did the blower and core 86 5ktq

[Livolsi, Stephane]

So I got the new blower and heater core this weekend and tackled the job on
Monday (that's what holidays are for, eh?)

It turned into an adventure from hell, but mostly my own fault - I did too
much 'while I'm in there'.  Decided to replace as many coolant lines as
possible, which meant (in my case) removing the distributor to remove the
coolant line elbow at the back of the engine.  Thus requiring finding TDC,
requiring removing the timing belt cover and it kinda goes on and on.
Started at 8:00 and put away the tools at 5:00.  However, the actual blower
and core job went pretty well.  That part of it was done by noon.  There's
lots in the archives about this job, but I thought I would add my own tips
and gotchas to maybe help someone else out.

Tips:
1.  Remove the center console sides, the underdash panels, the glovebox and
the ducts that blow the air to the front feet areas.
2.  Don't even try to unscrew the colored vac lines (green, yellow and red)
from the underdash contol valves until after you have pulled the heater box
partly out.  There is lots of slack in the lines to do this.
3. DO remove the windshield wiper assembly - it's only 3 bolts and gives you
a lot more access to cut away the gasket holding the heater box to the body.
4.  When you are ready to remove the heater box, you have to pull it up on
an angle to break the seal from the gasket.  Go to the drivers side of the
car, put your hands on the passenger side and pull towards you as hard as
you can.  Then go to the passenger side and do the same.  Repeat several
times.  Alternate this with prying up on the box with a screwdriver wherever
you find access.  A good spot is where the metal strap attaches to the body
on the driver's side(right about where the heater core hoses attach)  But be
careful or you will break the box.
5.  There is a cable running from the climate control motor (at the far
right of the passenger side) through the heater box and attaches to the
levers on the heater box.  There is also a clear vacuum tube going through
the heater box at the same place through a grommet.  I found that it was
easier to undo the cable at the heater box and remove the grommet.  Then
when reassembling, push the cable and vac tube through the hole in the
heater box, then the grommet, then snap the grommet into place.  I just
could not get the tube and cable through the grommet when it was already in
place.  Take a look and you'll see what I mean.
6.  Putting the heater box back together was a pain, because you have to
line up all the flaps (4 or 5 of them) before it would snap back together.
What worked for me was to  use a sharp narrow pick to line up the flaps
through the holes.  It takes a bit of patience, but has to be done.
7.  On reassembly, you have to watch that you get all of the ducts hooked
up, of course. There is a rubber boot that connects the blower to the ducts
that bring heated air to the back seats.  It is actually pretty easy to put
on, just use the pull tabs on the sides.  I only mention it because it would
be easy to overlook.


Anyway, other than that it is pretty straightforward.  I have heard others
talk about removing the hood, but it seems that you wouldn't gain a whole
lot of advantage and from past experience I have found that lining up a hood
on replacement is not simply "reverse of removal".  Just my opinion of
course.

Good luck doing yours.

By the way, I feel that me and all the previous owners of my car got their
moneys worth out of the blower motor in there.  The armature was worn down
to nothing.  Interestingly , the heater core was German, manufactured in 93.
(remember my car is an 86)  So this has been done on my car before.

Stephane