1977 Plymouth Fury Station Wagon - heater core advice needed

hi all, i have a old beater that i keep going. i don't know when to give up on it..
anyway i just replaced the water pump, what a job !
anyway, while i was doing that i flushed the system at the same time., i had attached a hose to one of the hoses that goto the heater core, then it would go into the top of the block next to the temp sensor. well i guess something got blocked, and the pressure was too much for the heater core, and it sprung a leak.
i checked things and found the hose connector on top of block had gotten clogged, i checked it out, and the connector it had trash in it..red silicone bits. the connector is some sort of strainer..
i cleaned it out.. but now heater core needs replaced... has anyone replaced one before on a FURY ?
how hard is it ? will the dash have to be removed ? if so, where can i find step by step information..
i am dreading it already..

 

The question as you have given is like going to the doctor
and saying " I don't feel well,, why?"....
I am assuming you have a 318 motor being as you said water pump was hard for you to do...
Does car have A/C....?

 

it has a 360 engine and does have AC, but it does not work...

 

Depends on if you want heat or not. You always have the option to by pass the core, but it IS December. Are you getting coolant inside the car on the passenger side? IF NOT, you might have another easier leak to solve, say, from a hose close to the core. This thing is old enough where you shouldn't have to remove the dash. I do think you gotta take out the glove box, maybe an ash tray, maybe the radio and probably remove an air duct. The rest of the work should be done in the engine compartment. If it is leaking and you get it out, consider taking it to a radiator repair shop and have it repaired for $20, rather than tracking down and buying a new one. Good luck! Shouldn't be too hard. Also with that much debris maybe flush the radiator, heater core, individually before flushing entire system.

 

yes the coolant is leaking into the car, lucky there is no more carpet inside..
only the hose connections come thru the firewall, all the rest is inside...
i'll take the glove box out etc. and see what i can see...
i hope i don't have to take dash out..otherwise i may just bypass the core..
it is not a every day car..usually just for hauling / towing or side jobs.
i drive a 2 cyl. Geo Metro otherwise. ( 1 cyl is dead for over 100k now )
can't tell it's missing except for rich fuel smell... that's how i found out.
but if i can i'd like to get the wagon fixed.... tranny will be next soon...

 

once you get the glove box off there might be an air duct which you might have remove, and maybe you can see the heater core through there if the blend door is open. Notice all the "mights" and "maybes". Last time I took a dash apart for a heater core was for a 2007 Chrysler town and country, which was also a functioning hearse. I mean hearse and not "hurst"!Complete with stretcher and all. Spoooooky. Or was that an evaporator core??

 

well i know some dashes are easier than others to take apart, , i just want to hear from someone that has worked on a fury, and what i am getting into

 

Haha, I hate taking ALL dashboards apart. I'm praying for ya! I have a good feeling about it though. Let us know

 

still hoping for luck for someone who has actually worked on replacing the core on a Fury model.. i think the 4 door sedans ( Police Vehicles were the same as the wagons.. the fronts were the same,.)

 

You might try Rock Auto or even the local auto parts stores for a replacement core.
Try replacing the heater core on a 2004 Dodge quadcab. I learned some new words.
Personally I'd just bypass the Fury heater if a cheap replacement is not available.

 

not worried about getting a core,, i am just looking into the difficulty of replacing it.. was hoping for tips from someone that has actually replaced one in a FURY..

 

I'll look in one of my Chilton books and snap a pic of the page or pages. Go ahead and PM me an email addy I can send the pic or pics to.

 

Got the relevant section pics, but you're not gonna be happy. Like a lot of newer '70s cars, you have to remove the heater and evaporator case just to access the heater core. Plan on at least two to three days to accomplish this if you do it yourself.

 

Two emails sent. I suggest printing the pics in large-format, then you won't have to have your computer or phone in your way. Let me know if any pic is bad or I somehow didn't send one (should be five total).

 

nothing yet, i'll check when i get home..