I'm looking at a late 70's bobcat, but it needs a heater core replacement. I am very mechanically inclined but I've only done heater cores in Mavericks and Blazers. This car DOES have A/C, it does not work, and hasn't in years. It's winter here, and cold, I want this car as a driver so it needs heat if I buy it. Everyone I found via search says it's a pain, but how bad is it really? Does the entire dash have to be removed or what? Thanks in advance.
Quote from: clsecmbt on December 14, 2007, 03:13:22 AM
I'm looking at a late 70's bobcat, but it needs a heater core replacement. I am very mechanically inclined but I've only done heater cores in Mavericks and Blazers. This car DOES have A/C, it does not work, and hasn't in years. It's winter here, and cold, I want this car as a driver so it needs heat if I buy it. Everyone I found via search says it's a pain, but how bad is it really? Does the entire dash have to be removed or what? Thanks in advance.
The first thing: Is the car a '79/'80?
You have a few options.
If you don't want to have A/C you can smash, break, and rip apart the box and install a non-A/C one. You won't have to remove the dash to install the regular heater box.
BTW: I don't reccamend this, but if you do it please let me know before you do it, I will trade all the broken parts for a good non-A/C heater box.
You can TRY to do the job leaving the dash in. This is a big pain (ask me how I know), and requires LOTS of CAREFULL time to get everything out (no guaranties you won't damage parts doing it). There are parts that are VERY prone to brakeage. I have removed one without taking the dash out, BUT I have never installed one WITH the A/C Parts still in it; I only installed it as a 'heater' box in my turbo car (still not fun).
Your BEST BET if you want to keep the A/C system in the car (maybe to have it work at some point) is to remove the dash. That being said, if your car is a 79-80, this is fairly easy; remove the trim rubber and you can get at the mount screws very easily. If the car is a PRE'79, you SHOULD remove the windshield FIRST. The windshield gasket covers the screws and is not easily moved without risk of damaging it, the dash or the glass. New gaskets are available on-line. I would suggest getting the gasket first. When you remove the glass, you should not try to 'rope' it back out. Cut the gasket on the ouside and lift the glass out.
Bill
The car is a '78.
i have done this in a 77 bobcat with out any trouble other than at the time i felt dumb that it took about 10+ hours i did not remove the dash but did take the glove box, center console and stereo out. all the air ducted did not make it back in. my bro. totaled it a week later.
if u have the time, go for it! just TAKE YOUR TIME. thats my only advice
Do what I've done many times. Remove the small gasket from the rad cap and your leak will go away. This will not work in the summer, but by then you can bypass the heater and install a new rad cap. I've had cars that went for years like this. Beats changing that core anytime.
Quote from: apintonut on December 17, 2007, 11:11:39 PM
i have done this in a 77 bobcat with out any trouble other than at the time i felt dumb that it took about 10+ hours i did not remove the dash but did take the glove box, center console and stereo out. all the air ducted did not make it back in. my bro. totaled it a week later.
if u have the time, go for it! just TAKE YOUR TIME. thats my only advice
Why did you leave the ducts out?
Both the removal and install required me to not only remove the items you mentioned, which are the ones that need to come out to do the NON-A/C box, but also: the shifter, glove box door + hinge, kick panels, radio, gauge cluster, dash speaker, front seats, door sill plates, console, console/dash support brace, ash tray, ash tray frame, dash vents, carpet (rolled back), all under carpet padding and sound mats on the tunnel and right front floor to the firewall, and I needed to loosen the bottom of the dash. Also, don't expect to have the box as one assembly when it comes out, it needs to have parts removed before it will slide out under the dash. Keep in mind that when I installed the one in my tan car it had no evap. and I removed the drain flange from the box.
BTW: I did remove another one from a car, but I removed the windshield and dash first as I was gutting the car; it was still a pain, just different.
Bill
the ducted to the dash fell out they were already fulling out when i started. i had intended to put them back in it was like 7 years ago when i did it but im sure it had a/c and that i was able to take it all apart in the car left the back of the box in. just lose in the car. i know i had the dash about 50% striped. and the windshield in and the front seat the car. like i said it was 7+ year ago. but if he is getting a good deal on the car and has the time to spend on it its worth the work to fix it.
Quote from: apintonut on December 18, 2007, 07:12:33 PM
...i was able to take it all apart in the car left the back of the box in...
The NON-A/C box splits front to back, the A/C box has a top and a bottom. If you left the 'BACK' part in the car (the one closer to the firewall), that car DID NOT have A/C.
Bill
I removed my heater/AC box today and it wasn`t as bad as I thought it would be..
The car is a 75 pinto wagon.
I did have to take just about the whole dash apart and remove 1 dash bolt but I didn`t have to remove the dash
The trick it to take the box apart while it under the dash and then remove it.. It takes time but I didn`t want to remove the windshield & dash so it was worth the time.
I think it would go back in the same way..
This thing is HEAVY! I`m going to make my own box to keep the AC(Florida heat) maybe the heater.. I might try an elec. heater for the colder days..
Quote from: wedge446 on December 19, 2007, 07:25:50 PM
...The trick it to take the box apart while it under the dash and then remove it...
Just to clarify, the main 'box' can not be taken apart under the dash, but the assembiles on the ends do need to be removed.
http://www.fordpinto.com/smf/index.php/topic,3513.msg20784.html#msg20784
Why not put that box back in? (that's the FUN part)
BTW: Did you take out the carpet?
Bill
Quote from: 77turbopinto on December 18, 2007, 08:55:37 PM
The NON-A/C box splits front to back, the A/C box has a top and a bottom. If you left the 'BACK' part in the car (the one closer to the firewall), that car DID NOT have A/C.
Bill
Is it possible that his car had dealer AC instead of factory AC? Dealer AC might have about the same box as the heat only cars..
Its factory AC.. And your right about the main box. I took the ends & vents off, pulled the dash out abit and it came right..
The carpet was the 1st thing I removed when I bought the car... I remove them no matter what they look like, all that I`ve removed from older cars were wet.. Thats why floor pans rust....
If the box wasn`t so heavy I would put it back in, I`m trying to make the car as lite as possable but still have a few comforts(AC).
I `m also thinking of leaving the dash pad off, it looks real bad and may save me a pound or two :-)
Quote from: wedge446 on December 19, 2007, 08:23:28 PM
Its factory AC.. And your right about the main box. I took the ends & vents off, pulled the dash out abit and it came right..
The carpet was the 1st thing I removed when I bought the car... I remove them no matter what they look like, all that I`ve removed from older cars were wet.. Thats why floor pans rust....
If the box wasn`t so heavy I would put it back in, I`m trying to make the car as lite as possable but still have a few comforts(AC).
I `m also thinking of leaving the dash pad off, it looks real bad and may save me a pound or two :-)
there was a pinto wagon running around portland with almost no dash just a 4" aluminum box a a home made column support u may try that. it looked very different.
I want to keep the stock dash in there.. Kinda have the stoke look if someone looks inside(cops)
I was thinking about taking one of the dash pad caps and some how fid it where I can bolt it down with out using the stock dash pad.. Maybe use spray foam to set some studs in place...
If you are looking to keep both the A/C and a heater, the stock box might be your best option. Yes, it is heavy, but you would only be saving the difference between that box and the substitute; that might not be much for all the work involved. Maybe you can save the pounds elsewhere?
IF you are to delete the heater, MAYBE a stock non-A/C heater box could be fitted for just the (a) evap.? The only bad parts are that the heater box is made of plastic and the blower will be in the engine bay. The good part is the blower motor is fine there for a 302.
I have a non-A/C box and duct work if you need it.
Bill
I just want to keep the AC.. If I need any heat I can install a 12volt heater for the few days we really need one here..
My plan is to make a small box that the evap. will fit into with a blower motor. Then pipe it to the windshield to defog it and a cut out for the cab..
I should save about 10 to 15 Lbs. by doing that..
I`m also going to hole saw the snot out of the dash and install a cap over it. I loose weight anywhere I can..
You guys are scaring me! Wifey's car is a 79 Pinto with AC.
Quote from: Starliner on December 25, 2007, 10:40:54 PM
You guys are scaring me! Wifey's car is a 79 Pinto with AC.
As mentioned above, the 79's and 80's are much easier.
Bill
I've got a 78 Sedan I bought about five years ago for parts (It had been wrecked in 1979, bought back from the insurance company by the owner, then stored in a shed until I bought it. It only has 12,080 miles on it and the motor is NOT locked up, and it still has it's original everything!) It has dealer installed AC on it. Next time I'm at my shed I'll take a look and let you all know about the box. (I obviously haven't stripped it yet).
Yup, the aftermarket AC kit uses the stock heater box and mounts the AC blower right behind the glovebox. The Pinto still has it's fresh air vents in place. The controls are in a wide plate that replaces a piece of dash trim
(they had to cut the hole in the dash).
something i found out, is on the 79 wagon with ac the radiator is HUGE!!! maybe it just this car, but i know what im buying for the turbo 74...
this is a little off the subject at hand, so im going to repost this.
My '79 has factory AC, so my may be in luck.
Still, I'm trying to do my car with both the AC and the turbo.