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Evaporator core, pulling dash?s

4x4JeePmaNthINg

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado
I've been reading the service manual asks to remove way to much, and this job can be done by pulling the dash away enough to get the hvac box out. True?

Also I read a flexhead 11mm wrench is helpful though I can't find one anywhere. Can I work around this with sockets/ swivel heads?

Other than time is there anything special I'll need that I'm missing? The ac is already discharged.


Thank you for your insight
 
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Dash is out but I'm stuck on what's holding the box in, I need someone that knows haha, I would be done by now if I could just get the box out

Nm got it finally
 
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Well the lines are on. After fighting and pushing the hell out of them, they needed a lil love tap, and they clicked into place. Saaaweeet!
Time to recharge the AC, just rented a pump and gauges so this should be fun. I've never worked on the ac before.
 
i did add some oil to the O rings. Im surprised it was that difficult to get back on.
I rented the proper gear and re charged the system.

this really isnt that big of a job as many make it seem to be, granted its time consuming, but rather easy and kinda neat to learn whats all under the dash. I would suggest Anyone that can change their oil to go for doing this yourself.
 
i did add some oil to the O rings. Im surprised it was that difficult to get back on.
I rented the proper gear and re charged the system.

this really isnt that big of a job as many make it seem to be, granted its time consuming, but rather easy and kinda neat to learn whats all under the dash. I would suggest Anyone that can change their oil to go for doing this yourself.

TIME is the biggest issue with this job. Took me about 14 hours over two days on the one I did a few years back. If the heater core or evaporator go in my current 99, I doubt I'll be doing it again. Well, I say that but as long as I could find a ride to work, I'd probably tear it apart and go for it again :)

To anyone who does this... DO replace BOTH the heater core and evaporator while you are in there! Would be a real shame to go through all that to replace one or the other then have the other one fail! IIRC both parts are not that expensive either, so it just makes sense.
 
It only took me about 4 hours to do mine, but I've parted out enough XJs to know exactly which wrenches I needed for what. I'm not sure if you were reading something I wrote about that 11mm flex head, but that is in fact one of the recommended tools I generally list.

Did you replace the foam gaskets at the top of the HEVAC box and front where it seals to the firewall and plenum? If you didn't, good chance you will be enjoying a footwell full of rainwater every time you park nose-up in a rainstorm in the future, just warning you. Guess how I found out...

Normally if you discharge your AC system nicely, you don't need to add any oil except whatever was sitting in the evap core when you replaced it, and what was sitting in the receiver/dryer/accumulator, which is supposed to be replaced anytime you open the AC system. You can find estimates of how much oil to add for each of these parts online somewhere or other. Glad you are using a vacuum pump, a lot of people don't and it's not the right way to do AC work.

Other than that I have nothing of value to add that hasn't already been mentioned.
 
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