['stang princess]

How hard is it to just install a heater core on a 2.3 engine. my car has air, and a mechanic bypassed the HC cause i couldnt afford the part. do i have to rip apart the dash? Id rather not if i dont have to. my car also sometimes stall when i turn on the air to max air. i see a drag on the gauge for my charging system. any ideas? any help is greatly appreciated.

[speedytang]

Remove the dash or pull it back. Do a search for directions on Corral or Google. It is about a 5 hour job and for a first timer a weekend. The job sucks.

['stang princess]

really. damn. I had a mechanic bypass the heater core. im kinda thinking he didnt even take the old one out. how much do you think i would be charged to have someone else install it for me?

[speedytang]

He didn't remove the old one thats for sure if it is a factory air condition car. If it did not take air it takes 15 minutes to remove the core. lol
Figure probably $400 for someone to remove and replace that core.

[Rustang]

I did that once and I have to agree that the job sucks. The dash pretty much has to come out, esp. if your core leaked coolant into your heating system and you have to wipe up the antifreeze to get the smell out. You could just go and get the Haynes manual for it and dive in, as the instructions are pretty straightforward.
Set aside most of a weekend if you're a rookie with a wrench and label well to allow for a fast rebuild.

Have fun?

[evintho]

I've done it and it's not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Yeah, it'll take a weekend, but that's with plenty of breaks and taking your time! There's really only about 7 bolts that hold the dash in. The dash doesn't have to come completely out, it just needs to be moved out a few inches to reach the top of the heater box. If you take your time and follow the destructions below, you'll be surprised how 'not difficult' it is! One thing though. When you buy your new heater core, don't buy a parts store knockoff! Go to the nearest Ford dealer and pay the extra $$$ for a genuine Ford heatercore. They run $50-$60. Believe me, you'll be glad you did! Good luck!

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/howto/33658/index.html

[TownCarTechi]

Hello evintho, I pulled up this old post because I need to replace the heater core in my daughter's 92 LX with the 2.3 engine. However, when I went to the link in your post, I got a message that it is no longer available. Do you still have it?

[evintho]

The old link is gone but I found another one.................................
Ford Mustang Heater Core Replacement - Mustang Monthly

[NavySVO]

the parts store ones will work, but take it to a radiator shop and have them re-enforce the solder where the inlet and outlet tubes enter the end of the heat exchanger. This is where the problem area is in the first place.