MOUSE IN THE HOUSE

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

TIP: On my 1968 Fury (I think the manual sez) you can drop the steering column, undo the left & right lower bolts behind the kick panels and a few other bracket bolts and pull the whole dash assembly back to give you more room to access the heater/AC box. Just be careful and notice of any wiring connectors that may get dislodged. A correctly installed wiring harness will have enough slack so this is not much of a concern. Something that is 50 years old that may have been 'Mickey'd' maybe of a concern YMMV.


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[DDR2467]

Well this morning I finally had an opportunity to really get at my heater core housing removal. I had to slit the coolant hoses about 3/4” to remove them from the heater core nipples that protrude into the engine compartment in order to remove them from the core (will probably replace both after issue is resolved). The next thing I did was to remove the glove box liner which was just a matter if 4 sheet metal screws and gently dropping it down towards the passenger footwell. This exposed the topside of the passenger side heater core housing. This exposed the heads of the studs that go through the inner housing, through the firewall, and through the outer heater core housing. It is true that if the nuts in the engine compartment will not break free from the studs that the studs will do nothing but turn when trying to loosen the nuts from them. That being said I committed to replacing the headless studs with hex head bolts (and nuts) when I go to reinstall the housings so the next step was to dremel the nuts/studs off from inside the engine compartment. After that (and following some detailed instructions from my newly purchased FSM) I was able to release the inner housing from the firewall. Low and behold there was signs of “mouse in the house” everywhere! So now I’d like to know where everyone is getting their replacement heater cores from and what are you all using as gasket material between the housing and the firewall moving forward? Thanks again everyone! Will continue updating as I have more info!

 

[1970FuryConv]

That heater core looks OK. I've forgotten: is it leaking?
The simplest thing is to have it recored at your local radiator shop, These are hard to find NOS or new.

This is an AC set up, so may not be compatible, but it's an example of a seller who may have what you want in gaskets
Mopar C Body 69-73 AC Heater Box Resto Rebuild Kit Set Fury Polara Newport DMT | eBay

 

[DDR2467]

That heater core looks OK. I've forgotten: is it leaking?
The simplest thing is to have it recored at your local radiator shop, These are hard to find NOS or new.

This is an AC set up, so may not be compatible, but it's an example of a seller who may have what you want in gaskets
Mopar C Body 69-73 AC Heater Box Resto Rebuild Kit Set Fury Polara Newport DMT | eBay
View attachment 560416

Thanks so much! Like you said, I don’t think those gaskets will work with my setup but I’ll inquire to see if they have what I need. Wondering what I could use if gasket kits are not available. The core is not leaking and it really does look good… with things like this I figured better to replace it when it’s out… but even if I found something, would it be as good as what I have? Kind of a crap shoot I guess. Again, thanks!

 

[1970FuryConv]

Thanks so much! Like you said, I don’t think those gaskets will work with my setup but I’ll inquire to see if they have what I need. Wondering what I could use if gasket kits are not available. The core is not leaking and it really does look good… with things like this I figured better to replace it when it’s out… but even if I found something, would it be as good as what I have? Kind of a crap shoot I guess. Again, thanks!

You're welcome!
Quality: factory is generally better than aftermarket, my opinion
You maybe able to use your vacuum pump or one you borrow from a store to leak test your heater core. Put a plug on one pipe and the vacuum pump on the other with an adapter. Someone else may have a better test procedure. Again, your local radiator shop may be willing to help. Allen Radiator in Richmond used to internally seal radiators for $30. They're closed, but a procedure like that would be a deal.
Just a follow up suggestion to possibly save $