I hope someone can use this if your trying to replace the heater core on a 1997-later F150.
Jobs all done, What I would do different, what worked well:
Shopping list from FORD dealer, ($15.00 for 2 sets of heater hose o-rings and snap clip, $40.00 for the heatercore, insulated tape to wrap new core with - freebee, gallon of anti freeze).
The dash can be pulled out from the passenger side enough to allow access to the heater cowling and heater core. Its an all day job. email me for instructions.
1. Tying off the antenna to a old shoelace was a great little trick that made the reassembly a snap, allowed pulling antenna cable back out of the hole real easy. I used elect tape too, didnt want "ANY" surprises later!
2. Try to get the heater hose tool from a mechanic willing to loan it out to you. I was pleasantly surprised at the helping hand the dealer mechs were. The tool took a few minutes to figure out. Took a second trip back to the Ford dealer for replacement o-rings and clips. save time buy these first cause you'll break the originals, if you dont, change em anyway, your in this deep!!
3. Leaving all the steering column elect plugs attached was fine and not unhooking the 3 big plugs under the hood would save some time too. I unhooked these before the mech advised me not to mess with them.
4. Try to follow in reverse the "dash removal instructions" so you dont have any "do overs" when you cant get a screw to line up properly.
5. I'm not much at housekeeping, I would get a large box for all the trim parts.
6. Leave screws in their holes, in just a few threads to keepem straight, (E brake and hood, grab handle, ground screws). Just a few less to figure out where they go when your putting it back together a week later like I had to. I wish I had bagged a few of the spares and labled them where they went. had 3 left over, no rattles.
7. I removed the big elect housing right over the heatr core houseing to aide in getting the cover reinstalled, 2 screws, no big deal.
WARNING-if you cant reach the spot to start a screw by hand, either a magnet screw tip or a piece of tape/sticky foam will do the trick when reaching those backdside screws on the heater cowling cover, this is not the time to tear the dash back out to get a &^%$ little screw that dropped off the screwdriver or out of the socket.
Tools I used, priceless -
Battery op drill w/ socket adapters/extensions,
5/16, 7mm, 8mm, 10mm for dash screws, 13mm for the steering col nuts,
Flashlight, a must for searching for black screw heads under the dash.
Screwdriver w/ changeable heads for sockets and screws.
A magnet tool for retrieving that socket you cant reach.
Short rubber hose to attach to radiator drain plug.
THE BIGGEY - Printed word doc, step by step instructions w/ pics, use the link below.
GOOD LUCK,
Don
Download by using the link.
http://my.voyager.net/~sscully/F-150...50_Exp_002.doc
