop. I bought the core at Carquest for $60

 

I used that same video, step by step, worked perfect!

 

What did you end up doing? I just did mine a few months ago, wasn't terrible, and wasn't something I'd like to do again! Well, luck has it seems the new factory one is leaking, here we go again.