Anyone replaced the heater core on an '02 KJ? The manual says I need to remove the HVAC housing and that requires draining the A/C system. My A/C still works very well and cash is a little short. Is it necessary for a heater core replacement? Or is there a work around?

Yep no way around the AC system must be evac'd to change out the heater core after the entire dash is removed 1st.


Just take it to a shop that does AC work,have them evac the system and then when you get the heater core changed take it back and have it recharged.We do it all the time at my shop.

How many hours for the whole job?

Book time calls for about 7.5 hours plus 1 hour for the AC evac/recharge.For someone that has not done this before expect a whole day if not a whole weekend.

darn that sucks. I just replaced the radiator,hoses,water pump and belt 2 weeks ago.

-XR-, out of curiosity, did you buy the Jeep new? If so, how many times did the coolant get changed?

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2015 Ram Ecodiesel/Big Horn/4x4/Quad Cab
2016 Arctic Fox 22G/Onboard 2500 LP Cummins Onan Generator/160 Watt Solar Panel

I took the road less traveled. Now I'm LOST.

Original owner,186K and 3 times. First 2 were Jeep coolant,last one was regular green stuff. I have to admit this summer I put off replacing the radiator and just kept pouring H2O into the system as it needed it. I'm sure that's why I need a core. It's bypassed right now and boy do I miss the heater. Surprising 'cause I ride a motorcycle year round.

Thanks for the info. There's not enough evidence to conclude that water (lack of coolant which helps prevent metallic corrosion) was the culprit, especially with the mileage that you have on yours, but, there's not enough evidence to say that it wasn't the culprit. Hope you get it fixed though!

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2015 Ram Ecodiesel/Big Horn/4x4/Quad Cab
2016 Arctic Fox 22G/Onboard 2500 LP Cummins Onan Generator/160 Watt Solar Panel

I took the road less traveled. Now I'm LOST.

regular green stuff= killer of the system

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03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

Care to elaborate?

What is called the "regular green stuff" these days is OAT coolant,aka Dexcool.It's almost impossible to find actual Ethylene Glycol these days which is compatible with the correct HOAT coolant that is required in your cooling system.


Coolant color these days means nothing,just what the seller wants for a color is all as has no bearing on the actual chemical makeup to tell the 3 main coolants apart.

Short version:
1. for all vehicles use what the owner's manual recommends and that does not include "universal" antifreeze or antifreeze that happens to be the same color as what you have or what the parts store counter clerk says, with confidence but little knowledge, will do just fine. Worst thing you can do is mix different antifreeze chemistry, not to be confused with brands. Whether or not you can completely flush a system and change antifreeze chemistry from manufacture recommended to another I have no clue although you can do a full flush to return to what the manufacture recommends. Failure to follow manufacture recommendations can result in a) corrosion, b) jelling or precipitation of particulate matter, or c) if really lucky nothing.
2. HOAT coolant is what DCJ and others recommend for certain vehicles and model years including 02 KJs.
3. HOAT can sometimes be slightly hard to find but options include Zerex G-05 (NAPA, Amazon, other parts stores that if not in stock can get it - when pricing be sure to note whether you are getting 50/50 premix or 100%), Mopar HOAT, Motorcraft (Ford) Premium Gold (see 50/50 comment), and maybe Mercedes Part # Q 103 0002 although I'd bet a bit pricey.
4. to fill system see my post at viewtopic.php?f=5&t=74917&p=785507&hilit=flush#p785507

For details on pulling the heater core on an 02 you can get a copy of the FSM from the link on Sir Sam's NOOB guide.

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Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

One caveat is the Amsoil universal coolant. I personally run the Amsoil Coolant in my Ram Cummins, Jeep XJ, and Jeep KJ.

"Compatible With Other Fluids
AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant is dyed neutral yellow and is compatible with all ethylene and propylene antifreeze and coolant formulations on the market, including DEX-COOL®, Sierra® and Zerex®. It is also compatible with fully formulated diesel antifreezes and other organic acid technology (OAT) and hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) formulations.

Helps Prevent Metallic Corrosion
Independent tests reveal AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant surpassed standards for metallic corrosion. It plates metal to protect even when exposed to acids and salt spray. Standard allowances for loss in aluminum and solder are less than 60 mg. AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant lost 0 mg in aluminum and less than 6 mg in solder.

Standards for iron, steel, copper and brass allow a maximum loss of less than 20 mg. AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant never exceeded a 3 mg loss in any of those metals in a testing period that was run for 10 weeks, three weeks longer than required tests.

AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant (ANT)
•Formulated for heavy-duty and automotive applications
•Good for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and some marine applications
•Extended drain intervals ◦Up to seven years or 750,000 miles in over-the-road diesel trucks
◦Up to seven years or 250,000 miles in passenger cars, light-duty trucks, vans and recreational vehicles

•Biodegradable, low toxicity, non-polluting
•Aluminum engine block compatible
•Contains no nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, silicates, borates, amines or molybdates
•Dispose of used antifreeze according to local, state and federal regulations

Helps Stop Leaks
AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant adheres to metal. It self-seals hairline cracks in welds and seams to help prevent leaks, without additional stop-leak products or fibrous materials.

APPLICATIONS

AMSOIL Antifreeze & Engine Coolant can be used in any applications requiring the following specifications or tests:
•ASTM D 6210, D 3306
•Caterpillar EC-1
•Chrysler MS-7170, MS-9769
•Cummins CES 14603
•Detroit Diesel 93K217
•Ford WSS-M97B51-A1, WSS-M97B44-D
•Freightliner 48-22880
•GM DEX-COOL®
•John Deere 8650-5
•Mack Trucks CN H
•TMC RP-330
•US Military CID A-A-52624-A"

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2015 Ram Ecodiesel/Big Horn/4x4/Quad Cab
2016 Arctic Fox 22G/Onboard 2500 LP Cummins Onan Generator/160 Watt Solar Panel

I took the road less traveled. Now I'm LOST.

NEVER mix Propylene Glycol Antifreeze(which amsoil coolant is) with and Ethylene Glycol based coolant.

I know it does not meet any Ford spec as Ford has a TSB specifically stating never to use any Propylene Glycol Antifreeze in any of there engines as it has been tested by Ford and found to cause damage to the water pump among other things in the cooling system.



There is no "universal" coolant,can't happen just like there is no "universal" ATF's.

I agree, it's best to avoid mixing them. The guys who run the Amsoil in their Ram Cummins thoroughly flush the system (repeatedly) until the system is clean before switching to Amsoil. I added the Amsoil to the KJ when I added the Mopar Block Heater.

As you can see, it takes a lot to get all the coolant flushed out. A friend of mine on the Cummins forum used over 20 gallons of water to flush. The far left jug is the first drain and the far right is unopened distilled water.

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2015 Ram Ecodiesel/Big Horn/4x4/Quad Cab
2016 Arctic Fox 22G/Onboard 2500 LP Cummins Onan Generator/160 Watt Solar Panel

I took the road less traveled. Now I'm LOST.

Here's an interesting article. Within the article, here's this quote:

"To quote Dr. Paul Fritz, senior coolants technologist for ChevronTexaco Products Co., “Nothing bad will happen” when two brand-name coolants with different corrosion inhibitor technologies are mixed. By this he means that no sludge will form, there will be no damaging chemical reactions and the coolant will still carry heat and protect against freezing."

http://www.genosgarage.com/GenosGara...Antifreeze.pdf

_________________
2015 Ram Ecodiesel/Big Horn/4x4/Quad Cab
2016 Arctic Fox 22G/Onboard 2500 LP Cummins Onan Generator/160 Watt Solar Panel

I took the road less traveled. Now I'm LOST.

Problem with guys that hang around in the labs, is they fail to research real world scenarios. There is hypothetical reality, and there is reality. Science is not perfect, and that is why there are still real world tests of things to verify results. I've heard time and time again in the auto industry, when some engineer makes a bold claim, only to be proven wrong later. Take what he says, with a grain of salt.