Need Help Fast, Got To Have My Truck Up Tomorrow

ZWilson07

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I had a leak coming down the passenger side wall underneath the heater box. The foam behind it is trapping all the water.

What do you all think it could be? Heater core leaking? Does the dash need to be removed?

My cell is 5024281542 if anyone can text, I only get enough service in my garage to text and cant answer a call.
 

The Warden

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Fair bet it's the heater core or one of the hoses. If you can live without heat, you can pull one hose off the heater core and make a loop, so that the hose is going directly from the cylinder head to the top of the water pump.

Heater core replacement's pretty straightforward if you have factory air conditioning; take a look here: http://www.oilburners.net/articles/heater.html :angel:

Hope that helps!

{on edit} I just saw your next post saying that it seems to just be water. Have you run your air conditioning recently, and if so, is this the first time you have?

If you ran your a/c recently, especially if it's a humid day, getting water dripping to the ground on that part of the truck is normal and nothing to worry about; it's a side-effect of the a/c running and making water vapor in the air condense.. I would still double-check to make absolutely certain that it is in fact water...
 
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ZWilson07

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Fair bet it's the heater core or one of the hoses. If you can live without heat, you can pull one hose off the heater core and make a loop, so that the hose is going directly from the cylinder head to the top of the water pump.

Heater core replacement's pretty straightforward if you have factory air conditioning; take a look here: http://www.oilburners.net/articles/heater.html :angel:

Hope that helps!

{on edit} I just saw your next post saying that it seems to just be water. Have you run your air conditioning recently, and if so, is this the first time you have?

If you ran your a/c recently, especially if it's a humid day, getting water dripping to the ground on that part of the truck is normal and nothing to worry about; it's a side-effect of the a/c running and making water vapor in the air condense.. I would still double-check to make absolutely certain that it is in fact water...



no, I have no ac; mines a heat only truck which has been acting fine.

But I just pulled my vinyl floor tonight because I had my seat out repairing the cable that lets the seat slide forward and back. So while it was out I decided to pull the floor and do some cleaning up underneath it.

Thats when I found the moisture in the foam underneath the glovebox. Im trying to pull the whole dash but still trying to find some last fiew that are holding it on.
 

gandalf

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You say it doesn't smell like coolant? Once it's into the foam it might not.

If it's inside the cab, coming from underneath the dash, I'd guess that it's either the heater core/heater hose, or possibly a leaking windshield. It IS possible for the windshield to leak and show as a drip from under the dash. Has it been raining there?

I hate to ask such an obvious question, but you are running antifreeze, aren't you? If your antifreeze is old and weak it might have so little smell, mixed with old musty water and old dirty foam, that you can't smell it.

My bet is the heater core. I'd pull the heater core input, on the engine side of the firewall, and loop it back, or pull both heater hoses and connect them, forming a loop. I did it that way on my '86, using a couple inches of copper pipe and two hose clamps.
 

The Warden

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How certain are you of what fluid that is? Is there any chance you simply have a leaking windshield seal or other way that rainwater could get into the cab? Do you have cab clearance lights?
 

ZWilson07

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Even if it was a leaky cab light or windshield I still wouldnt be able to tell without removing the dash, and beens I already have it this far I just want to go ahead and pull the dash and be able to see.

I already have the whole passenger side part of the dash undone and mosdt of the driver side. I just need a few more things to pull the whole dash.

Is their a link to removing the dash or anything? I searched but couldnt finda write up or anything.
 

Wyreth

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Before even thinking about pulling the dash, I would just pull the heater core and check it for leaks. It's stupid easy, and if it ish bad, then you don't have to pull the whole dash. (The tutorial TheWarden linked works for the bricknoses too, they're almost identical in there)
 

ZWilson07

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Well ive already got enough done to get to the heater core. Does the heater core come out into the cab or does it go out through the engine bay?
 

Wyreth

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in through the cab. You just pull the glove box, pull the plenum cover, disconnect the hoses under the hood and it pulls out.
 

ZWilson07

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in through the cab. You just pull the glove box, pull the plenum cover, disconnect the hoses under the hood and it pulls out.

once I pull it out how will I know if thats what is causing the wetness? Cause it seems like the foam is behind the box and no way to really see whats leaking down to it with the dash and box in the way.
 

Wyreth

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if ish leaking, the core will have an upside down V of dried coolant and corrosion. Exactly like what a leaky radiator looks like. Also, it may even still be damp, and the heater box may have coolant in it.
 

ZWilson07

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if ish leaking, the core will have an upside down V of dried coolant and corrosion. Exactly like what a leaky radiator looks like. Also, it may even still be damp, and the heater box may have coolant in it.


how do I get the heater hoses off of it from inside the engine bay?

I loosened the 2 black screw down type clamps but they still arent wanting to budge.
 

madpogue

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The hoses bond to the fittings over time. Try twisting them.

If the hoses are old, you might want to just cut them, and when you replace the core, get a 6-foot roll of fresh heater hose and put it in.
 
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