if anyone has done this recently and has any wisdom they would like to impart upon a fellow toyotan, then please opine. i have never tried this so if anyone has any links or something they hit their head against the wall for. then i would like to hear about it. thanks in advance

 

I'ts a lota work. I used Chilton and Haynes manuals as guides. If you have a/c, the evaporator has to come out. Start by removing the glovebox, then remove everything between you and heater core. There are no shortcuts that I could find. Just grit your teeth and take stuff out. Good Luck

 

It sucks. You will have to tear the whole dash apart to change the heater core. It is one of the last things that come out.

 

aww crap well it has to be done so i guess i will just have to do it. is an ac recharge neccesary or do you have to take out the condenser or just move it over.

 

If I remember correctly, you can leave the condensor and the box its in attached to the firewall. The heater core should slide upward and out.

 

I think that a/c part under, and behind the glovebox is the evaporater and the condenser is in front of the radiator.
I don't think it would be possible to get the heater core out of my 85 truck, without removing the evaporater. 134 recharge shouldn't be much. With summer comin, it isn't such a bad idea. Just another bullet to bite.

 

hey thanks for the help guys i really appreciate it

 

Anyone have any ideas for doing the same on a 2nd gen, or am I stuck taking the dash apart also? There's something blocking the hot fluid from getting through core. I can hear the trickling as I accelerate, but it's usually not very warm (thankfully Toyota put in the floor heater under the center console).

Maybe if not replacing it, is there a way to force whatever's blocking the fluid out? I've already tried using the hose to force water through, but it didn't work. I'm stuck here.