Should I leave the heater box out?

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Mopar to ya

Mopar to ya

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My heater core was leaking, so I took out the heater box and evaporator box. I don't use air conditioning anymore and rarely use the heat. I'm thinking of making block of plates and leaving everything out. All I'd be out is the cost of the heater core, and I can always put it back in later. Any thoughts on the subject?
 
I took mine out 15 years ago along with the blower motor , don't drive in cold or wet weather . And the lighter the car is the faster it is
 
do it to it. its your car. mine in my truck doesn't even work. but if you drive the car a decent bit, it'll come in handy for the defrosters
 
Was it leaking on the carpet, or blowing on the windshield? Mine started leaking on my Polara when I took it out last week. It seemed to stop towards the end. Any chance the cold weather contracted the tube and core enough to make it leak? And after having cooling running through it, expand it back to seal? Just an unscientific guesstimate I'm the hopes of not pulling all that out of the car, as I drive this vehicle every day.
 
Hahaha! I don't drive in the winter or rain. I have used it a few times in the evenings in the past. I do want speed, but even more it'd like to clean up under the dash. I don't think the few pounds I save will do much, but man! It looks clean and uncluttered under the dash. A few plates and some carpet, then I can fab an under dash cover.
 
I took mine out too. You will have to make a block off for the fresh air hole from the cowl.Or make something up to allow fresh air when wanted. "IF" you want you can install a electric "rear" window defroster under the dash and up to the defroster vents.Some times it will be good to have. I did this with a 72 GTX that happened to have a rear defroster,but you can get them from up sacle auto at the wrecking yards.
 
LocuMob said:
Was it leaking on the carpet, or blowing on the windshield? Mine started leaking on my Polara when I took it out last week. It seemed to stop towards the end. Any chance the cold weather contracted the tube and core enough to make it leak? And after having cooling running through it, expand it back to seal? Just an unscientific guesstimate I'm the hopes of not pulling all that out of the car, as I drive this vehicle every day.
Click to expand...

I could smell coolant last fall and the window would get a little fog even on hot days. This spring I was bleeding the cooling system after putting on new hoses and the interior was filled with steam. I have the box out now and it is full of coolant. My only decision now is do I put it back in or not.
 
If you never put on the heat I guess it wouldn't matter but I'd put it in
 
I wouldnt own a car without heat, there are many nights towards September that the defroster for fog is a real nice option here in canada
 
In the end I put it in. I just thought about the few times I use it, and it was nice to have. It was 55 and sunny, and even though there is snow on the ground, the roads were dry and I drove it to the car wash to vacuum the coolant from the carpet. I might have sped, and I might have spun the tires a time or two. Or three.
 
Even when I was stationed in San Diego, there were times when I was happy to have a heater. And up here in N Idaho, if it's a nice spring/ fall / winter dry day, I drove the car. 'course the thing is torn down for paint, now. Gauwd I hope I live long enough. The neighbor finally got out and did a little on 'er today.
 
I almost left mine out when I was building my car. The Fiance mentioned that we may need heat on cool nights. I did use it a few times last fall. So I guess she was right....this time LOL
 
If you do decide to leave it out, SAVE EVRYTHING. I suspect you'll want to put it all back together this Fall when the nights start to get cool.

When you do, I can confirm that the tubes were bent correctly on the NAPA unit that I bought last month. The same may not be true for the RockAuto one.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=270321
 
I'm taking mine out welded everything shut and I'm going to try a street rod heater this is the smallest one I could find did that before and there was times I wish I had one

http://www.southernrods.com/heating-and-cooling/heaters/hi-performance-air-hot-rod-heater.html

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I bought mine locally from 1-800-radiator for $63. We buy a lot of stuff from at work. The core itself was good, but the lines were pointed in different directions and were not parrallel to each other. I had to stick a 3/8 extension in them and bend them true. Otherwise life is good. I have a friend in town that owns a radiator shop and I am going to have him fix the old one just so I have it.
 
I had an 80 Trans Am in High School and it had some wiring issues, and the blower motor wouldn't work at times. I can remember some summer nights a defroster would of been handy so my girl could be warm, or I could see deer on the country roads.
 
Worst mod I ever did was take the heater out. I now have a vintage air set up. Defrost and floor heat. Works great.
 
It depends, you Minnneeesooottaaa guys have a short cruise season, so leave it out. Here I can drive year round, so of course I'm gonna leave it in.
 
I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
It won't hurt a dang time fixing and putting it back in, just saying.
 
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