Chevrolet: Heater Core In 1978 Caprice, vice grip pliers, heater hoses

Question
Where is the heater core located at on the car and what do I need to all take off to get at it?

Answer
Thomas,
      The heater core is located under the dash on the passenger side of the car. For a good visual ID of location, under the hood follow the two heater hoses on the passenger side to where they intersect with the firewall. They will hook right onto the inlet and outlet of the core. As for removal, first you have to get all the plastic around the fan off on the passenger side of the car under the dash. Once all the plastic is unscrewed and removed, you will be able to see the core and the fan. Drain the anti-freeze and unhook the hoses at the firewall. Take out the old core and reverse everything to install the new one. Before you put all the plastic back on, refill the anti-freeze and run the vehicle up to temp with the radiator cap off, filling as it goes down. This will help ensure you get all the air bubbles out of the system. Then check to make sure the core is warm and there are no leaks. (If you have a couple pairs of vice-grip pliers, a good tip is to take a couple large washers and put them on both sides of the heater hose, about 2 feet from the core and clamp the washers down on the hose with the vice-grips. Do this on both hoses, and you don't have to drain all the coolant, just put a bucket under the firewall to catch what is in the core and the couple feet of hose. The washers prevent damage to the heater hoses from the jaws of the grips, then when you are done, take the grips off and follow the filling instructions above... saves a lot of time and coolant.) Good Luck!