1- where can I find procedure for removing dash?
2- how do I guarantee air bags will not go off?
3- can dash come off far enough to change the heater core with steering column assembly intact?2017 F150 with 5.0 Ltr engine.
Thanks

 

Tried you tube?

 

 

#2 - disconnect the battery

 

Done the dashboard heater core on a 98 Taursus, and a 83 LTD. Not fun. I will not be happy to do mine. Though it does have 207K on it. But maybe it was done before I bought it.
Good luck, and buy a decent heater core. Maybe Motorcraft.........

 

The Workshop Manual shows completely removing the HVAC housing to remove the heater core but I just don't see why you would need to do that. Regardless, here are the procedures from the WSM.This should give you a good idea of what you might really have to do to get the heater core out.

 

Thank you for the references. RE your comment on not taking it out, can you elaborate? Thanks again!

 

Removing the HVAC housing means opening up the A/C system and bleeding it down. I would avoid that if I could. I don't see why you can't just leave the housing in place in the cab and just remove only the heater core.

 

Didn't need to take apart dash to change heater core after all. The mechanic who installed VVT Solenoids had to take off the manifold covers. To make it easier he took off at least one heater hose that was in his way. I believe it was the output of the heater core. I am a little confused as to where the outlet of the heater core goes to, but I believe it is over by the thermostat housing. In any event, when he took off the hose (opposite side of where it connects to the heater core) he used a plug (see attached images) to make sure nothing falls into the port, a thoughtful gesture. However, after reinstalling the manifold cover he reinstalled the heater house but forgot to take the plug out. The day after he worked on it I took my truck back to his shop and told him that I lost all heat after he did the work. The heat was working fine before he worked on it. He told me it was nothing he did, then suggested I get a new thermostat. I thought it was quite a coincidence that the thermostat would go bad right after he worked on it. He admitted to taking the hoses off to do the work. After changing the thermostat and still having no heat I was sure he introduced air into the system, which was now blocking the flow of coolant through the heater core. Diagnostically I would always go back to that fact that the heater core outlet hose was cold to the touch telling me it was not the blend door and definitely some sort of clog, like an air bubble lodged in the system. To make sure the issue was not a clogged heater core i flowed house water (50 PSI) through the heater core in both directions, eliminating the chance it was a clogged heater core. No way would I have thought he clogged the line. I was sure it was a pocket of air. I tried a few different ways to purge any air in the system (including draining and vacuuming in coolant) but failed each time. I was completely baffled as to why I couldn't purge the air out. The mechanic who found the plug (not the mechanic who left the plug in) told me before he started that he was going to first take off the degas bottle. In no time he found the plug left in the hose pipe. I am trying to learn from this mishap. Can someone please tell me what I could have done to diagnose the coolant system (no heat was the symptom but would feel a touch of heat when revving at high RPM and cold outlet hose coming out of heater core) to immediately find the plug at the end of the heater core outlet hose (furthest away from the heater core)? Thanks...

 

A smart tech would paint that plug bright orange, or tie a piece of bright flagging tape to it, so he couldn't forget it.