wcbcruzer

I pulled the old heater core out of my truck tonight cause it's dying. I figure I better change it before it gets too cold to work on the truck. Now the old heater core has this foam insulation around the sides, top, and bottom, and it also seems more heavy duty than the new aluminum heater core I got from Autozone.

My questions are...

1) Should I get a factory heater core? I don't want to be changing out heater cores every couple years due to a poor quality one.

2) How important is the foam around the heater core? The new one didn't come with it. To me it seems like the foam is there to keep the HVAC box from melting due to the heater core getting hot. Also, I figure the foam holds the heater core snug in its place.

Thanks for your help!

GAmes

Your OEM core lasted 13 years. Knowing Autozone quality do you think theirs will last that long? Here is a good place for OEM parts. Be sure to specify internet pricing. http://www.mopar4less.com/
I would think your assesment of the foam is right on target.

nutter3

the foam is important. it seals around the outside of the heater core and forces the air from the blower THROUGH the heater core, not around it.

littlebuddie

Just replaced the heater core on my Jeep. Bought it from AutoZone a couple of days ago and it didn't have the foam around it so I put foam strips around it before I installed it. Used Frost King sticky back foam door and window insulation. Had used the same foam on the old broken heater core when it was new 17 years ago and it worked great. The foam would have lasted for many more years had the old core not gone bad. The new core I got from AZ happened to be 'old stock' from their supplier and is same quality and has brass tanks like the old one so I am happy with it. Are you saying that the tanks are aluminum? If so, I would look for a core with brass tanks instead. AZ is sorta 'pot-luck', sometimes their stuff is really good and sometimes not.

just_crankin_it

i just did mine this past weekend and totally ignored (forgot about) the foam. thinking back i don't remember if it was on top and bottom or just the top.

wcbcruzer

You're the man! The Frost King foam was a great idea. I picked up some of the maximum compression foam in 1.5" width. Put it around the new heater core and it looks like it's an OEM piece. Thanks for the idea, otherwise I would've been stuck thinking about what to do about the foam.

So I ended up keeping the Autozone heater core. Can't beat it for 58 bills. I went to Napa, Carquest, and Kragen and they all sold the exact same thing. I called the dealer and they wanted $351 for the heater core.

I've been busy so I haven't gotten everything done yet. However, I did get the heater core in today! I'm happy that I got it changed without having to pull the whole HVAC box or cut the new heater core tubes. I was thinking I might have to cut the tubes and use heater hose to reconnect them after I got it in but since I had swivel tubes, I managed to get it in like normal. Overall, it went in a little easier than I thought, but I had to use a rubber mallot to get it all the way in because it was getting stuck on something. So there's some dents on the top of my brand new heater core now. I didn't hit it that hard at all. Definitely not the same quality as OEM but oh well. At least it has a lifetime warranty. I'm also going to use Quiksteel on the swivel points because they're junk.

littlebuddie

Not that it matters but I am "the wo-man" and that is why I am a little buddie. Glad the whole project worked out for you wcbcruzer! Yeah, lifetime warranty is a good thing

Junk Man

Unfortunately, many parts with a lifetime warranty are garbage & the warranty only means that you get to change them multiple times only incurring labor costs (either shop rates or your own). The good news is Cardone will pay labor on a steering box. My AGR box is garbage & is leaking (again - 4th box). I had a Cardone installed because of the warranty & it steers like it doesn't have power steering. I'll try a couple more & see if one will work right. I'll post my final steering box solution when I find it. I got a little off topic. Sorry steering boxes in general & AGR specifically have been an excessive pita.

littlebuddie

You're right Junk Man. However, I do comparison shopping and if the parts that are available at other parts houses are exactly the same, I will buy from the store that has the best warranty. The heater core I bought for my Jeep at AZ (with lifetime warranty) was much better than the ones available from NAPA and and CarQuest (1 yr warranty). These days, it can be a craps-shoot when it comes to quality because quality is not necessarily inherent from brand to brand as it used to be. It is best to do research and get a good part rather than settle on just anything with a "lifetime" warranty so I very much agree with you. How often I read where some top brand parts are 'bad right out of the box'. These days the trick is to be an intelligent consumer, cross your fingers and hope for the best.