Any "how-to's" on replacing heater core or radiator

[Txakura]

R-12 means it's old, pre-97. 97-up are a different animal so your experience doesn't apply here.

Is there a better forum for the old stuff? (new to this board) researching my heater core change, very frustrated by the spinning firewall studs

(1990 Cherokee Sport)

 

[JJacobs]

No, all xj's are covered here, but since they were made for so long there are a lot of variations.

Are the studs long enough you can grab the end with a pair of pliers, or even double-nut the end and use a wrench to prevent them from spinning?

 

[maalox]

Before just jumping headfirst into a heater core replacement, are you sure it is leaking ?

Agreed. I have had intermittent problems with the lower heater hose leaking and spraying coolant on passenger's side floor. Adjusting the hose and tightening the clamp usually works, but check to be sure that the actual pipe attached to the heater core is still round. I found that the PO had at some point managed to crush the pipe into an oval shape, causing the hose to not seal properly, and consequently leak. :doh:

 

[Txakura]

No, all xj's are covered here, but since they were made for so long there are a lot of variations.

Are the studs long enough you can grab the end with a pair of pliers, or even double-nut the end and use a wrench to prevent them from spinning?

Yes, I bought a small pair of needle nose vise grips to hold the ends while I get the nuts off. Just had to get over being PO'ed by the whole project and suck it up. I did not remove my coolant recovery tank, tank shelf, or evaporative canister which also made it harder.

 

[Txakura]

After finally getting the HVAC airbox out, I propose that it would be easier to double nut the studs and spin them out of the box. In that way it wouldn't require as much room to pull free and drop from under the dash.

To re-install the whole mess, put the studs back into the box for alignment and fight the re-install as per normal.

The only reason I bring it up is that two of three of mine spun. I was able to visegrip the studs and open wrench the nuts off, but once I had the whole assembly out I realized it didn't make any difference if they stayed in, or spun out of the plastic case during disassembly.

just a thought