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Old 01-13-2006, 01:20 PM   #1
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My 2002 Journey heater core leaked on my way south this fall. I bypassed the heater core and spliced the two hoses together to complete the trip. In talking to the manufacturer today, SM Fridgrette, the tech advised that before I pull the cap to remove the box with the core in it, unscrew the 2 tubes that go into the core. These ae the tubes that stick out of the box that the hoses attach to. He said to use teflon tape and screw in 2 new tubes which I ordered.
The tubes have nipples at one end and nuts at the other end.. You put it in like a spark plug....After installing the new tubes, hook it back up and test for leaks. If it still leaks, the core should be replaced...He thought most of the leaks were at the fitting where the tubes screw in...I will try it when the parts come and advise....The work can easily be done thru the hood opening, that is if the old tubes will unscrew without breaking....RKL
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Old 01-13-2006, 01:20 PM   #2
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My 2002 Journey heater core leaked on my way south this fall. I bypassed the heater core and spliced the two hoses together to complete the trip. In talking to the manufacturer today, SM Fridgrette, the tech advised that before I pull the cap to remove the box with the core in it, unscrew the 2 tubes that go into the core. These ae the tubes that stick out of the box that the hoses attach to. He said to use teflon tape and screw in 2 new tubes which I ordered.
The tubes have nipples at one end and nuts at the other end.. You put it in like a spark plug....After installing the new tubes, hook it back up and test for leaks. If it still leaks, the core should be replaced...He thought most of the leaks were at the fitting where the tubes screw in...I will try it when the parts come and advise....The work can easily be done thru the hood opening, that is if the old tubes will unscrew without breaking....RKL
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Old 01-13-2006, 04:42 PM   #3
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I'll be interested in knowing if it works. Are the replacement tubes of a different material?
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Old 01-14-2006, 01:16 AM   #4
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RKL,
Could you post the phone # of the company? The tubes might be a good thing to have just in case. Thanks
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Old 01-14-2006, 04:32 AM   #5
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The company phone number is 800 433 1740. The part number for the tubes is 05000076 and they cost $2.00 each but the minimum order is $25.00. You can order thru Winnebago also..the part number is for the 2002 Journey...You can also buy the core direct...Does anyone know to remove the black casing to get at the heater core, if all you have to do is remove the side clips and pull the whole unit away from the firewall and then pull the core out....The tech says the core was not bolted in and it just restd on top of side guide on the casing....Sure would like to know first....thanks RKL
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Old 01-14-2006, 05:03 AM   #6
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RKL, There are 16 clips that hold the 2 halves together. Remove the clips, and gently pry the halves apart, the factory uses a thin coat of silicone to seal the 2 pieces. The back half is attached to the dash, the front half holds the core. I had to remove the front hose fitting to get the core to slide out of the housing. And yes the core is just sitting in the housing.
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Old 01-14-2006, 07:24 AM   #7
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Thanks RKL,
The Winnebago part #'s for the tubes and heater core for my 2002 Horizon are:

Core...103930-01-703
Tubes..110279-01-712

I'm assuming that it's the same for all Horizons and Journeys up to and including 2003 models but check the parts manuals to be sure.
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Old 01-14-2006, 07:36 AM   #8
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Three helpful hints for those of you getting ready to replace your cores:
1. If it is the core replace it with a heavy duty one at a well repected radiator shop. I would not have the old one rebuilt. IMHO the original is inferior and that is why they fail.
2. Forget those clips when putting it back together, instead use electrical ties as they will hold much better and much easier to put back in place than those painful clips. Drill very small holes around the plactic box (both halfs),insert the ties then snug the ties up. I used 12 ties all the way around. You will find a little "lip" that goes all the way around both halfs of the boxes and that is where you want to drill. I used a dremel with a drill bit to access and works great. Very easy. I just went through this. Those clips are a pain to get back in and pop off over time in some cases. YOu will thank yourself down the road. I then sealed it with silicone but make sure no silicone gets inside the box.
3. While your at it, the two pipes that go into the heater core should be replaced with ones that do not cause galvanic corrision (like the originals)which is part of the problem to begin with. Due a search and you will find more on this. Good luck everyone. This is a job for the hard core......get it.
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Old 01-14-2006, 10:59 AM   #9
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thanks for all the input...My plastic case appears to have only about 6 to 8 clips and there is no top and bottom half...the front part facing you is one piece and it clips to the back half which appears attached to the firewall...in otherwords, I appear to have a front half and a back half, not a top half and bottom half....it looks harder to work with.....RKL
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Old 01-14-2006, 11:05 AM   #10
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RLS...when you said you had to remove a front hose to get the core out, was this a front heater hose or AC hose..My AC goes in the front and the heater hoses go in the top right side of the box. If AC how did you do it without evacuating the system.....Also, did you do the core replacement without pulling the front cap....is there enough room to get the core out by pulling the front half of the plastic case frontwards till it touchs the front cap and could you reach the clips on the left side from the front or underneath? thanks RKL
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Old 01-14-2006, 06:24 PM   #11
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RKL, I had to removed the front heater core hose fitting to remove the core from the housing. You DO NOT need to scavenge the AC, the cooling coil stays in the front half of the case. There is enough slack in the lines to rotate the case enough to take out the heater core. And for the big question. Yes I did remove the front cap. Not as bad as I thought. It actually worked out for the good, as I got a chance to correct a few assembly boo boos, stripped screws, wiring rubbing the wiper arms, etc. If you remove the cap it will only take you about 10 minutes to replace the core.
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Old 01-15-2006, 05:32 AM   #12
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RLS..thanks for the info...RKL
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