72 newport Where to find new heater core? How to replace it?

[Jon O.]

I have a 1972 Newport. It has a heater core leak. It is currently bypassed. I will probably drive the car this winter and would like to have this job done ahead of time. I have tried to do research and for the life of me I can not find a heater core for this. I'm not a dimwit, and I could probably figure out how to tear out and replace it if you explained it to me.
The A/C also needs recharged. I know how to recharge it, but i'm not sure if it has a leak. The past owner said that while he had it over the years the A/C slowly blew hotter and eventually was not cold. He never wanted to pay the money for R-12 and didn't want to convert it. Is there any way of figuring out if it has a leak before paying for R-12?

P.S. Is there any way to find the leak and fix the heater core that is already there?

Thank you all for your help.
-Jon

 

[70Tom]

Have you tried here? Products | Obsolete Air Part for Classic, Vintage & HotRod Cars-Trucks AC

Check out the factory service manual for your car. There should be a section in it for heater box removal. It sucks with the dash still in the car, but can be done.

 

[moparnutcase]

The original heater core can probably be repaired by a reputable radiator shop. Our cars are different but I'll share my story.....Heater core on my '77 Cordoba was leaking due to not being used. Searched on Rockauto,Advance Auto, Autozone,Pep Boys, NAPA, and some smaller private stores in my area. NONE in stock, found out the manufacturer had no date (if ever)to produce more. Non-AC cores seem to be available. Found an aftermarket on Ebay....was more than double the price of what it should be in the store. Talked to Bill(aka traintech55)and he talked to the parts guy in his local Mopar dealer. Did a nation wide search through the Mopar dealer network and found 1,yes,1 NOS heater core in Nebraska. Needless to say that is now in my car and I will probably have my original repaired down the road. Good luck!!

 

[Davea Lux]

I have a 1972 Newport. It has a heater core leak. It is currently bypassed. I will probably drive the car this winter and would like to have this job done ahead of time. I have tried to do research and for the life of me I can not find a heater core for this. I'm not a dimwit, and I could probably figure out how to tear out and replace it if you explained it to me.
The A/C also needs recharged. I know how to recharge it, but i'm not sure if it has a leak. The past owner said that while he had it over the years the A/C slowly blew hotter and eventually was not cold. He never wanted to pay the money for R-12 and didn't want to convert it. Is there any way of figuring out if it has a leak before paying for R-12?

P.S. Is there any way to find the leak and fix the heater core that is already there?

Thank you all for your help.
-Jon

The best way to check the A/C system for leaks is to hook a vacuum pump to the system using a service manifold.. Bring it down to at least 15lbs of vacuum. Then close the service valves on the manifold. If the system holds vacuum, there is no major leak. What typically happens on RV2 equipped systems is that the front seal on the compressor leaks a small amount of R-12 over time. The lower the operating pressure of the system, the more it will leak to where it eventually stops working due to low gas pressure and the low limit switch being tripped. If the system has sat for an extended time, usually the front seal on the compressor will have to be replaced and the system will need to be evacuated and recharged with oil. The filter dryer should also be replaced before the system is evacuated. Given today's labor costs, it is not always cost effective to replace the front seal on the compressor unless you are doing the work yourself, you might better served with a rebuilt compressor so that you will have a shop warranty.
The heater cores on these cars are a major pain the butt to change. As the core is already disconnected, it is a certainty that it was leaking. I would suggest pulling the heater A/C box as described in the FSM, figure on an all afternoon job with cut fingers. Be very careful disconnecting the A/C expansion valve as these tend to be seized up and can ruin the evaporator if not removed carefully. Applying some heat will usually free up the expansion valve. Once you have the unit out, disassemble the A/C box and inspect the heater core. Many of these units had a short piece of heater hose inside the box that connected the core to a branch fitting. If you are very lucky, the hose will be all that is leaking. I would love to get my hands on the genius who thought up the idea of putting a heater hose inside of the heater box. Good luck.

Dave

 

[david hill]

Hey Jon have a used heater core / a/c evaporator assemb. Heater core is good, not sure about the evaporator. Can give you a detailed info removal and install. Whatever you do get a a/c heater box restoration kit from Detroit Muscle Technologies. It will have every gasket you will need to due this and save you from many headaches. If interested I will Pm you photos of it.

 

[traintech55]

If you go to a reputable radiator, heater, A/C shop they can test and repair everything at once, which in most cases ends up being less grief than trying to do it yourself. Plus they have the connections to get the parts we don't.
I had the heater core, and evaporator changed out in my 2000 Ram 1500 and seven years later it was still working when I sold the truck.

 

[traintech55]

Talked to Bill(aka traintech55)and he talked to the parts guy in his local Mopar dealer. Did a nation wide search through the Mopar dealer network and found 1,yes,1 NOS heater core in Nebraska.

Now everyone will be calling me to help them find parts.

 

[Jon O.]

Hey Jon have a used heater core / a/c evaporator assemb. Heater core is good, not sure about the evaporator. Can give you a detailed info removal and install. Whatever you do get a a/c heater box restoration kit from Detroit Muscle Technologies. It will have every gasket you will need to due this and save you from many headaches. If interested I will Pm you photos of it.

Yeah I'm interested, but I'm in no hurry. Send me pictures whenever you get a chance. How much is it? Thank you.

 

[CBODY67]

When the heater core on my '66 started leaking (circa 1975), the dealership parts guy got out the price/part number change book and found a superceded part number. When I asked what it fit, he looked in the '70 book and found that it crossed with a '70 Charger w/ac application. He ordered it, it came in, and it worked.

Considering the somewhat lackadaisical hvac performance of our '72 Newport in comparison to the '66 Newport (most probably the much larger interior volume to heat/cool!!), it would not surprise me if the '66 heater core is the same size as the '72 heater core. In that case, look at the dimensions of a '70 Charger part and see if it might work. BUT when I looked in RockAuto, no heater cores listed for the '69-'72 C-body cars. Core size might be the same, but the shape of the pipes might be different? The '66 C-body cross with the '70 B-body car still works, though.

Generally, B-body items are still around, but nobody knows if they'll fit anything else, especially a C-body.

I concur that a good radiator shop can build you a new heater core by putting your existing "ends" on a new piece of "core". Finding the GOOOD radiator shop is the trick! Might check at the local body shops/dealership service depts. to see where they purchase new radiators from or get them repaired. They generally don't like "come-backs" on things that others do for them.

CBODY67

 

[Gerald Morris]

Getting a good radiator shop to fabricate a core is by far the best bet unless you stumble on an NOS miracle. I had a 62 Ford Ranchero that needed one, got a good shop and an excellent core made by them.

 

[david hill]

Yeah I'm interested, but I'm in no hurry. Send me pictures whenever you get a chance. How much is it? Thank you.

Her it is. Heater/evap assemb. Haven't removed it from heater box yet. Price is 75.00 + shipping. Pay w/ cashier check or money order.