Heater Core Replacement Mounting - Newbie!

[505Burro]

Hi everybody! Been lurking and looking about on this site after joining, and finally have to ask a question. There's been so much great information and I've learned a lot about my newly acquired 1987 GW, but didn't see anything on how to securely mount a replacement heater core.

The factory one had a flange top and bottom that you screwed to the housing, but the new one I got from Team Grand Wagoneer that is supposedly the factory replacement looks amazingly like the NAPA one that's cheaper without mounting flanges.

Since it is also slightly thinner, I am concerned it will rattle. Other than fabricating my own sheet metal strap to run across it, has anyone else had this problem and solved it in a different way keeping the factory "suitcase"? Thanks!

[AwesomeJ10]

Welcome to the site.

Yours will have the newer plastic style heater box. The other style is a metal heater box.

Are you sure that you have the correct core? They are different.

[pcoplin]

I have a good one out of an 85 with mounting straps if that one doesn't work out.

[505Burro]

Yes, it is the plastic fiber version of heater box for this year. The core I bought was listed as fitting 1978-1991, so thought it would be correct.

I will try and get some photos of what I'm talking about. And thanks for the offer of the core from the '85. I will try to make the new one work since I've already invested in it!

The old core was not leaking, but I had to replace all the rubber in the engine compartment (very dry here in New Mexico) and get the radiator fixed (which WAS leaking), so just decided to be thorough and replace the core while I had the system drained. Glad I did, since when I opened the box a bunch of dirt, leaves, and of all things... pigeon feathers...were jammed around it. You never know what you will find in an old vehicle!

So, I'll try to post the photos tomorrow. Thanks!

[jaber]

Welcome to the Network...

On the '70's HC, they had little metal straps that hold the core to one side of the box.

[505Burro]

Here's the story in pictures:

Factory original with Flange


New Core on top



New core on right

[505Burro]

BUT, a trip to Home Depot tonight in search of something I could fabricate into a retaining strap proved fruitful. I found a framing strap for about $1.30 with tax. I bent it to fit around the new core, drilled the mounting holes for top and bottom, trimmed the mounting feet to match the box, and it fits snug as a bug.

I also added in some high temperature foam that I had laying around (doesn't everybody?) to surround the pipes, sandwiched between the core pipes and box wall, so when hooked to the heater hoses they will be insulated. Just sliced it to a size I eyeballed and poked a couple of crude holes to get the pipes stuck through.

When I was fitting the box halves together again, noticed I had a fairly healthy gap next to the bottom flange. I had some industrial Velcro laying around too that was a perfect thickness to insulate the gap. Just used the fuzzy side to stick to the box to take up the gap so I wasn't blowing hot air out from places I didn't want. Here's the photos of the fix:


The strap after I bent it to capture the new core


The high-temp foam


The Velcro applied where there was a gap


The $1.30 strap in place

Not bad for a girl, huh?

[jaber]

As long as it works, you did an awesome job.

And not to worry, we have women on the board that know more about Jeeps then some of the men that frequent the forums...