I have a 2001 F150 with a 4.6L.. Do I need discharge the AC lines when replacing the heater core? How difficult is it to replace the heater core?

 

Big job. Have to pull the whole instrument panel then the box. There is a breakdown of steps on autozone.com.

 

It is a big job.......But if it is the same as 97 f150 5.4 there is a awsome step by step with pics someone posted on here a while back that walked me right through it air bag removale and all and it took about 4-6 hours i think and no rattels or extra parts after


Pretty costy at the shop

 

Yes, you will have to dis-charge the A/C.

 

Actually to change the heater core you DON'T have to discharge the ac. While it effects the ac and heat operation it is not actually Freon that flows through it.

 

My heater core started leaking on my 1997 early this spring. I don't drive the truck much during the summer, so I just put some stop leak in it and let it buck. After putting it off until the last possible minute, I finally replaced it this week.

It's actually far easier than the instructions make it out to be. I used a 3/8 drill with a 1/4" drive adapter for 95% of the fasteners, which really sped things up. I dropped the dash onto the front seats, dropped the column with the intermediate shaft connected, and left the electrical connectors alone except for those on the very far RH side of the lower dash area. I maybe had 3 hours into it by the time it was done, and I didn't touch the A/C either. If I'd known how easy it would be, I'd have done it sooner.