Thanks! Please let me know.

Over 5+ years is a long time in Ram 2nd gen years...

 

DELETE POST got my brain on a different post

 

Years ago I replaced my heater core in my 1996 without removing the dash or disconnecting the AC lines. I thought it was posted in this forum. You basically drop the steering column in the drivers seat. Remove all the dash screws and pivot the dash away from the passenger side. Then remove the core from above. But you won't have access to the blend doors.

 

You cannot use an OE style core without removing the box. The swivels trick has been around.

Once on a beater that was destined for junkyard someday anyway I did cut the fittings back on the core and slip it in without removing anything, but then your hose connections are inside the cab, and you lose the extra rib to help hold the hoses on. I do not recommend this. Use at your own discretion, I would still find this repair method better then using swivel fitting heater cores....

 

Where do these heater cores leak? Could you just recore one if quality replacments are obsolete?

 

I redid the core on a '97 Dakota last summer.




The cores usually leak when the seal at the end tanks deteriorates. Cores are available. I went on Ebay and there were quite a few available. You CAN recore a heater core. However, unless it is really rare, it's not feasible. A 1930 Deusenburg you might have to get one made.

The photo is my old and new cores side by side. You can see where the old one leaked by the traces of dried coolant. I replaced the a/c coolant core at the same time. Yes, the dash can be rotated down and the steering column dropped,, but I removed both and did a heavy clean and restore to the dash area. I even scrubbed the plenum box where the cores go to get the cigarette smoke smell out. Scrubbing with window cleaner I had a yellow stream of nicotine running out of it.