How do you remove and replace a heater core in a 1993 mercury topaz?

Basics for removing a heater core

Hi,

Well you've happened to have caught me on a day when I am going to have to replace the heater core in my own 93 Tracer Wagon. Now these vehicles should be close enough in configuration as to be of help to you.

The first thing that I would recommend is that you go to the library and get a book on your specific car, usually by Chilton or some such author. In this book it should tell you specifically how to take out the heater core. Browse through the book first to make sure. If it doesn't give you enough information then go to the reference area of the library and find what is called a "Motor Manual" for your specific car. These books aren't usually allowed to be taken out of the library, but you can copy the pages that you need on their copier.

But to give you a quick overview of what you have to look forward to, here are some of the highlights: First drain the coolant. Locate the heater hoses at the firewall and disconnect them. Now here comes the fun part. Go into the interior and clean out the front of the car completely since you will be working there for quite a while and you don't want to lose any of the screws/parts among a bunch of junk laying on the floor. Start removing the dashboard, there are a bunch of screws on top near the windshield, some maybe on the side and underneath. If you have a floor shifter and a console this will be getting in your way while you are working and some of it may need to be removed. You will also have to disconnect and/or remove the radio and probably the speedometer and guage cluster unless you are able to get underneath and disconnect these things. NOW DON'T FORGET YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT ALL OF THIS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, SO GO SLOW AND IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN REMEBER WHERE THINGS GO, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO MARK SOME THINGS WITH A PIECE OF MASKING TAPE AND WRITE DOWN WHERE IT GOES TO.

Now once you get the dash off your almost home free. By this time you should be able to see all of the heater/air conditioner components, don't disconnect anything that you don't have to. Open up the heater core compartment and remove the heater core, be careful not to ruin any of the sponge rubber, rubber seals etc. that may be there. Pull out the old heater core and make sure that the one you are going to put in is identical to the one you just pulled out.

Now the process that you just went through is reversed. Just make sure that you replace EVERYTHING that you removed. Good luck.

Someone else may have a different way of doing this but from experience (40 years of being a mechanic) this is just about what you are going to be looking at, but never turn down another persons idea unless you know it won't work or will cost you more work in the end.

John

First answer by ID2560844939. Last edit by ID2560844939. Question popularity: 35 [recommend question]