Pretty sure she’s lost her heater core:

1) Windows all fog up when defroster is on
2) Faint smell of coolant
3) Luckily no wetness on the passenger side floor board

So what am I in for…..classic $100 in parts, but $750 in labor?

 

Is the compressor running properly with the defrost on? With all the coolant issues in these trucks, maybe a flush would be a good first step.

 

Already flushed. Compressor runs fine. A/C works and heat works. Unfortunately I have the sweet smell of anti-freeze and my windows are all fogging.

 

Sure sounds like heater core by the symptoms.

 

Sounds like heater core for sure. The dash removal on these isn't that bad if you are pretty handy and do a lot of your own work. There are a few youtube videos on it. I think the ford heater core is around $150 cost if you buy it online. If I remember the job pays 5 or 6 hours then 1.8 to recover, vacuum and recharge the ac. Then another half hour to bleed the coolant. Depends on the shop rate the dealer I work for is $145 per hour.

 

Yeah, I watched the videos and I’m actually pretty handy…….l may still let a shop do this one.

 

Well given that I paid $14K for the truck, it now has 175K miles on it…..well I wasn’t really looking forward to shelling out $1K to fix the heater core. I felt a little like there wasn’t anything to lose trying some Bar’s Leak. Still too early to tell, however the heat works fine with no fogging now and the A/C always worked and still no issue there. Probably not a permanent fix, but I may have bought myself some time.

Plus I’m trying to save a little money/time for my new project.

 

Its up to you if you want to put stop leak in.
My experience with it is it tends to plug everything and stick the thermostat.
Some of the stop leaks I think it was iron tite affect the rubber hoses and turned them to mush.
I had better success with stop leak from the radiator repair shop it was some kind of dry flakes almost like fine wood chips and it didn't take much maybe a teaspoon of product.

 

As MF cowboy noted, stop-leaks (any brand) will plug-up every component of the cooling system. *Including, though not limited to, the heater core.

If it's a bypass, temp' solution you're looking for, just plug-off the hoses going to/from the heater core.
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