Update 3-1-18:

Been sitting for a few weeks now. I have a free weekend though, so I think I'm going to tackle the heater core! Have to get tabs for it too now, but MN DMV is all sorts of screwed up right now...

 

Good Luck on the heater core. From what I've seen, it is a big job to get in to where it is.

When you are doing it, have you considered installing a new blend-door actuator as preventative maintenance?

As for DMV's I'd put up the South Bend IN DMV as a pretty bad one. Not only did they want to charge me to update the data on a registration form that they entered into the system incorrectly, once I moved to Idaho, I found out that they had written down the VIN incorrectly for another car. Both times these were cars they had inspected to confirm the VIN and description. LOL

 

I guess I'm not planning on it, but we'll just have to see how it goes while I'm in there I guess. Has been working fine so far.

MN DMV really hasn't been too bad in the past, but MNIT is upgrading the entire electronic system and lines have been out the door because it takes forever. They were looking for something like 10 million in emergency repair funds from the state. Good old MN taxes, lol.

 

Heater core replacement.

This last weekend I finally tackled the leaky heater core. I think it went fairly well. I kept all the different screws in labeled sections in a box on the table so I would know exactly where everything went back in. I did not take out the inner wheel well to get at the bolts. After the top ones were out, I leaned the heater box forward just enough to get the core out. 1 of the bottom mounts did break, but it's right by the dash mounting bolt and will hold tight nonetheless. I used some 3/4" foam weatherstripping to cushion and seal up around the new core. Had to clean up quite a bit of antifreeze in there that had leaked. Had one issue when I put it back together, I missed the power connector for the fuse panel. Even with my mistake, I spent about 10 hours on the project, but I also work a little slow.

Side note: The passenger door sensor is not hooked up. In fact, there was no wire to be found to connect to it. Weird.


Console out.



Main components almost out.



Stack of dash parts



No wire?



Dash out



Heater Box area



Pulled out from firewall to get at the heater core.

 

We had a blizzard yesterday, so we took it out bombing around in some deep snow down gravel roads. That was pretty fun, the things Digs well going up hills in bad slop. I would consider the Blazer to be fully roadworthy at this point. Plenty of other projects yet on it, but the more important things are fixed.

 

Great write up. This will be a good reference in case I ever have to do this. 10 hours!

 

 

Thanks, I did save time by not taking out the wheel well to get at the lower bolts, but it did take extra time since I missed a connector.

 

I think the relay for the DRL is in the fusebox in the engine compartment. I may be wrong though.