1999 Windstar Heater core shot, how do I replace it!

[93troop]

Hello, and thanks ahead of time for any help. I have green mist coming from my vents and a terrible anti freeze smell, it is obviously the heater core. I need someone who has taken one out and put one in. Haynes gives me rough idea of where to start, it said i needed to pull the radio section out, the heat duct work down and unbolt the core, also said to undo the two hoses in the engine bay, i have located those, but will that allow air into my cooling system or is that separate. How many hours am I loooking at here. Thank you. Also any special tooling reqd?? I am changing this in the morning, so any help before then will be super!

[12Ounce]

You have described the task pretty much "dead on". The heat duct that covers the bottom of the heater coil should come down (and go back up) with the heater coil resting in it.
The ac coil is above and to the left of the heater coil ... is not involved in this task.

Make sure you disconnect the coolant hoses... not the refrigerant tubes... under the hood.

Removing the radio is probably the hardest part (if you don't have the special OEM removal tool --go to AutoZone or PepBoys and get one)....draining the coolant the messiest. I'd figure on half of a day.

[93troop]

THanks again, I was super worried the dash would need to come out, the radio is an aftermarket cd player, so I am assuming it won't be a real big deal, So review me one more time.

Drain the fluid,
disconnect the heater hoses to the core,
remove the black trim around the radio then the radio
does heater controls have to come out?????
I am assuming all that does in the radio area???
Then unbolt the one large duct work piece
then loosen the heater core and yank it out??
Are there alot of vacuum lines to be concerned with??

Heater cores scare the crap out of me, i hate changing them, thanks again for any info!

[12Ounce]

I don't remember about the heater controls, but I don't think they require removal.
I don't remember any vacuum hoses being disconnected.
There is more than one piece of plastic ductwork( at least on my model). There are the pieces that send air low, left and right. These attach/clip to the piece that is held in place by screws. This last piece should stay with the core....or you will have a real fight on your hands. By the way, there are at least two screws against the firewall.

When all the screws are out and the piece loose... you may think, " its time to remove this plastic piece". NO!. Its time to remove that piece and the core TOGETHER!

Are you sure you have a failed core? (On another car) I once had all the symptoms of a leaking core... but it turned out to be a loose hose clamp holding the hose to the core.