Hello all, I am new here to this site, but not unfamiliar with forums.

I own a 1989 F-250 Diesel with a Banks Bolt on Turbo, an Exhaust Brake, US Gear auxiliary transmission, Extra leaf spring added, and a few other goodies.
160,000 miles, or thereabouts and I average 6000 miles a year driving.

So, where I need help is with my heater coil/unit. I have three Haynes manuals and they are not helping me very much atm. Two days ago, when turning on my heater, steam (that did not smell like coolant) started blowing from the system. I turned it off and let things warm up ect, and then turned it back on, more steam.
Now I have coolant leaking from my heater box on the passenger side... and if I had been paying attention, I would have noticed a problem a long time ago. For several months now, the passenger side windshield has been fogged up and takes a long time to defog. Also, there has been a small wet spot on my floor mat that has been slowly spreading.
I thought these were due to the minor windshield leak I have, but now I know better.

So, my question that the Hayens are not helping me with is: How the heck to I get to the heater unit? I have been looking online and all over my books, but I cannot figure it out.
All I want to do right now is diagnose if I have a hose leak, or if something has gone wrong with the heater unit itself.

If someone could give me some basic instructions as to how to get to it, or a link to a website that has such information, I would be very appreciative.

Thanks in advance, now off to lurking (what I do best on forums).
Leroy

also, if I put this in the wrong part of the forum, my apologies, feel free to move it.

 

Welcome to the IDI forum!!

Jason

 

Ok here it goes....
To take the heater core out disconnect the line to it. There should be two located on the passenger side of the engine compartment against the firewall.

Open up your glove box. There is a plastic lock on the right side of it push that in towards the box and undo the plastic cord on the left. The glovebox should open all the way and hand straight down towards the floor of the cab.

Undo the black cable from the metal clip on the top. It just pulls out.

Undow the screws all around the black plastic cover. I think there is 5 or six.

Remove cover you should be looking at the heater core. Pull it out.

Reverse to put back in. I hope this helps and welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks Lead_Pusher, that was exactly what I needed. took me about 15 min.

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I am thinking I need to take it in to Mac's Radiator, what do you guys think?

 

welcome to the IDI forum Leroy i jsut replaced mine on my 89 the glove box pops out easy and then you can access the bolts i think they were 8mm on mine remove the plenum cover then go under the hood and remove the heater hoses go back in the cab and remove the heater core i put a old rug in the cab to keep coolant from dumping on my carpet on the passenger side you may have to readjust the vent control (cable on the lower left of the campartment so your vents for the floor,defrost,and dash will work but its no big deal and can be done after you put it all back together. took me about 20 min start to finish not a major deal have fun not too hard of a job to do.
terry the IDIot

 

take what to mac's radiator. The heater core. Go buy a new one they are around 30 - 35 dollars. Then you won't have to worry about another bad spot in it.

 

Yes definitely skip taking it to a radiator shop.

Do take the old core to the store with you though, the 86 has three different cores and I bet the 89 has a couple also.

 

The 89 should only have two, an air conditioned version and a non, one is bigger. When I replaced mine the new one looked a little different, but it went in the hole and worked. I have 6 of these trucks and have put 4 in. Every time I buy one it looks different but it always fits.

 

I know that the core out of an 86 will fit in the 87-91 trucks. The core in my 88 Bronco was plugging up so I pulled the one out of the 86 F250 donor I had for the diesel swap I did and it fit like a glove. It now has heat that will run you out of truck. My girlfriend usaully complains about the smell and sound of my "F250 diesel Bronco" but when it is cold outside (as it has been here lately) she always want to take my truck not here ugly Aztec lol.

 

86 had three options.
AC
Non AC
And heavy duty heater

They are all non interchangable