Quick link to the 90/91 write-up: Click me!
John's Write up with Sly's pics and notes added April 23, 2011
I did this write up almost 3 years ago... I posted it on a Mercury forum... This applies to 1979-1989 Panthers, with some differences found on Town Cars with different number of bolts...
1990 and 1991 are a little different, probably similar, only difference mainly being having the bomb bag in the way...
Anywho...
Heres what you got to do.
Mark all bolts that you take off, give a discription of where they went.
Mark all wiring connections that you may disconnect as well.
UNDER HOOD:
Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
Drain coolant until level is lower than the heater core hoses.
Disconnect heater core hoses. Mark where which one went.
INTERIOR:
Remove the dashpad.
Sly's Note: A magnetic pickup tool may be helpful to prevent dropping the screws into the defrost vents:
Remove trim around the dash. (Sly's Note:optional for passenger side trim. Actually left the glove box in as well.)
Sly's helpful trick: Use an allen wrench or T6 if you have the set screw type headlight knob to remove it. Then you don't have to fuss with trying to reach up behind the dash and find that release button.
Remove kick Panels.
Disconnect Shift Indicator from steering column.
(remove cover behind steering wheel, unbolt the white ring. it may be broken, it might not be. Carefully remove wire from black clip on the shifter.)
(I removed the entire instrument cluster. My speedo cable didn't let the dash come out as far as it could.)
Remove trim panel below steering column (where the fuse box is)
Sly's note: There a stamped steel piece that the fuse panel cover attaches to that needs to be removed. One screw on each end. This will allow access to the front steering column retention nuts and allow the steering column to drop all the way.
Drop Steering Column
(Find the four bolts on the column bolted to the brace. Socket size 15mm) Before you drop the column, put emergency brake on and chock the wheels!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unbolt bottom of heater core box, two bolts down by the floor. (remove cover if any)
Unbolt the dash support nut that is located where the steering column usually is. (10mm nut)
Nut on bottom side
Behind the kick panels that you removed, on both sides, you will find a 10mm bolt at the bottom of the dash. Remove them...
Sly's note: There's also one bolt in the center on the driver side of the ashtray. Get that one too (same size as the ones behind the kick panels)
close up
Unscrew or unbolt the bolts at the top of the dash by the windshield. only the ones right by the dash. (1/4" or 7mm bolt or #2 phillips screw driver)
Pull the dash forward and down.
Remove the insulation below the windshield to expose a nut behind it. Unbolt it. (Sly's note: accessible from the engine bay in my 88... the following pics are the engine bay nuts to remove)
And the real hard one to get to from the top (might be easier from under the car)
Pull the box with the heater core out towards you and pull it down. Clear the holes in the firewall. Long ass heater pipes.
Sly's note: you may need to remove the blend door actuator to make clearance to get the core out. Two screws and a speed nut and it's free.
Unbolt the cover on the top of the box. 4 bolts.
Remove cover
Pull out old heater core. It'll be a little hard to get out but play around with it a bit and it will come out.
Save the rubber thing that's wrapped around the core.
Get your new core.
Clean out the box where the heater core was out with windex after you wipe all the antifreeze in there with a rag or paper towel.
Wrap the rubber thing around the new core.
Put the core back in the box.
Bolt the cover of box back on.
Line up box on the studs.
Bolt box up.
(Check to make sure that there are no connections disconnected [vacuum hoses, wires wiring harnesses etc.])
Get dash into position. (You'll have to get it over the air plenum)
Start a screw on each side of the dash.
Bolt dash into place.
Bolt all dash supports back up.
Connect any disconnected harnesses that you disconnected.
Bolt steering column back up.
Reattach shift indicator cable.
put kick panels and all covers you removed, back on.
put dash pad back on.
Reattach the heater hoses
Put everything back on that you disconnected...
Refill the cooling system, and start the engine, with the radiator cap off. Run the heater on high. As the engine starts to warm up, the coolant will start to overflow out of the radiator, at this point, put on the radiator cap, fill overflow reservoir. As it warms up, you may notice that the upper radiator hose is collapsing, rev the engine, and coolant should be drawn from the overflow reservoir into the radiator. And the hose will expand...
Check for coolant leaks and heat. If no leaks, and you have heat, congratulations, you have successfully done a heater core in your panther.
John's Write up with Sly's pics and notes added April 23, 2011
I did this write up almost 3 years ago... I posted it on a Mercury forum... This applies to 1979-1989 Panthers, with some differences found on Town Cars with different number of bolts...
1990 and 1991 are a little different, probably similar, only difference mainly being having the bomb bag in the way...
Anywho...
Heres what you got to do.
Mark all bolts that you take off, give a discription of where they went.
Mark all wiring connections that you may disconnect as well.
UNDER HOOD:
Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
Drain coolant until level is lower than the heater core hoses.
Disconnect heater core hoses. Mark where which one went.
INTERIOR:
Remove the dashpad.
Sly's Note: A magnetic pickup tool may be helpful to prevent dropping the screws into the defrost vents:
Remove trim around the dash. (Sly's Note:optional for passenger side trim. Actually left the glove box in as well.)
Sly's helpful trick: Use an allen wrench or T6 if you have the set screw type headlight knob to remove it. Then you don't have to fuss with trying to reach up behind the dash and find that release button.
Remove kick Panels.
Disconnect Shift Indicator from steering column.
(remove cover behind steering wheel, unbolt the white ring. it may be broken, it might not be. Carefully remove wire from black clip on the shifter.)
(I removed the entire instrument cluster. My speedo cable didn't let the dash come out as far as it could.)
Remove trim panel below steering column (where the fuse box is)
Sly's note: There a stamped steel piece that the fuse panel cover attaches to that needs to be removed. One screw on each end. This will allow access to the front steering column retention nuts and allow the steering column to drop all the way.
Drop Steering Column
(Find the four bolts on the column bolted to the brace. Socket size 15mm) Before you drop the column, put emergency brake on and chock the wheels!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unbolt bottom of heater core box, two bolts down by the floor. (remove cover if any)
Unbolt the dash support nut that is located where the steering column usually is. (10mm nut)
Nut on bottom side
Behind the kick panels that you removed, on both sides, you will find a 10mm bolt at the bottom of the dash. Remove them...
Sly's note: There's also one bolt in the center on the driver side of the ashtray. Get that one too (same size as the ones behind the kick panels)
close up
Unscrew or unbolt the bolts at the top of the dash by the windshield. only the ones right by the dash. (1/4" or 7mm bolt or #2 phillips screw driver)
Pull the dash forward and down.
Remove the insulation below the windshield to expose a nut behind it. Unbolt it. (Sly's note: accessible from the engine bay in my 88... the following pics are the engine bay nuts to remove)
And the real hard one to get to from the top (might be easier from under the car)
Pull the box with the heater core out towards you and pull it down. Clear the holes in the firewall. Long ass heater pipes.
Sly's note: you may need to remove the blend door actuator to make clearance to get the core out. Two screws and a speed nut and it's free.
Unbolt the cover on the top of the box. 4 bolts.
Remove cover
Pull out old heater core. It'll be a little hard to get out but play around with it a bit and it will come out.
Save the rubber thing that's wrapped around the core.
Get your new core.
Clean out the box where the heater core was out with windex after you wipe all the antifreeze in there with a rag or paper towel.
Wrap the rubber thing around the new core.
Put the core back in the box.
Bolt the cover of box back on.
Line up box on the studs.
Bolt box up.
(Check to make sure that there are no connections disconnected [vacuum hoses, wires wiring harnesses etc.])
Get dash into position. (You'll have to get it over the air plenum)
Start a screw on each side of the dash.
Bolt dash into place.
Bolt all dash supports back up.
Connect any disconnected harnesses that you disconnected.
Bolt steering column back up.
Reattach shift indicator cable.
put kick panels and all covers you removed, back on.
put dash pad back on.
Reattach the heater hoses
Put everything back on that you disconnected...
Refill the cooling system, and start the engine, with the radiator cap off. Run the heater on high. As the engine starts to warm up, the coolant will start to overflow out of the radiator, at this point, put on the radiator cap, fill overflow reservoir. As it warms up, you may notice that the upper radiator hose is collapsing, rev the engine, and coolant should be drawn from the overflow reservoir into the radiator. And the hose will expand...
Check for coolant leaks and heat. If no leaks, and you have heat, congratulations, you have successfully done a heater core in your panther.
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