ucmeflyby, on an 86 or like model the core is behind the glove box a couple screws and it's out $15 for a new core just do it....i think the door is also there....there is a vacume line that accuates the door check that...mine was disconn..when i connected it my heater blew like a vetren street walker

 

cje07, yes you can if you put truck in N

CAUTION: if you install one on a manual it can start in gear so be careful....i have seen one take off in a parking lot and hit another car............she said oops i left it in gear...didn't put brake on either

 

Bronco 86 has the right idea....get a remote starter. I just put one in mine about a month ago and now it is 1 degree outside and the sun is out. What a nice thing to get into a warm truck. But as for your warmer air, one thing you can do, but not recommended for long term, is to put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator. This will block some of the "cooling" air. BUT!!! do this only if your temp gauge is showing lower than normal. Also check your coolant level. If that is ok and your temp gauge is showing good, then replace the heater core. I just did mine about 3 days ago, took $15 and 45 minutes to change out. This is also a good oppotunity to make sure your heater hoses are clear. If they or the core is clogged, then you will not get the heat you need.

 

Had to chime in from Northern North Dakota, where we hit -32F below this morning, with a wind chill of -51F. And unfortunately, even with the block heater plugged in, my Bronco still made sounds when it started that made me cringe. As well, I didn't particularly care for watching my 1200-mile 302 read zero oil pressure for the first six seconds until the 5W30 molasses made its way up from the pan. I think I became a synthetic oil fan this morning, but that's another post that's probably on the boards several dozen times over!

At any rate, just a few more items I thought I'd throw in with the rest of the good suggestions..... the 110V "Little Buddy" interior warmers really help to get a head start on the cold, and they keep the frost off of your glass. This won't do you a lot of good away from home, though, unless you have a spot to plug the truck in. Also, Flex-A-Lite makes a self-contained add-on heater (intended for hot rods), but it's a touch pricey at around $150. Still, it was worth it to me, and I installed one under my driver's seat, running the heater hoses under the carpet and down the tranny tunnel and through the firewall, to splice into the factory ones. I also insulated the heater hoses under the hood with slip-on pipe insulation and zip ties..... I'm not sure of how well this helps, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Finally, I converted to electric fans a couple of years back, wiring them into a manual switch with a thermostat control on one set of terminals. The fans rarely, if ever, kick on in the winter, and the truck warms up a lot quicker. Just adding my $0.02. Hope this helps!

 

Buy you one of them camo insulated jump suits and pair of good quality gloves........Just remember to take off before going in for work........
Cardboard in front of radiator will warm it up fast.......
Just remember when you go home in the afternoon, when it's 65, to not wear the suit and remove the cardboard!

Now, i've considered a remote start for these hot summer days.....

80* Here today

 

you can pick up burning barrels at scrap yards for freesometimes

 

Check the junk yards for a school bus, most of those had remote heaters that you can mount anywhere (some vans as well).

Steve

 

uc,

What about replacing the thermostat with a 195 degree or stock recommended?

chris

 

Re: Remote Starters...so the remote system can bypass you depressing the clutch in order to start? Currently anytime I start the vehicle I need to kick-in the clutch. If it does bypass, is it difficult to put in? (Lots of engine knowledge...not enough electrical knowledge)!

 

Check with your local laws. It is illegal in some states to have a remote starter in a manual transmission vehicle for safety reasons. For those that allow it, the remote starters have a specific way of wiring the system up. It detects if the tranny is in neutral. If not, then it just sits and does nothing. If it is, then it does bypass the clutch and start the engine. I got mine from Ebay for $60 and that included shipping. I love it! And I can also set it to start every 2 hrs and run for 15 min. Its a great thing to have especially in the cold snap we have gotten.

Now..as for you 3BRONCOCRAZY and your 80 degrees....



-19 this morning here.

 

Ooops...Sorry CJE07...yes it is easy to install...just time consuming. take s a better part of a day to install. but there are about a doezen sites online that can help you with your install. they have wiring diagrams, schematics and even locations of where to tap into the wires in your truck. If you want, let me know and I will send you those sites.

I started at 9am, troubleshooted my power locks cause they didnt work anyway, replaced the broken wire for the locks from door to fender, installed the unit for remote start and keyless entry and I was done about 4pm.

 

I think I'm going to check my heater core...
4xbroncoMF, what donor should I choose for a comparable, but larger heater core?
restorit, did insulating the heater hoses help you any?

 

Quit complaining. +1 degree when I went to class this morning.

 

UCMEFLYBY - Before you go and buy a larger heater core, make sure it will fit. When I just recently replaced mine, the new one was an exact duplicate of the bad one and it barely fit. I didnt have to nudge it or anything but it left no room for error. A new should do better anyway...especially if your old one is clogged. Now I have never tried insulating the heater hoses like RESTORIT, but since the coolant is heated by the engine, it may help hold the heat longer to the core. I dont know about making it get warmer faster.

 

Billybob69, that's a good point about the tight fit, I'll start with checking mine when I get a chance.