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16:33:25 - 04/16/2024
V6 Dakotas
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Jeff Da Idiot
Dodge Dakota
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11/29/2010
18:07:45
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 Subject: RE: Heater Core Replacement
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Message:
I'm not sure if it will be under pressure, but if Ur AC did work,
u would have to go to a shop to get it discharged and save it.
But yeah I didn't go to a shop, I just went ahead and
disconnected the lines and they exploded out green stuff. And
yes it went almost everywhere. The bolts are all inside the
hood, you will see some bolts and nuts sticking out of the
firewall. Good luck.
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Caleb
Dodge Dakota
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12/08/2010
15:34:33
| RE: Heater Core Replacement
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Message:
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE ac accumulator!!! You do have to disassemble the entire dash to get to your airbox though, this means removing the radio, heater control box, dash cover, dash (after disconnecting all the wiring harness and getting the harness detached from the metal dash frame). Drop the steering column before trying to remove the dash frame, or your going to wind up needing a new windshield (a lesson I learned the hard way). After you finally get to the airbox that is as large as the dash, pop the hood and there are four nuts on the firewall holding the airbox in place, remove the nuts and 2 heater hoses running into the firewall for the heater core (pinch the lines with vise grips to keep from losing coolant). Remove the airbox, and then unscrew the top and lift the heater core out. 4-6 hour job if you have all the proper tools and decent knowledge around an engine and dash.
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eddie
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2011
00:12:47
| RE: Heater Core Replacement
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Message:
I am replacing the heater core on my 2000 dakota. I am to the point where it is time to remove the air box but I can't figure out how to get it loose and out. I removed 2 nuts on the engine side of the fire wall and the 2 nuts on the a/c mount. Any tips would be welcome.
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Streetwalker
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2011
18:30:30
|  RE: Heater Core Replacement
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Message:
Getting Frustrated. Rip it out!
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Central Calif
Dodge Dakota
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11/21/2011
11:41:23
| RE: Heater Core Replacement
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Message:
Read about Dakota heater core replacement a month or so ago on this post after being without heat/defrost for a year. Just could not afford $1500 for shop repair. When I saw the post about reverse flushing the core, I wondered if it could be that simple. It was. It took less than 30 mins. I was absolutely stunned when the heater started blasting warm air again. Sometimes the simplest route is a straight line. My thanks and gratitude to the individual who posted that solution. By the way, I have a 1998 Dakota with 3.9, 2-wheel drive, king cab, 150,000 miles and still going strong.
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JET
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/23/2011
14:38:30
| RE: Heater Core Replacement
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Message:
This forum and thread really help me with my recent heater core change. I was able to change it without removing the AC evap core. This makes the process way more challenging because the box is still attached, the lid is still lodged, and there are two screws that are really difficult to access. Both are on the left of the air intake: one immediately after the air intake lip and the other at the back edge of the hump for the AC evap. It's possible, both are 8mm but the space is tight so you have to use your finger tips and there’s almost no space to turn the wrench. I tried 4 different wrench styles and the only one that worked was the ratchet wrench.
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Not removing the box also makes clean the box way more difficult. I ended up using the air compressor and shop vac. The AC eva core was soaked with water (from sweating, I presume) and had many pine needles in it.
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When working through the removal pay attention to the colorful vacuum lines (red, yellow, blue, green) they’re for the vent doors; you don't want to put a hole in them. Also, at the firewall at the heater core inlet/outlets there's a small black tube, this is the vacuum source line take care to not damage it. I unknowingly disconnect and then spent an hour once I had everything back together trying to find the vacuum leak that prevented the vent doors from working (incidentally, having this disconnected affects the brakes too).
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One more warning, pay extra attention to the cable attached to the hot/cold control. The cable has enough tension in it to break the part of the retainer at the switch.
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Also, I had a question (never asked though) as to the weight of the dash and whether or not one guy could move it. It's heavy, but not necessarily a two man lift.
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For me, re-installing the parking brake bracket proved challenging because the top took forever, even with the wire harnesses secured out of the way. The problem is the type of nuts, I don’t know what they’re called, but the starter portion of their thread is way bigger than the intended thread and subsequently provided the challenge
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Regarding the aluminum replacement core, it definitely is bigger and the OEM plastic tabs do have to be removed. But, the good news, all that is needed to secure the new core in the box is the provided strips of foam; everything fits nice and snug. (I did put a few extra chunks of foam at the top near the inlet/outlet tubes but this was probably not necessary.)
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The only other modification I made was to the box inlet. The OEM foam was nearly disintegrated--gooey and spongy—but from all I’ve been able to determine it was never a tight fit. Since I had to replace this foam anyway, I wedge too pieces of foam to form a tight fit and then wrapped aluminum tape around it. This should increase the velocity of the incoming air, so far this doesn’t seem to be a bad thing.
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The piece that broke during my adventure was the shift indicator retainer bracket (that white piece of plastic through with the cable eyelet and the adjustment wheel slide). It fell off and out of the truck sometime during the dash removal, landed on the ground under the tire. I spent over an hour looking for this piece, went through the entire cab, under the seats, lifted the edges of the carpet, searched (seemingly) everywhere under the truck, but couldn't find it. I gave up then when backing out of the garage I heard the "crunch" as I rolled over it. Dodge no longer makes the piece, so I have to find one from a wrecking yard.
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