I'm replacing the heater core (amongst other things) on my "new" 79 & I have a few questions,,,
1) are the heater hoses "pre-formed" or just regular 5/8" & 3/4" hose? I have a/c but it's "missing", for now atleast. In my parts lookup at work, they only show the regular hose, nothing pre-formed .
2) I've read somewhere that I should replace the seals around the blower box, true? I haven't gotten that far yet as to see the condition.
3) My blower motor makes alot of noise when turned on & I read that a "newer", like 84 or so style, would be a beter choice to replace the motor with. Can anyone shed some light on that for me? what year? w/ or w/out a/c part #? whatever I need to know.
I'm sure a few more questions will arise as I restore/upgrade my new toy, this forum has been a world of information that I don't think I could do w/out at this point, THANK YOU ALL in advance.
BTW,, Osama,, your number is next

I just did the same job last fall on my '69 (has A/C). I'm not sure what the differences between our years are but this is what I can tell you.

I did not use the preformed hoses, they were standard 5/8 & 3/4 hoses. However, measure yours and don't believe the parts store when they tell you how many feet you need. The bends under the passengers feet were fairly tricky and did require some finesse and sizing to prevent kinking. Also, work from the heater core to the engine and cut the hose when you reach the engine. I wouldn't say the preformed hoses are necessary but they sure make it easier.

I did not buy a seal kit, I instead elected to use a soft putty to seal the box back to the inside of the firewall. Take your time and do it right, a good seal keeps fumes out. It worked out fine and doesn't show anyway.

While you're in there, remember to inspect your vacumn hoses. If they are hard and brittle I would replace them (in fact if they are easily accessed, replace them regardless). Also, label absolutely everything and keep track of how you took it apart. I've done a number of dash jobs and its amazing how hard it is to remember how everything goes back together!!!

Best of luck!


|UPDATED|4/10/2003 12:27:24 AM|/UPDATED|

pre formed hoses are available for $25 for cars with AC.

Preformed hoses would have been nice when I replaced them on my '77. I tried it w/o them and didn't like the hose routing so I opted to make a couple 90* angles out of copper plumbing parts, and it cleaned up the install nicely and only cost a few bucks, a few minutes of soldering, a 4 extra hose clamps. I am in the process of restoring the A/C in mine so if you have any questions just drop me a line, I should have mine back together in a couple more weeks. Ordering all the parts Tuesday.

l8r,

aka

I went with preformed hoses from Ecklers for my change out. Haven't gotten the car back yet, but will let you know when I do.