Sauna Wrangler

You didn't give a year, they are different. The later CJ and YJ are similar, the key things to know:

-Drain some coolant then detach the heater hoses inside the engine compartment.

-Remove the passenger seat. (This is optional, but you will understand why after you do the removal LOL!!)

-Remove the obvious control cables and unplug the resister pack plug at the passenger knees.

-Unplug the heater motor electrical connector in the engine compartment.

-Find the ***FOUR*** nuts holding the heater box in place. Two are up on top between the engine and the battery. The third is way down below, under the starter solenoid. The 4th is behind the valve cover, on the driver's side.

-Pull out the heater box.

You can get the core repaired at any good radiator shop, about $30 and 4 hours around here. Make sure where ever you bring it has piles of radiators, a test tank, etc laying around. Any place else will just subcontract it to the REAL shop and charge you a service fee to drop it off. As in doubling the price.

Might as well think about drain, flush, and new coolant while you are at it. Bew thermostat is not a bad idea either. If you need to drive it while you find or repair your heater core, you can just use a piece of 1/2" copper tube from Home Depot to splice the two hose ends together. No heat but no sauna effect either.

Cheers.

obirer wrote:

To add to that, first check the hose very carefully at the firewall. Maybe just a dead end on it or even just a turn needed on the clamp. That can cause your symptoms.

If you have the 258 engine and have to open the heater, there is a 'radical' upgrade for the blower fan while it is open too.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT'sv

Roy J wrote:

While you have it apart, now is the time to do the blower motor upgrade- use a blower motor out of a Blazer,I think. Someone who has done this want to explain it? I haven't done it yet, because I don't want to go thru all the trouble of pulling it apart. Tookie - Denham Springs, LA

88YJ,"Money Hungry" 4" lift, 33" TSLs, Lock-Rights PosiLock, 4.10s

Here is a link on it, it is a wicked upgrade.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Tookie wrote:

Thanks everbody....Actually I did say it is a 91 :)...I put a new thermostat 2 years ago and before winter took care of the coolant and radiator cleaning. What was left was the core I guess....I checked the hoses on the engine side of the firewall but the judging from the location of the little pool, the leak is not there.....

I found about the blower motor upgrade while surfing before but sounds like more than necessary work just now...

A new core is about 50-60 bucks and I think it is better to get a new one than to fix the 13 year old one...

Again thanks for all the suggestions....

I completed the job and wanted to add a few things to the knowledge pool...

On my 91 wrangler S (6 cyc, 4.0 L, manual, no AC) there are 4 studs holding the heater core housing. 3 are high, one to the left of the battery, one between the battery and the engine and the 3rd is behind the valve cover. The last one is lower, under the battery platform and there is no easy way to reach it without removing the battery and the platform. After taking the nuts out it is an easy job to remove the whole thing. The tricky part is putting the damn thing back...After experimenting for a while, I found out it is almost impossible to put it right at one time, so just place the nut on the stud that is tru the firewall and work the studs one at a time...