Heater core hose replacement tips?

Hello everybody,

My 08 4 door jk unlimited just started leaking from one of the coolant hoses right by the connection to the heater core (back by the firewall behind the transmission fluid dip stick). It looks like a royal PITA to try and fit your hand/s back in there so I was wondering if there were any tricks or things maybe I should know before getting started? I got some heater hose and clamps so provided I can get to the darn attachments I think it shouldn't take too long. That being said I am wondering if there are other things I have to remove in order to get my hands back there. To be clear I do not wish to nor do I think I need to replace my heater core - just the hoses that go from there to the engine. Any info or insight is appreciated!

Just wondering if anyone has done this before and could point me in the right direction - otherwise it's wingin' it time!

Make sure you dont have a crack at the connection .

Littlewolf said:

Make sure you dont have a crack at the connection .

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Will do, is there anything that people typically remove to get their hands back there or do you just curse your way through it? I just don't want to shove my hands back there and bend up a bunch of stuff if I'm supposed to just take something out you know... But anyway I'm gonna head down there and see what I can get at.

Jeep0351 said:

Will do, is there anything that people typically remove to get their hands back there or do you just curse your way through it? I just don't want to shove my hands back there and bend up a bunch of stuff if I'm supposed to just take something out you know... But anyway I'm gonna head down there and see what I can get at.

Click to expand...

Not really just cuss pull cuss and pull .

Ok, I have done some research and have reached a point that is unclear. So here is my dilemma:

Definitely not going to be able to get my hand back there so that means one of two things... I have to start taking the top of the engine apart (the part that is the engine air intake) or I have to completely disassemble the interior dash or both for all I know. I do know that to replace the heater core they call it 'the big one' - 7 hours of labor and the mechanic on a different forum says they use every bit of it and that's at a shop with all the right tools. That's the one you have to completely disassemble the dash inside because the heater core is on the cab side of the firewall which brings me to my questions:

If I pulled the dash and got to the heater core will I still have to connect the hoses from the engine side of the firewall?

- OR -

Will I be able to pull the heater core and old hoses in to the cab, connect the new hoses to the heater core, and then slide the heater core (with the new hoses now connected) back into position?

The former means that regardless I need to figure out how to replace the hoses from the engine side of the firewall and that means taking apart engine components to get my hand back to the hose connections. The latter means that the right way to do it is from the cab side by taking the dash apart.

Currently I do not know which way to approach it and don't want to start down one route only to find hours later that it was the wrong route. Any ideas on this one?

Littlewolf said:

Not really just cuss pull cuss and pull .

Click to expand...

Ah ok, just saw this reply. Well thanks for the info and I will do as you suggested. Fun fun!

First of all Welcome to the forum. :standing wave:

Please do a write up on this project. I know I am not alone in wanting to see how you do it.

I have seen the photos of an almost brand new Jeep that had to be gutted to the firewall in order to replace the heater core. (It's not a pretty sight)
Wonder what the thinking was in that idea? :hmm:

After having the dreaded cracked radiator and some sludge crap clogging up my heater core and cooling system it was looking like I was going to be a candidate for the heater core replacement if they could not get it to flush.
I was sick to my stomach after I saw these photos. I dont think I would even want the Jeep back after they got done with it.
Much rather do it myself.

Also if you are removing any kind of a rubber hose it is a lot easier to cut up the side, over the barb area first. No pulling and twisting as you will surely crack that fitting. True on radiator hoses too.

Good luck with it!

I just started a thread referring to the removal of the heater core. I posted pics. Under "Custom dash".

You are right, it's a mess! lol.

Jeep isn't the only one that buries the heater core. My 99 F150 required complete removal of the dash. $900 in labor for a $50 part.

Sorry for the hijack...interested to see the outcome of this.

I had to have the heater core replaced on my 2010, if you take it to a mechanic make sure they know what they are doing. the shop I took it to told me they've replaced Jeep heater cores but then it took them 4 days!!

They left the sills all buggered up and I found so many screws on the floor it was ridiculous. The dash was making so much noise from being loose and I had wires hanging and wires routed behind the dash frame incorrectly - all because they had no clue what they were doing.

The rattles drove me nuts, it took me another 3 days to get the wiring routed properly and figure out where all the screws went to hold the A/C vents and other components that they left loose.

They did fix the sills but in hindsight I should've taken it to the dealer, I had to pretty much remove the dash to get it back together.

Personally I think it's a pretty crappy design or maybe it is by design to involve so much labor for a cheap part.

Had to replace the heater core on my XJ, did it myself, required removing most of the dash, took a full day but saved myself around $1200, good luck