Heater Core Replacement, 90' XJ

I started smelling the dreaded antifreeze smell going down the road this am. I found a drip or 2 at the firewall inside the pass. compartment, pass side. The carpet is not wet. I'm hoping that it is the hose clamp on the lower heater hose as I found some drips out there as well.

If I have to R&R the heater core on the 90 how much trouble will it be?

This is the original heater core!

I have done many heater cores but never on a XJ.

Dash has to come out. Depending on your skills it could take a couple of hours or a couple of days.

They are really not that bad just time consuming. And you do not have to take the dash out. I did a write up when I did my 89 a couple months ago.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=931690

magimerlin said:

They are really not that bad just time consuming. And you do not have to take the dash out. I did a write up when I did my 89 a couple months ago.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=931690

Click to expand...

Nice write up! OK I might be lucky because where mine is leaking is just inside the firewall at the hose connections and not in the center of the dash. I'm hopeing that it was just the hose connection was loose on the lower hose. I replaced all of the hoses when I dropped the new engine in a year and a half ago and the clamps were loose when I checked them a few min. ago. I'm going to put something down to catch anything that may leak now just to see if it still is.

Thanks for your help!

Pardon me, the dash has to be 'moved'.

While you have it you may want to think about replacing the foam gasket.

damn. i've pulled the AC/Heat box twice now...pulling the dash completely both times...
first time to clean out the AC evaporator, second time to replace heater core...

wish i'd known this was possible, hahahaha.


keep in mind tho...the guy that did that writeup didn't have AC...
the AC lines come out right next to the heater-core lines, and the half the HVAC box that you take out is what the AC evaporator is in....so you'll have to deal with that appropriately....
i just went to a shop and had them evac the system...i just made sure that they refunded the gas....so they just put back in the exact amount they pulled out *shrugs*
i don't remember what it cost cause i had them do some other small things at the same time cause i was too lazy to do it myself (rotate/balance, etc...stuff they couldn't fk up)

Actuall I am the writer of the write up and I did have a/c. I removed my A/C crap at the same time I did this. Look at the third pic down in my write up and you will see where my a/c lines where befor the removal. The eight pic its not there anymore. A/C gives me a headache and it wasn't chareged so everything was removed. Well except for the compressor, when I get around to it it will be my on board air.

okkkay, i stand corrected, haha.

i remember seeing the AC controls on the first picture, so as i was writing that previous post, i figured i'd get corrected like this, haha.

but still, in that picture you've got the lines cut off...so for all intents and purposes, you don't have ac...whereas i figure xjtrailrider might still have ac?
and probably will have to deal with the charged lines....

I've got AC and it works great, just charged it up with some R-12 2 years ago. I think my issue is the lower hose connection and it is running into the pass compartment. Nothing is leaking in the center console area and the floor/carpet is not wet, just a drop or 2 on the carpet just below where the hose bibs are on the heater core at the firewall.