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Heater Core (96)
#350535 December 24th 2009 1:29 am
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Almost afraid to ask, but I am getting really poor heat, even with the radiator blocked with a chunk of mdf.
Since my radiator corroded away last year and needed replacement, I'm afraid that my heater core is also going, and I just lost my job today so I can't afford a shop.

The haynes manual is talking about depressurizing the a/c to remove the heater core. Is this absolutely necessary in my 1996? I live in Wisconsin, and we cannot purchase refridgerant without making a trip down to Illinois....


Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #350555 December 24th 2009 9:04 am
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Yes. The evaporator and heater core are contained within the same housing that must be removed from the van for service. I just did this job in my 85 which has an almost identical setup. Luckily my A/C was already discharged.


Nate Breece
Re: Heater Core (96)
NateB #350605 December 24th 2009 1:45 pm
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Too bad you have the A/C I have a complete heater box for a non a/c van with new doors fan and core that I did not use after spending all the cash for parts. I changed my mind and went with a new Vintage air and heat unit.


Cheers!

Been There, done that, Member of those....

Built for comfort not for speed angel....Well speed too !...smile

I am a vanner, Promise me the world, give me nothing, I'll be back ... next year !
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Re: Heater Core (96)
Phoenix #350638 December 24th 2009 4:09 pm
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I believe yor 96 should have vaccum operated controls? I'd spend some time tracing the vac lines and make sure 'mixer door' is operating properly/fully.When was the last time you put in a new thermostat and what temp was it? Any chance critters have moved into the duct work and are blocking things?Also before you installed the new rad any chance you used Bars Leak or such in it? These are all little things that can effect the heater output and maybe easier/cheaper to fix.Good luck.


79 B300 4x4,80 B100,83 B150.If it's not a van I just don't understand it.
Re: Heater Core (96)
SixShot #350643 December 24th 2009 4:51 pm
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I do not know how the controls are operated...
The thermostat was put in when the engine was replaced earlier this year, it's a 180° thermostat. The only additive in the radiator is Water Wetter. With nothing blocking the radiator, the temperature gauge will be slightly above the bottom line when the thermostat is open. With a piece of wood in front, it'll be slightly below the 1/3 mark. If I completely block the radiator it'll get as high as 2/3 on an uphill drive (Only did that for a day, then adjusted the wood so it'll stay at 1/3)

The defroster works just fine, but heat is rather lukewarm.

Why can't I just cut a hole in the box to get to the heater core, then RTV-Sealant the hole back in place?

Last edited by ahanix1989; December 24th 2009 4:53 pm.

Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #350649 December 24th 2009 5:19 pm
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Someone else will have to advise you on cutting up the heater box but my gut reaction is DON'T DO IT as the heater core is bolted/sandwitched/sealed in there deeper then you might think.I'd start by installing a 195 degree thermo and see how it operates,I'm sure a 195 is factory recommended and it will run better and get better MPG.Something else is going on there besides the not so hot heater,I know it gets cold where you live but you just shouldn't need to be blocking off the rad for the motor to get warm.Oh and put on another new proper double seal rad cap of recommened #.

Last edited by SixShot; December 24th 2009 5:26 pm. Reason: more ideas

79 B300 4x4,80 B100,83 B150.If it's not a van I just don't understand it.
Re: Heater Core (96)
SixShot #350752 December 25th 2009 12:18 pm
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There won't be enough room between the cowl and heater box to get the core out. I agree with Lloyd that a 195 deg. stat is OE spec.


Nate Breece
Re: Heater Core (96)
NateB #350759 December 25th 2009 12:55 pm
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Crap.

As far as switching back to 195, I got plenty of heat last year with the 180, but over summer I had to put a new radiator in that was twice as thick...


Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #350776 December 25th 2009 3:07 pm
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Try flushing the heater core. I had a 70 Dart that had barely any heat. I flushed the heater core out (you would believe all the crap I got out) with a garden hose and then I had great heat.

Worth a shot, but don't go crazy on the pressure or you'll blow it out.


Nate Breece
Re: Heater Core (96)
NateB #350778 December 25th 2009 4:27 pm
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How would I flush the heater core? Are there hoses that I haven't noticed yet?

I was fired two days ago so I can't afford a shop.


Edit: Nevermind, easier to determine than I thought. Not much crud came out, but I definently have more heat now, so maybe there was just an air bubble

Last edited by ahanix1989; December 25th 2009 9:05 pm.

Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #350938 December 26th 2009 10:45 pm
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Just so you know, the A/C - Heat controls are all vaccum controlled, save for the Warm-Cool air blend slider bar on the dash control, which is cable operated.
Also, if your van has a rear heater, you may have some buildup in the rear heater core as well, and it might be wise to flush that one too. And last, if you still don't get the heat you want, try changing the heater hose valve, its mounted on the heater hose itself going to the core, and is vaccum operated.
over time, those valves plug up and rust, and can stick closed, causing low water flow to the heater core, meaning, less heat.
You can get replacments at Advance, Autozone, etc, but i reccomend using a hand operated ball valve for house plumbing. their cheap, and work great in the summer for shutting off the water to the heater core, so you don't have water pumping thru there when you don't need it to. when winter comes round, open the hood, open the valve. when summer comes round, open the hood, close the valve simple as that. and just cap off the vaccum line to it.
you can get them at any hardware store, just get the right size for the heater hose width.


Dodge Ram B250 (3/4 ton)
Stock 5.2 Magnum engine (All fixed now, no more clacking valvetrain)
46RH Transmission w/ dual coolers
Chrysler 9.25 rear axle w/ 3.55 geared Dana Trac-Lok Posi setup
Magnaflow high flow catalytic converter, with high flow Dynoflow exhaust system
Rear wheel ABS brakes



Re: Heater Core (96)
DodgeRamVanMan #351012 December 27th 2009 1:16 pm
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Good advice. My heat is more than sufficient now, so I'm keeping it as-is....

Read through your signature and thought you were talking about my van, lol. Recently put a Trac-Lok in, and while I haven't gotten stuck in snow yet (even after burying the front end in a huge snow bank), it takes some getting used to.
The hill I live on out in the country includes a 2-mile stretch of uphill road, and during snowy times it can be difficult to keep the rear end straight, especially once it hits second gear, but keeping sand in the back kills my economy. The Menards in my area sells tube sand, 70-pound bags for $3.50 each.

If you find yourself in a spot where your tires are both spinning out anyway with limited slip, and you can't get moving, try engaging the parking brake two or three clicks (hopefully they work!). Not enough to create significant resistance, just enough to keep the tire from spinning out. Yesterday I just spent a good ten minutes practicing driving with limited slip in my driveway.


Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #351061 December 27th 2009 5:12 pm
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Good advice on getting unstuck from the snow as well. I've only gotten my van stuck once, but it was in a muddy field with a loaded trailer on the back.
As for my differental, the bearings are completely worn out. after 45 MPH, it sounds like an opera singer in the back seat from the howling sound it makes. i've already got a complete new bearing kit for it, but since i'm there already, might as well get a limited slip carrier for winters. was going to get a complete carrier off ebay about a month ago, but my fuel pump went out, and the $200 i was going to spend on the diff went to that. how hard is it to install the carrier anyway? i've never done a rear end job.

EDIT: oh yeah, my parking brakes do work grin


Last edited by DodgeRamVanMan; December 27th 2009 5:15 pm. Reason: forgot to add parking brake info

Dodge Ram B250 (3/4 ton)
Stock 5.2 Magnum engine (All fixed now, no more clacking valvetrain)
46RH Transmission w/ dual coolers
Chrysler 9.25 rear axle w/ 3.55 geared Dana Trac-Lok Posi setup
Magnaflow high flow catalytic converter, with high flow Dynoflow exhaust system
Rear wheel ABS brakes



Re: Heater Core (96)
DodgeRamVanMan #351070 December 27th 2009 6:30 pm
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I was caught off-guard several times.
I was told my rear bearings were gone when it was actually front bearings...
Also, bought the carrier for $150 and the shop told me $150 to install it since I was providing the bearings and stuff... but then when he pulled it out he found a pinion bearing needed replacing too, which bumped labor cost up to $400.

If you don't adjust it right you'll have problems. I don't have a micrometer or bearing press so I just paid the $400 to have the shop do it.


Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #351098 December 27th 2009 9:45 pm
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Unforturatly, my axle bearings and seals are worn out and leaking also, so thats going to be another hour or two of work to put those in. i've read that it takes this special ram-rod tool that is inserted down the axle tube to pull them out, kinda like a dent puller. so i'll need to get one of those.
i talked my uncle into letting me use his shop, drive-on lift, and air tools, so when i get the limited slip carrier, i'll have all I need to do it, plus about 10 cans of brake cleaner to get all the metal shavings out of the case.



Dodge Ram B250 (3/4 ton)
Stock 5.2 Magnum engine (All fixed now, no more clacking valvetrain)
46RH Transmission w/ dual coolers
Chrysler 9.25 rear axle w/ 3.55 geared Dana Trac-Lok Posi setup
Magnaflow high flow catalytic converter, with high flow Dynoflow exhaust system
Rear wheel ABS brakes



Re: Heater Core (96)
DodgeRamVanMan #351295 December 29th 2009 4:04 am
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Yeah I guess there's some special wrench used to adjust backlash (Chrysler used them in place of shims), but axle seals and bearings seemed easy enough -- use the half-shaft end to pry it out and stuff.
Definently grab a Haynes manual (if you don't have access lemme know and I'll scan the relevant pages from mine)


Also, speaking of scanners, for anyone debating about upgrading to Windows 7.... I've been using the 64-bit version now for months and love it. Absolutely no issues, even doing obscure nerd stuff. One of the biggest concerns people have is driver support, especially switching to 64-bit (which cannot run legacy 32-bit drivers). Windows 7 Professional and above support what's called XP Mode, and that even supports drivers, so I have an incredibly old scanner that only came with drivers for Windows 98. I'm running Windows 7 64-Bit, and I can quickly fire up XP-Mode, install those old 32-bit drivers, and use my old scanner! This never would have been possible in Windows Vista.
[Linked Image]
I already put the scanner away, but you can see the scanned images!


Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
ahanix1989 #351459 December 30th 2009 1:07 am
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Thanks for offering to scan, but I've got a Chrysler factory service manual for my van.
I had a Chilton, and it was a punk compared to a factory manual.
I highly reccommend picking one up, i've not counted, but I would say its about 450-500 pages long. I got it on Ebay for $14.99 and free shipping. since your van is a '96, if you decide to look for one, just type in the Ebay search "1996 ram van factory manual". you'll most likely get a dozen or so priced at $50-80, but there is usally one that is a little shop worn (they were used in the dealership), and it will be priced lower.

on the computer/scanner note, i've heard mixed reports on Vista, and 7, so i've decided to stay with XP for a while longer.
one reason is, i don't really need a new computer. i only use mine to check e-mail, come on here, and just look up things i don't know and/or need to know about.
the other, as you said, driver support, most of my computer stuff is older, so drivers would be important. but i was suprised how clear that scanner image was, considering it was running in a "simulated environment" within the newer system.
also, when i clicked and opened the image, I seen the scanned image itself said "notice of unsatisfactory performance". i'm sorry, but i was LMFO at that. i know it can't be good news, but it was just the phrase it was in, lol.


Dodge Ram B250 (3/4 ton)
Stock 5.2 Magnum engine (All fixed now, no more clacking valvetrain)
46RH Transmission w/ dual coolers
Chrysler 9.25 rear axle w/ 3.55 geared Dana Trac-Lok Posi setup
Magnaflow high flow catalytic converter, with high flow Dynoflow exhaust system
Rear wheel ABS brakes



Re: Heater Core (96)
DodgeRamVanMan #351462 December 30th 2009 3:05 am
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Lol yeah, I understand what you mean. I'm all excited about my scanner, but all I've scanned is me getting fired. It was a letter saying I had blocked drive-thru with my van, preventing people from ordering, which is a complete lie -- I parked closer to the building around closing time for security, but I never blocked drive-thru.
It runs the scanning software "natively" within the XP environment, so as far as the end result is concerned, it's absolutely no different than if my scanner were 7-compatible. I can copy it from the virtual machine onto my regular desktop and it's the exact same thing.

For now, I haven't much else to do to the van that I haven't already done. The only thing I could really see using the service manual for now is finally figuring out those damned drum brakes -- the picture and descriptions in the Haynes manual are absolutely horrible.

Last edited by ahanix1989; December 30th 2009 3:05 am.

Currently driving:
2008 Mercury Milan I4 with most Premiere options (except climate control)

Still selling:
1996 Dodge Ram B2500, 5.2L V8, rebuilt 46RE, and Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Re: Heater Core (96)
Phoenix #362748 February 16th 2010 11:00 pm
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sweet looking van man , which AC system did you install in your van Phoenix ?? i have a 1987 Dodge B150 shorty no AC ~~~ yet

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