Heater core question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 765
Likes: 1
From: Bowling Green KY
Heater core question
I need to replace the heater core in my 92 and I know it's a pain. My question is, do you have to remove a large portion of the dash to do it? I've seen threads where people with 90+ C4's say they just took the under side of the passenger side dash apart and took out the passenger seat. From some one who has done it on a later C4 is this correct? I've always been under the impression I had to pull the passenger seat, dash pad, radio, then all kinds of passenger side dash parts. Thanks for you time. 
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 765
Likes: 1
From: Bowling Green KY
I need to replace the heater core in my 92 and I know it's a pain. My question is, do you have to remove a large portion of the dash to do it? I've seen threads where people with 90+ C4's say they just took the under side of the passenger side dash apart and took out the passenger seat. From some one who has done it on a later C4 is this correct? I've always been under the impression I had to pull the passenger seat, dash pad, radio, then all kinds of passenger side dash parts. Thanks for you time.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 878
Likes: 2
All kinds of rip your car to shred posts on the internet to replace your heater core then i found this thread and stored it for when mine eventually takes a crap. I store tons of links to threads on DIY fixes for future reference.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...etty-easy.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...etty-easy.html
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 2
From: colchester CT
sorry man but I am pretty sure you have to take it all out. I did my 96 and it sucked but it wasnt the nightmare it's made out to be and I am not much of a mechanic. The hardest part is keeping track of where everything goes so that you can get it back together rattle free. I think the earlier vettes could be done with removing the dash. take lots of pics before taking anything apart. the tricky part is contorting your body under there to line up the new core lines. There are a couple great threads that I followed on here just do a search. good luck with it. dont panic, drink beer
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 765
Likes: 1
From: Bowling Green KY
All kinds of rip your car to shred posts on the internet to replace your heater core then i found this thread and stored it for when mine eventually takes a crap. I store tons of links to threads on DIY fixes for future reference.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...etty-easy.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...etty-easy.html
5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
I just did mine... I have a 91 coupe.
I removed the seat to give operating room. 10 minutes or so.
I removed the dash pad.... 5 minutes tops, just unscrew at the vents and pull, done.
I removed the hush panel...2 minutes tops.
Under the dash was a cross brace holding some electrical components. I removed that brace, and gained access to the heater box.
I removed the screws from around the heater box cover, and the cover out.
This exposed the heater core, which took another 15 minutes or so to change out.
After that, the process is in reverse to reassemble.... It is NOT that big of a deal, and it took one afternoon start to finish.
Here is the risk..... DO NOT FORCE THE BLEND DOOR.... The actuator on the top is tough to change as you have to drop the rest of the heater box by unbolting under the hood.
At 22 years old the plastic actuator is brittle, and breaks easily, so clean the heater gently, or not at all, perhaps just rinse it out...
Just my experience here, I'm no expert...
I removed the seat to give operating room. 10 minutes or so.
I removed the dash pad.... 5 minutes tops, just unscrew at the vents and pull, done.
I removed the hush panel...2 minutes tops.
Under the dash was a cross brace holding some electrical components. I removed that brace, and gained access to the heater box.
I removed the screws from around the heater box cover, and the cover out.
This exposed the heater core, which took another 15 minutes or so to change out.
After that, the process is in reverse to reassemble.... It is NOT that big of a deal, and it took one afternoon start to finish.
Here is the risk..... DO NOT FORCE THE BLEND DOOR.... The actuator on the top is tough to change as you have to drop the rest of the heater box by unbolting under the hood.
At 22 years old the plastic actuator is brittle, and breaks easily, so clean the heater gently, or not at all, perhaps just rinse it out...
Just my experience here, I'm no expert...
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,605
Likes: 202
From: Trinity FL
I just did mine... I have a 91 coupe.
I removed the seat to give operating room. 10 minutes or so.
I removed the dash pad.... 5 minutes tops, just unscrew at the vents and pull, done.
I removed the hush panel...2 minutes tops.
Under the dash was a cross brace holding some electrical components. I removed that brace, and gained access to the heater box.
I removed the screws from around the heater box cover, and the cover out.
This exposed the heater core, which took another 15 minutes or so to change out.
After that, the process is in reverse to reassemble.... It is NOT that big of a deal, and it took one afternoon start to finish.
Here is the risk..... DO NOT FORCE THE BLEND DOOR.... The actuator on the top is tough to change as you have to drop the rest of the heater box by unbolting under the hood.
At 22 years old the plastic actuator is brittle, and breaks easily, so clean the heater gently, or not at all, perhaps just rinse it out...
Just my experience here, I'm no expert...
I removed the seat to give operating room. 10 minutes or so.
I removed the dash pad.... 5 minutes tops, just unscrew at the vents and pull, done.
I removed the hush panel...2 minutes tops.
Under the dash was a cross brace holding some electrical components. I removed that brace, and gained access to the heater box.
I removed the screws from around the heater box cover, and the cover out.
This exposed the heater core, which took another 15 minutes or so to change out.
After that, the process is in reverse to reassemble.... It is NOT that big of a deal, and it took one afternoon start to finish.
Here is the risk..... DO NOT FORCE THE BLEND DOOR.... The actuator on the top is tough to change as you have to drop the rest of the heater box by unbolting under the hood.
At 22 years old the plastic actuator is brittle, and breaks easily, so clean the heater gently, or not at all, perhaps just rinse it out...
Just my experience here, I'm no expert...
