Replace 1997 Lumina Heater Core

[kslimmer]

Thanks to evryones help I found out that my heater core was causing my coolant leak. I looked at a repair manual, it looks like you just have to remove the lower part of the dash to reach it. I have fairly good mechanical skills. I this something that someone not experienced in changing parts on new cars could do? I have changed them on older vehicles where they were easy to get at.

Thanks!

[maxwedge]

No one here can really gage your skill level. Look at autozone.com, repair guides for an idea of what is entailed.

[kslimmer]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

No one here can really gage your skill level. Look at autozone.com, repair guides for an idea of what is entailed.

Thanks, I wasn't asking to have anyone gauge my skill level. I was trying to find out how difficult it was compared to older vehicles. I did get it changed, took an hour and a half. Autozone doesn't have a "how to" for the heater core in my Lumina. And the Haynes procedure isn't totally correct as the the Replacement heater cores don't have the same Flange as the original.

Ken

[cadgear]

Kinda pointless since you've already completed the task, but a note I suppose:

The heater core is pretty much the same wherever you go..rip off some plastic ducting, get some trashbags, pull the core, replace, done. Typically while I'm down there I get a garden hose, hook it to the core pipes in the firewall, and disconnect the core tubes in the engine bay. Run some water through it just to clean out the system a bit, though if you want to be on the safe side you could loopback the core's coolant pipes and flush the rest of the cooling system. No sense in throwing all that crud into a brand new core.

But then again, some customers religiously decline a coolant flush. So I can't say for sure, maybe they know something I don't? ;P