2001 4.6l with 95k miles has an anti-freeze odor in the cabin that gets stronger when the heat is on. The smell is noticeable outside the vehicle at operating temperature. This is a new condition and I haven't yet found coolant puddles left in parking areas. Coolant level is down but not terribly low. It does not overheat.
I suspect a bad heater core. Any other things I need to check? Are there specific cautions surrounding heater core replacement? Flush the cooling system with this job?
The last heater core I did was years ago on my '89 Dodge Ram. I got a feeling this job will not compare even slightly.

 

Yes you have a leaking heater and as far as replacing it, well let's just say that you're in for a world of hurt.

 

Just did the instrument panel removal search. Hooboy you ain't kidding about a world of hurt. I have the time and patience for the repair. Anybody want to comment on the wisdom of attempting this DIY job? Obviously time consuming and consequently costly to take to the shop. Does slow and steady get this done or am I looking for trouble?

 

Slow and steady is good. Some here use little plastic bags with labels to put groups of screws in. I suppose that makes the reassembly easier with less guesswork. Also use a digital camera and take pictures as you take things apart. Those pictures can help a lot during reassembly.

 

Thanks for the advice. Gonna give this a shot. I found an old PDF you linked to a similar thread once upon a time. Very detailed, step by step guide for a '97 F150 heater core replacement. The only thing it does not mention is discharging the AC before starting the job. I assume that the '97 F150 was without AC and it will be obvious on my '01 Expedition that the refrigerant discharge is a necessary step.

 

I found that following the instructions exactly from the Ford service manual for dash removal made it a straightforward project. Just time consuming.

 

Anybody familiar with this job know why the Haynes manual specifies refrigerant discharge here? You tube videos don't show it or mention it. Local shops have told me that they never heard of doing it. This is an annoying inconsistency I'd be happy to blame the manual for. I would sure like to be certain before tearing things apart.

 

Time consuming is OK. Got more time than work lately. Straightforward is good and encouraging news.

 

The Chiltons and Haynes manuals are basiclly just bathroom reading material and then you can use it for another purpose if tou run out of the other paper product.
A local shop charged $450 to a co-worker for the job and that included the blend door. When you consider the number of hours and the parts cost, that is a very fair deal.

 

I agree with the sentiment on the aforementioned manuals. I would only use the service manuals printed by Helm inc for Ford. If you do not want to buy them they can be subscribed too for 72 hrs on line. You can likely find them used on Ebay in print or on disc.

 

If you're going to keep the vehicle for a while, I suggest you inspect the blend door and possibly replace with a new one and actuator since that job requires pulling the dash as well (to do it correctly).

 

I just replaced my heatercore today while it is labor intensive its really not that diffecult. Just time consuming. There is a step by step tutorial on you tube just search heater core expedition its dead on i followed it to a tee with good results.

 

I agree that the you tube video is a tremendous help. Also check out http://motogrrl.com/blog/wp-content/...CoreRepair.pdf as fortification. Learned more there than I did in four years of college.The only bad advice I got on the job was the Haynes manual instruction to discharge the AC refrigerant. This was not necessary on my '01. Did not have to take out the radio for dash removal either. PITA taking out the radio without dealer keys. Wasted two hours screwing with it and it should've been a ten second slide out. I recommend being careful when wrapping the replacement core with foam tape. Over sized or too much wrap interferes with seating the core properly, makes the housing cover alignment miserable and could impinge the blend door. The best advice on this job is to cut the heater core supply and return tubes in the cab and push them through the fire wall so they can be easily disconnected from the heater hoses.

Properly prepared and organized, this is an entirely doable repair.
Thanks to everybody who responded to this thread.