Replacing heater core - '95 Rodeo

[SinistrV6]

Just picked this thing up this week. Heater core is presumably bad, since it's been bypassed by a previous owner. I'm a mechanic, so I'm not intimidated by the job of replacing the core but... I can't find much info on how much of the dash I need to remove to access the core. Anyone got any info or a link to info on this job?

BTW, is there a '95 and a '95.5 Rodeo/Passport? What's the difference and how can you tell?

Thanks,
Richard

[Cat Fuzz]

You should resign yourself to just pulling the whole dash and steering column. I hate heater cores and have never done one in a Rodeo.

A 95 Rodeo has 1st generation interior, a 95 1/2 has updated interior that looks more like a 2nd generation.

[SinistrV6]

Originally Posted by Cat Fuzz

You should resign yourself to just pulling the whole dash and steering column. I hate heater cores and have never done one in a Rodeo.

A 95 Rodeo has 1st generation interior, a 95 1/2 has updated interior that looks more like a 2nd generation.

Thanks, Cat Fuzz. No wonder it's bypassed. Sounds about like doing a heater core in a fox-body Mustang ! Not fun, but I'm not going w/o heat. I'm assuming you included the column in order to pull the dash out far enough, yes?

Why can't it be as easy as the ones in the Chevy/GMC trucks? Dang, I could swap those out in 30 minutes.

Thanks for the clarification on the 95.5 model. I'll compare some pics to mine to see what I have.

[95.5 Rodeo]

OK, I'll be a nice guy and scan the pages for you. Here is the procedure for performing a heater core replacement on a 95.5 Rodeo. Yours should be very similar. The flat rate for doing a instrument panel R&R alone is 6 hours, so you will be busy for a while. Have fun!

Good Luck,
Dale

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/c...atchdog7/Temp/

[SinistrV6]

Originally Posted by 95.5 Rodeo

OK, I'll be a nice guy and scan the pages for you. Here is the procedure for performing a heater core replacement on a 95.5 Rodeo. Yours should be very similar. The flat rate for doing a instrument panel R&R alone is 6 hours, so you will be busy for a while. Have fun!

Good Luck,
Dale

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/c...atchdog7/Temp/

I'd say you went above and beyond being a "nice guy"! Thank you!

[95.5 Rodeo]

NP. The next time I'm in Ocean Springs, Mississippi you can buy me a beer.

Oops, almost forgot the most important part- Instrument panel removal. I've added it to the Photobucket link, you'll find that procedure added to the folder.

Good Luck,
Dale

[SinistrV6]

Originally Posted by 95.5 Rodeo

NP. The next time I'm in Ocean Springs, Mississippi you can buy me a beer.

Oops, almost forgot the most important part- Instrument panel removal. I've added it to the Photobucket link, you'll find that procedure added to the folder.

Good Luck,
Dale

It's a deal! My '36 Chevy actually came from your neck-of-the-woods (Coeur d'Alene, ID). In my subsequent searching I found a link to an actual replacement job with photos. I'll add the link here so future searchers may find help with this task. Thanks again.

http://www.equityshorefunding.com/ro...reHowToPDF.pdf

[Cat Fuzz]

I always pull steering columns now when doing heater cores. If you try to work around it, it will just cause more headaches and frustration. The last one I did ended being a nightmare, it was on a Dodge Durango. Everything seemed good after getting it all back together then they called and told me stuff was randomly shutting off. I finally found a couple ground wires I missed on the reassembly process.

[honda95freek]

I actually just did a heater core in my 93 rodeo that i just bought. It's a job, no doubt. The whole dash needs to come out and drop the steering column. Be careful with the plastic lines that run off the back of the climate controls. I found that once I got the heater core box out, that it was just the plastic elbow that the hose hooks on to that broke. However I couldn't buy just that. The new heater core looks like crap compared to the original. It didn't fit as snuggly as the original did either. Make sure you seal it up in the box real well when you place the new one back in. And good luck. Remember if you have some screws left over when you're done you know you did it right

[SinistrV6]

Originally Posted by honda95freek

I actually just did a heater core in my 93 rodeo that i just bought. It's a job, no doubt. The whole dash needs to come out and drop the steering column. Be careful with the plastic lines that run off the back of the climate controls. I found that once I got the heater core box out, that it was just the plastic elbow that the hose hooks on to that broke. However I couldn't buy just that. The new heater core looks like crap compared to the original. It didn't fit as snuggly as the original did either. Make sure you seal it up in the box real well when you place the new one back in. And good luck. Remember if you have some screws left over when you're done you know you did it right

Were you able to get it out w/o disconnecting the A/C evaporator lines? I'm trying, but it just won't come out. Hate to break open a working A/C system but if I do, I think I'll put in a new evaporator while I'm in it this far.