Rebuilding heater box, replace core?

Rebuilding heater box, replace core?

  • Aluminum

    Votes: 1 6.7%

  • Copper

    Votes: 10 66.7%

  • Reuse existing OEM (not leaking)

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Total voters
    15
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So a little confused. The part number in the 63 parts book for the heater core is 2277535. Found it online, but everyone is saying it's for a 67-69 car. Plus nobody has it in stock. Classic says coming soon.
2277535 - 1967-69 Mopar A-Body - Copper/Brass Heater Core (7-3/4

This cross references to Spectra Premium 94503, that amazon has in stock. Tempted to try it. Why would the 63 parts book list this mopar number but all the sellers say it won't fit a 63 car? Has anyone pulled a core from a 63-66 that can verify the dimensions of this core look correct?
 
Send the OEM one to GlenRay to rebuild. Save yourself the aggravation of aftermarket or a leak later on.
 
When rebuilding my 1964 & 65 heater boxes in parallel, plus a spare 1964, I flushed and tested all the heater cores w/ air in the swimming pool to verify no leaks (used a bicycle pump to 20 psig). I recall re-using them even though I had a new core which only cost ~$30 (Canadian, forgot brand) since no leaks and no green showing. If a factory AC car, I think the heater core is a different PN, and in 1963 AC was quite rare, so might need to be rebuilt at a rad shop. I use Evans Waterless Coolant so no fears of corrosion or need to ever flush it.
 
Dana67Dart said:
May be rebuilding my heater box in the next few months, current core is the OEM as far as I know, and is not leaking.

I know replacing it is a good preventive idea, but if the OEM core shows no signs of seepage or being plugged it seems like the older sturdy made one might be better to be kept.
Click to expand...
Dana. Did you ever get around to rebuilding the heater box?
 
Mattax said:
Dana. Did you ever get around to rebuilding the heater box
Click to expand...
No, I was thinking about it cause the blower motor has a noise. I rarely use the heater so I will procrastinate longer.
 
OK. I can post my findings if you need.
Your heater blower motor disassembly thread answered my question about a gasket in DMT's kit.
 
Quick illustration of the problem installing some of the replacement heater cores without damaging the heater box.
upload_2022-5-4_14-38-39.png



upload_2022-5-4_14-33-23.png


The older replacement on the right is the one that fits.
upload_2022-5-4_14-34-52.png


With just a little clocking during install the older replacement goes in and seats like this.
upload_2022-5-4_14-42-13.png


upload_2022-5-4_14-43-11.png


Recoring cost was about $140.
 
The heater box in my '67 Barracuda has yellow foam seal with selfstick backing on the temperature control door.
Be interested if you or anyone else finds the same. It could be thats a replacement foam. ???
upload_2022-5-4_14-48-49.png


upload_2022-5-4_14-49-49.png
 
I think the yellow foam on the termperature door and the yellow foam strip are original.
upload_2022-5-16_9-42-14.png


Foam on the shut-off door is thinner and may have been gray.
No foam on the defroster door.
upload_2022-5-16_9-35-57.png
 
Parts books show a spring attached here but wasn't one on my car. But this heater box has been removed at least a couple times before.
upload_2022-5-17_9-41-7.png
 
Seals from DMT. The ones with arrows are the ones that I determined might be used on a '67.
Cardboard is a little thicker than original but cut is perfect match and fit is good.
upload_2022-5-17_9-49-12.png

The circular tan gasket is in case you remove the motor from its attachment plate as Dana shows in different thread.
upload_2022-5-17_9-52-9.png

As mentioned in the previous post, the original temperature control door seals may have been a thicker yellow open cell foam.
 
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I cleaned the damper doors with laquer thinner and steel wool to remove old adhesive. Then 3M adhesive remover with paper cloth towels.
I also removed as much surface rust as possible without scratching the surviving plating.

Remove the styrofoam and the shut off damper can be removed at the top. Just go gentle so the metal flexes and keep stress off the rivets to the fibreglass.
upload_2022-5-17_10-2-10.png


upload_2022-5-17_10-2-49.png

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With the new backing, I made a coupple bend lines so it would fit tighter to the box.
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upload_2022-5-17_10-16-18.png


With the rope caulk. I tooled that down. Maybe if the box is warped, thicker would be better in certain spots. But this box fits pretty tight.
upload_2022-5-17_10-21-24.png

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When installing the tube seal on the box, do trial as the tubes on replacement cores are not always perfectly positioned.
Then probe for where the screw is. A screw will go through the foam, although punching it clean (on the bench) will keep the screw from grabbing the seal.
upload_2022-5-17_10-18-44.png
 
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Don't clamp the tubes down tight at this point. The ring terminal from the ground wiring still needs to go under that screw.
upload_2022-5-17_10-23-57.png


I had the misfortune of removing both sides of the self adhesive tape from the inlet seal. I reinstalled it with loctite yellow weatherstrip seal (3M is not available in Pa anymore) and then removed just the paper and rolled it sticky side down to attach per instructions.
upload_2022-5-17_10-27-2.png


(I used the same tube adhesive earlier to reinstall the orignal styrafoam strip to seal the shut off damper hinge to the metal backing. I could have used the new strip but saw no need. Regardless adhesive there best insures it won't move.)
 
Mattax said:
Quick illustration of the problem installing some of the replacement heater cores without damaging the heater box.
View attachment 1715922463


View attachment 1715922461

The older replacement on the right is the one that fits.
View attachment 1715922462

With just a little clocking during install the older replacement goes in and seats like this.
View attachment 1715922464

View attachment 1715922465

Recoring cost was about $140.
Click to expand...
I ran into this same problem. The new unit interferes and started to crack the box. I got a quote to record my old for $240. I thought that was very high but I don’t have much choice at the point.
 
Pressurize it with compressed air and dunk it in a bucket of water. It the leaks are at seams, re solder them. Put it back in. If the core leaks, you might be out of luck.
 
Moparone said:
I ran into this same problem. The new unit interferes and started to crack the box. I got a quote to record my old for $240. I thought that was very high but I don’t have much choice at the point.
Click to expand...
Well its more than I paid but lots of factors that could effect pricing. Overhead, source of cores, erally setup to do the work vs an interuption to normal business.
Might shop around if there is any other places in reasonable driving distance.
 
No evidence of that on mine.
Having a little heat go to the defrost at the same time as the floor and vica versa is a generally a good thing.
 
I ALWAYS prefer copper over aluminum for radiators, heater cores etc. Especially if the aluminum is capped by plastic tanks.
When I redid the heater box for my D150 (put factory ac plenum in place of factory non ac system) I couldn't find copper, American or Canada made replacement / so since I had 3 80s D/W truck factory ac boxes on hand and only need 1 good heater box right now, (if my son does anything with the 83 he has it'll be 2 out of the 3 that I had)
I went thru the 3 and flushed them all out with sno-bol then plenty of water/ and tested them, and picked the best of them plus a seal kit from DMT to rebuild my heater box.
Like has been said above once I go thru all the work I have going on with this truck it won't be driven much in the cold months anyway. I might add some shut offs at the firewall just in case, for insurance in case I do get a pinhole.
I have had many instances of good, used factory original parts lately (besides HVAC parts) being a better choice than new Chinesium.
 
One of the 3 heater boxes 1 that I had ended up as a "donor" heater box, between the 3 of them I have just enough good usable parts to get 2 good functional clean and leak free units. Between the 3 that I had, 1 had a cracked box from rough handling/disassembly, 1 had a cracked top around a vacuum pods, 1 had what looked like a heater core just ready to go, ( judging by corrosion that 1 had, that the other 2 didn't) and 1 had a blend door that was so rusted under the foam it was unusable
I did have to open up the mc master carr catalog and buy some replacement foam for 1 door in each good heater box.that does not come with the DMT kits and he will tell you as much on the site and on the phone.
 
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