1996 Ram 1500 360ci Crew Heater Core Replacement
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1996 Ram 1500 360ci Crew Heater Core Replacement
I just finished servicing the aforementioned truck and thought I'd share what I found. In my search for information related to this, I ran into step by steps that made it seem like a huge task that is almost too big for a DIYer or Mobile Mechanic. Maybe the '96 is different than the rest, but here's how it went for me.
1. Loosen Dash: First thing, pull the lower panels of the dash so you can access the bolts and harnesses. You'll also want to remove the panels below the dash along next to the doors.
Once done, pull the hood and brake levers, should be 2 screws each.
Pull the two nuts holding the steering column up and lay it gently on the seat.
I only found one bolt on each side for the lower part of the dash, the dash supports here are made so that you can either pull the bolts completely or loosen them and slide the dash on them. I pulled them.
Pull the 5 screws up top, the dash should be secure enough that you don't yet need to tie it off or have someone hold it in place.
Pull the screw near the center of the dash on the bottom. I also removed the SRS cover.
Get a second person to help you lift the dash up and over. At this point, the wire harnesses will hold you up.
Forget the driver's side, you can leave the harnesses there alone. You will need to unplug the 4 connectors on the passenger side, 2 are clipped to the dash and 2 are on the HVAC box.
Use a strap or hanger of some sort and hang the dash from the 'Oh ****' handle. Pull the dash as far as you can without cracking it. Use the metal frame on the dash to hang it.
You now have access to the HVAC box. You will NOT remove it.
2. Removing the core: First, pull the hoses. They are probably hydro-locked or corroded on, so take a knife and cut a seam from the firewall just to the tip of the metal lines they are on. You will find them in the hood compartment on the passenger side of the firewall nearly at the top. Once you have the seam cut, peel the hose off.
Pull the bracket from the pipes right at the heater core. Set the grounding wire aside.
Pry the heater core up as much as you can.
With a reciprocating saw or dremel, cut the pipes as close to the first bend nearest the core as you can. The stock core is copper I believe, any way it goes, it is a soft metal. If you are using a reciprocating saw, be careful and cut from the bottom up.
Pull the core out.
It takes some twisting and bending, but you can pull the pipes without removing the bracket located at the firewall.
3. The bracket at the firewall: This all depends on if you care, whose car it is, etc. I am a mobile mechanic. I believe that most cars do have spare parts in that they put stuff in the cars they don't need. 2000 Chevy S-10s with the 2.2 or an example of this. The bracket at the firewall serves the purpose of keeping the lines stable. However, there are other ways to accomplish this without forcing me to have a screwdriver with multiple joints in it. If it doesn't matter, just break the bracket out as well as the plastic separator that is sitting in the firewall where the lines feed to the engine. You can go back and pack this hole with an insulator and get the same effect.
If you want to pull the bracket and keep everything as it is, there's no trick. Just work with it until you get it out.
4. Installing the new core: The core I installed had the pipes set so that they could rotate. If you just popped the bracket and plastic separator out, you're golden. The pipes have a lot of give, so just wiggle, push, pull and move the core and pipes into their positions. Be sure to feed the lines as the core settles. The lines should drop into the firewall and the slots on the HVAC box pretty easily once the core is lined up and halfway in.
Install the ground wire and bracket on the hoses at the core.
The hoses you cut should still be enough to reuse. Just cut the slit ends off and re-install them. The left line is a 2-part line. Just to be safe, you can throw a little RTV or another sensor-safe sealer around that seam to be sure it doesn't leak. I don't know why, but the one I did leaked slightly when the engine was throttled.
5. Putting the dash back up: Start at the bottom, connect the 4 harnesses you removed. Do not bolt the bottom.
Slide the dash up and over to get it to sit like before. Start with the center screw on the top then move to the outside screws and finish with the #2 and 4 screws, left to right. Do not over-tighten these, the dash is prone to cracking.
Bolt the bottom bolts and screws.
Secure the steering column, hood and brake levers and re-install the bottom covers.
Flush the cooling system. When refilling, run the heater at full on to make sure it is working and there are no leaks.
If you run into no trouble, this can be as little as 3 hours of work. It took me 5, mainly because I won't smoke in a client's car.
Hope this helps.
1. Loosen Dash: First thing, pull the lower panels of the dash so you can access the bolts and harnesses. You'll also want to remove the panels below the dash along next to the doors.
Once done, pull the hood and brake levers, should be 2 screws each.
Pull the two nuts holding the steering column up and lay it gently on the seat.
I only found one bolt on each side for the lower part of the dash, the dash supports here are made so that you can either pull the bolts completely or loosen them and slide the dash on them. I pulled them.
Pull the 5 screws up top, the dash should be secure enough that you don't yet need to tie it off or have someone hold it in place.
Pull the screw near the center of the dash on the bottom. I also removed the SRS cover.
Get a second person to help you lift the dash up and over. At this point, the wire harnesses will hold you up.
Forget the driver's side, you can leave the harnesses there alone. You will need to unplug the 4 connectors on the passenger side, 2 are clipped to the dash and 2 are on the HVAC box.
Use a strap or hanger of some sort and hang the dash from the 'Oh ****' handle. Pull the dash as far as you can without cracking it. Use the metal frame on the dash to hang it.
You now have access to the HVAC box. You will NOT remove it.
2. Removing the core: First, pull the hoses. They are probably hydro-locked or corroded on, so take a knife and cut a seam from the firewall just to the tip of the metal lines they are on. You will find them in the hood compartment on the passenger side of the firewall nearly at the top. Once you have the seam cut, peel the hose off.
Pull the bracket from the pipes right at the heater core. Set the grounding wire aside.
Pry the heater core up as much as you can.
With a reciprocating saw or dremel, cut the pipes as close to the first bend nearest the core as you can. The stock core is copper I believe, any way it goes, it is a soft metal. If you are using a reciprocating saw, be careful and cut from the bottom up.
Pull the core out.
It takes some twisting and bending, but you can pull the pipes without removing the bracket located at the firewall.
3. The bracket at the firewall: This all depends on if you care, whose car it is, etc. I am a mobile mechanic. I believe that most cars do have spare parts in that they put stuff in the cars they don't need. 2000 Chevy S-10s with the 2.2 or an example of this. The bracket at the firewall serves the purpose of keeping the lines stable. However, there are other ways to accomplish this without forcing me to have a screwdriver with multiple joints in it. If it doesn't matter, just break the bracket out as well as the plastic separator that is sitting in the firewall where the lines feed to the engine. You can go back and pack this hole with an insulator and get the same effect.
If you want to pull the bracket and keep everything as it is, there's no trick. Just work with it until you get it out.
4. Installing the new core: The core I installed had the pipes set so that they could rotate. If you just popped the bracket and plastic separator out, you're golden. The pipes have a lot of give, so just wiggle, push, pull and move the core and pipes into their positions. Be sure to feed the lines as the core settles. The lines should drop into the firewall and the slots on the HVAC box pretty easily once the core is lined up and halfway in.
Install the ground wire and bracket on the hoses at the core.
The hoses you cut should still be enough to reuse. Just cut the slit ends off and re-install them. The left line is a 2-part line. Just to be safe, you can throw a little RTV or another sensor-safe sealer around that seam to be sure it doesn't leak. I don't know why, but the one I did leaked slightly when the engine was throttled.
5. Putting the dash back up: Start at the bottom, connect the 4 harnesses you removed. Do not bolt the bottom.
Slide the dash up and over to get it to sit like before. Start with the center screw on the top then move to the outside screws and finish with the #2 and 4 screws, left to right. Do not over-tighten these, the dash is prone to cracking.
Bolt the bottom bolts and screws.
Secure the steering column, hood and brake levers and re-install the bottom covers.
Flush the cooling system. When refilling, run the heater at full on to make sure it is working and there are no leaks.
If you run into no trouble, this can be as little as 3 hours of work. It took me 5, mainly because I won't smoke in a client's car.
Hope this helps.