1998 ford expedition 4.6l v-8

has anyone ever changed the heater core in this type of vehicle before?
just wondering how difficult and how low it took?

Not quite the same but I have just changed it in my 96 300Tdi Dicovery. I
doubt it will be much different in your application.

You have to remove the whole dash/facia. Once that is out, you will have to
remove the hvac thingy (the widget with the heater core and evaporator etc).

In my case it took most of a weekend (with the haynes manual) and the usual
plastic cuts and knuckle skin removal as per this type of operation.

I would suggest that there is a high probability of breaking plastic trim, a
very high probability of losing your temper, and an even better chance that
you will have to redo at least part of it to reinstall correctly. I am
basically a redneck type so I did it as a matter of principle, however i
would suggest that with US labour costs it may well pay you to have a bash
at it yourself. Just take lots of pics as you disasemble for later
reference.

Lastly, you may well have to replace a lot of the insulation foam that is
used to seal the various pipes and also note there will probably be issues
with removing the HVAC unit as it will mean disconnecting your AC hoses. The
Haynes said it had to be done by an authorised dealer in order to recover
the AC gasses.

Hope you have some idea of what you are letting yourself in for, but with
time, patience, a workshop mannual and a spare car, it can be done.

Regards
Stephen

"JLA" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> has anyone ever changed the heater core in this type of vehicle before?
> just wondering how difficult and how low it took?

Very difficult. You have to remove the dash and the plenum assembly. It will
take an experienced mechanic 5 to 8 hours to do the job. It will involve
discharging the A/C, removing the dash, removing the plenum, replacing the
heater core, reinstalling the plenum and dash and recharging the AC. The
actual heater core itself is only about $100 dollars, but figure on paying
someone around $700 to $1100 to have the heater core replaced (be sure to
ask for new heater hoses, and quick connect o-rings and new antifreeze as
well).

Consider joining the Expedition Owners Mailing List at
http://mail.xpog.com/mailman/listinfo/expedition . You might also check with
the guys in the Ford Owners Support Forum at www.flatraetech.com . There are
experts there at this sort of thing.

Ed