Chrysler Repair: Heater Core Replacement, radiator stop leak, heater core replacement

Question
Do you have to remove the dash when replacing the heater core for a 1988 Chrysler New Yorker, 4 cyclinder Turbo?  We have been smelling anti-freeze.

Answer
Hi David,
I have the Chrysler shop manual for '89 and according to the section on the heater/a.c unit the entire dash does not have to be removed. The underpanel silencers have to be removed but that is about as far as it goes. It is a rather lengthy list of steps, but it appears to be tractable. It is covered on a couple of sides which you might want to read before you get into this project. I would be pleased to xerox and postal mail this to you. For privacy, if you want to send me your mailing address, send it to my email box:
rfinston@hotmail.com
Another option you might want to consider is to try some radiator stop leak (such as Bar's Leak) to see if you can stop up what might be a very small hole in the core. I would recommend flushing the entire system thoroughly before adding the stop leak just to clean out any narrowed channels.