HGUNHNTR

It should arrive via Amazon tomorrow. It looks like Sunday is D-Day for tearing this thing apart. It's a 1994. I'm terrified!

I did watch the video in the sticky section. I have an airbag to contend with as well. Any other reccomendations/tips? Do I need to remove the radio?

Thanks!

DUB

There is a lot to deal with. Having a factory service manual will help a lot...unless you trust watching the video.

I will write this....I do not care who it came from...but I would take it to a radiator shop and have it checked...and sometimes have my guy add more solder to make sure the tubes are stout.....WHY do I write this.....BECAUSE go ahead and put it in only to find out that there is a small leak where the tubes are soldered...and you have to do it all over again. TRUST ME...I am writing this FROM EXPERIENCE. I do not TRUST any of them...they ALL get checked before going in. I made that mistake ONCE!

DUB

ANTI VENOM

That's good advice from Dub. Yeah, you will burn up an afternoon or something having it checked, but if you are overwhelmed now, then you don't want to do it again.

Don't look at the scope of the job and think OH ****. It's just nuts, bolts, screws, plastic and stuff. You aren't modifying anything. You just take it apart, then put it back together. I like to tag and bag. Meaning, take a screw or bolt or nut or whatever and put it in a bag that is labeled. ziplocks work as well as paper "lunch bags". I've messed up before and thought, Oh I can remember all this. But then something happens and I don't finish the job right away and then I don't remember where it all goes. Take pics with your phone. It will give you some confidence that it is all going back the same as it was. Just get in there and get dirty with her. Good luck!

summerst

I had the one in my 1991 done twice at a Chevrolet dealership. They were done five years apart. The first time they installed an OEM part. The second time(about 3 years ago) the OEM part was discontinued and they ordered an aftermarket one locally. That one was configured differently to the point that they returned it and ordered one from Corvette America. They even had trouble with that on as the mounting was different. When you pull the old one, set it up next to the new one. Hopefully, they will be the same.

don hall

Take a few moments and read the 'stickys' located above the C4 Tech/Performance threads regarding heater core replacement.
Should help......

69mako

I did mine, its involved and I would suggest that you do it on Sat...incase you need an extra day. Don't forget the monkey $hit to seal the area where the inlet/outlet pipes exit the fire wall.

jv9999

If you're going to have it checked, you might as well have your original looked at. It's probably fixable. The aftermarket ones are generally crap.

Tommycourt

I know some after markets are crap and don't stand up as most of them are made out of country. If I were going to replace mine, which I am going to end up doing after our "winter" is over, I would seriously consider putting in a Griffin. They are made in house and in the good old USA. They tend to be a little higher than some of the aftermarkets but I have never heard of anyone complaining about them. Griffin is one of our sponsors and I am sure if you call Tom up and give him the year of your Vette he would be more than happy to help you. Your stock radiator is already an aluminum with a plastic insert that it is held in with.
Tommy
I say winter cuz I live in Az and the temps are much cooler and mine needs to be replaced before our lovely summer hits us!

Hot Rod Roy

Good suggestion! I'd like to suggest numbering the bags in sequence, as you pull screws from each location. Makes it easier to reverse the sequence as you put things back together.

JC316

I made the video, so I can definitely give you tips. The radio can stay in the dash, but the tuner and second fuse block under the passenger side needs to come out. Really easy to remove and it will save a ton of hassle. Aside from the stupid defroster pipe and trying to reinstall the cover with the tuner/fuse block in the way, it wasn't that bad of a job.

I was just the test dummy that spent 3 friggin hours trying to figure that crap out.

HGUNHNTR

Thanks, the video was helpful. Mine is a 94, so the airbag posed a problem. I didn't take any of the wiring out at all, I didn't even take the entire plastic box off of the core. I couldn't get to the top screw without talking the entire dash/airbag out and I didn't want to do that. It took me about 7.5 hours all told. It was absolutely the worst car repair I've ever done. Does GM sharpen the bracket that holds the heater core in? It seems like it, it looks like I've been in a fight with a mountain lion. Anyway, it's done. What a relief.

Zeropoint

Just finished this repair myself on my 94. I did remove the dash pad, air bag, knee bolster support that has the wiring harness zip tied to it and the triangularish support on the passenger side to give myself some wiggle room which came in handy. Wasn't much more work to get those parts out and made the actual repair work a bit easier. All in all it was a long process. I'd say the hardest part was not breaking plastic tabs that hold things together. Of course I failed horribly at that part. Also, take the seat out and have a towel or something handy under the heater box when you break it open as some old dirty coolant will likely leak out and you don't want that on your carpet. I also recommend plugging the heater core tubes with some cork or even taping them up as again coolant can spill out when trying to maneuver it out of the heater box. Its a long tedious process but not impossible.

Edit: If you unplug the two large connectors under the dash that look identical. Make sure you plug the right one back into the right receptacle. I mixed these up because I was tired and rushing to finish. Now I'm having issues with the security system that may or may not be related. It was acting up before but only once in a while. Now it seems to be persistent.

ANTI VENOM

Nice job!!!!

WVZR-1

YES to the check of the new before install and be dammed sure it's the correct one before starting the job. If there's a very talented radiator repair, gas tank repair shop in the area I might maybe consider the repair of the OE vs. the replacement with any after-market. The repair shop maybe also might have a "preferred" brand.

The shop might also best advise you as to a repair or replace.

hgoodwiniii

Tough job but very doable. I did it over 10 years ago on my C4 when I was a whole lot worst DIY "mechanic" than I am now. I remember it took me all day. I like some of the suggestions here and now that I think about it removing that passenger seat and probable that dash pad would have made it a whole lot easier. Good luck.