Should have been titled how to make sure that your dash cracks your glove box doesn't close right that everything goes to shit while you devalue your pickup and look like an idiot doing it but be sure to post it on UA-cam so everybody sees it!!!
I've got a 95 2500 pickup magnificent thank you car Wizards scared me it ain't got to be pretty for crying out loud it's under the dash just needs to work and blow cold air AC is back in town👍👍 two thumbs up thanks dude very cool indeed literally 😁
I did pull the dash on my wife's 98 GMC and it was so brittle it fell to pieces. Not to mention that it was a real pain to put it back in. Never again. I need an evap core in my 99 Silverado so I'm going to try this method.
What evoman said... When it's you and your truck you can make the decision to try it by the book. After you've broken ever single corner of plastic from countless dash pieces you'll be cutting that glove box up in no time.
Nice hack job...but I mean that in a positive way. I've done 3 evap cores and 2 heater cores on 20+ year old Toyotas.....and while a pain, everything came out and went back in without breaking anything. I did ONE evap core on a 2000 Silverado the "proper way" using a proper shop manual.....NEVER again. So many plastic pieces broke that my friend thought I was speaking in tongues I was swearing unintelligibly. Great video, this is THE proper way on an old GM.
Wow, this is your most viewed video (by a long ways)! Kind of surprised me at first then I realized it probably gets searched every summer when guys are trying to get ACs working in their old trucks. Love that you’re still answering comments 2 years later. 👍🏻
Hi Cory, I am terrible at predicting which videos will do well. I almost didn't film this because I thought it was too specific. I guy there are a lot of folks like me with 20-30 year old trucks. Cheers
Instead of trash talk. Post your vids of pulling your 20+ yr old dash and doing this "the right way" then show me how good it came out. Meanwhile my a/c is blowin snow in the fl heat. Jobs done, im cleaned up and your still crackin your dash pad, still 2hrs away from exposing the evap core.. not to mention most of you diy "tubers" won't have much dash left to put back in. Please excuse my experience. Its just an opinion like everyone else...
Thanks for the comment Joey. When a vehicle has 265k miles on it "getting it done" becomes the goal. Getting it done "the right way" feels kinda like rearranging chairs on the Titanic....just my opinion. Cheers
@@joeheilm Yes, you're 100% right. I like how you used black RTV sealant (I think that's what it is) so that should hold together quite well. I think that's the better option than the gorilla tape someone else used. I think this is the ONLY correct way to do this repair when the repair costs as much as the vehicle in many cases. I think this is where my leak is on my 276,000 mile suburban. I'm going to do it your way and if I glue it will I don't think there is anything wrong with doing the repair this way. It's not like it's some valuable or classic car!😂🤣
Hell yeah that’s what I’m talking about, I rather do that on my truck than think of what a normal mechanic would charge me if he was doing it the right way. It would cost more than what the truck is worth lol😂
I don't like Biden either, but r134 prices have been crazy for years. The new r1234 stuff is like $44 a can at advanced. No doubt the Greta Thumberg crew owns stock in refrigerant. Cheers
No doubt about it, IM GONNA DO THE EXACT SAME THING. Im convinced the only reason the behind the dash "coffin" was ever designed was to SPIKE HIGH GM service department revenue. Dude they sure could've designed it with door covers just luke a cabin filter cover, abd done it for the heater core too..... SHADE TREE HACKS THAT ROCK💪💪💪
Great video! I would use "The right stuff," made by Permatex for gluing it back in. It comes in a caulking gun tube. Make sure you give it a full "48 hrs." To dry, because then it is strongest. Ask me how I know! It is easy to cut when you need to replace the evaporator again. They used "the right stuff" to seal a huge hole in an engine block on a boat on UA-cam and it worked great!
If you didn't video the glove box going back in without any rattles it didn't happen. Good hack though but not showing the glove box re-installation is an indication it didn't go right.
Not showing the glove box reinstall is an indication that I edited that part out 😂. I have zero interest in misleading anyone...it went back together with no problems
@@joeheilm Ok I can understand. This is a good hack but most are not use to cutting up their vehicle even an old truck. It would have been nice to show the solution and detail of the glove box re installation similar to what you showed when fixing the evap box after cutting it. Showing that part could have shown others ways to prevent rattle, ways to improve it, or a ways to return back to a stock. Again, good hack and thanks for taken the time to film it.
@Joe's Shop OMG this is GOLD right here. Even tho I have a 2012 'Tahoe, I think alot of this will apply as far as this job is concerned... SUBSCRIBING! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the info. Its nice to know in wich direction the evap. sits . I have a 2002 silverado and if the Evaporator ever goes bad , this is how I will replace it .
I saw what a mess it would be to change the heater core on my 98 Chevy 1500 so carefully did the same,,,upgraded to H.D. core and glued it back together. Super easy, never could see it and it roasted me out, Lol. I didn't have to cut glovebox metal. Drove it daily 10 more years trouble free until it was rear ended. This is the ONLY way to do it.
My suggestion for the glove box door. The cut made on the left side should have been made on the left side of the bolt hole. That way with only drilling two more holes and two small pieces of flat bar you could remount the bar you cut out on both sides. As long as you cut the Evaporator box neatly and in one piece, aluminum hvac tape should seal the cut out piece just fine.
Been doing this as a pro for 45 yrs. I would definitely offer this as a cheaper labor alternative to a customer. Remember haters the guys working on an old pu truck not a Lamborghini. Get real! He got cold air in a couple hours, good job! To dh guy if GM had put a nice,neat access panel like they easily could have would it be ok then? Get a life. Hats off to the hacker😂
Interesting… If I were to suggest anything. There are some videos of basically wielding plastic. The short, use a soldering iron to melt it and use some more plastic as a rod. Like tig. Great hack! Thanks for sharing. 🍻🍻🍻
Hi David...i actually have a very old episode on plastic welding, zip ties make great plastic welding media. I wanted to plastic weld it, but my buddy wanted to use the glue. Thanks David. Cheers
@@joeheilm What was the voltage of the drill you were using? I am in the process of replacing my antenna because the screws busted off, an I have to drill them out from the base surface.
Hey had to change fuel pump on my 97 Silverado. It called for dropping the gas tank or lifting the bed to get to it. Well i just cut a square access hole straight over top of fuel pump. Put hinges on the squre i cut out wnd niw i have a open and shut window to fuel pump at any time. For some people it had to be by the book for me it has to be by common sence. See these car and truck builders do these type of things on purpose knowing the customer will pay for all that shop and mechanic time. If only thongs where made like they was back in the day life would be better. Gotta do what you gotta do.
If a guy took his time, and paid real close attention to what he was doing, this method would work well on an old beater truck. I would pay closer attention to how I cut off the plastic, and make sure a few locating tabs to help hold it in place while epoxy set. The removal of the glovebox support is also not something I would do personally. I would try to leave a way to reattach it somehow, but that’s not hard to fabricate. Lots of hate for this guy, but it’s a decent hack. Literally 😆
The lower dash part isn’t bad to remove, I’d would have done that..the cut to the plastic was nice. I’ll definitely keep this in mind if I ever have to change mine out
This is amazing content! Right when I gave up hope and except the fact that I’d never have ac in my 99 tahoe again, I run into this video. I mean I totally refuse to take that dash out! But thanks to you guys I don’t have to!👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
This worked great for my old pickup. Would do it again. I had some condensate leaking onto my floorboard, but I bet if you're careful, you can seal it up to condensate drains through the drain.
Dude that was amazing! Saved me sooo much time and headache. When you star pulling older dashboards out for this repair they usually crack everywhere. This is the only way to do it imo.
This MIGHT be considered a hack job but I believe in disturbing as little as possible to get the job done. If you're careful in cutting and take a bit of pride in putting it back together, a decent repair is possible. No way I'd consider disassembling and removing the dash.
U could rebuild it in a way that allows future access like a little door. But it does have to keep some pressure 🤔 I guess that's fine honestly because you won't go back in there for years hopefully. U can cut the glue out again easily if necessary. It's a god damn shame that's the most sane option for fixing it 😆
what size was the bolts that you used bolt back into the evaporator core the old one has the studs the new one doesnt just pulled mine out and same thing the new one doesnt have the studs
Hi Joe... my sons 2001 s10 just stopped cooling.... this might come in handy when we decide to tackle that... but for now, I hope it just needs charging.. but I doubt we get that lucky.. lol.. have a gooden
My air wasn’t working properly. I used stop leak, but I think that took out my compressor. I know one of the Schrader valves was leaking, but I feel like it’s probably this damn evaporator core too. I’ll do this in about 10 seconds. The only thing I would probably do different as use some HVAC tape to secure it back in place, and if it happens again, it’s even easier than the first time!
I’m normally a “do it the right way” even if it’s a hard job kind of guy, but I’ve been under the dashes on enough of these trucks to know how much of a pain they are. So many opportunities to create more problems than you’re solving. I have an 02 that’s I’m pretty sure the evaporator is leaking on. Probably gonna go this route… thanks for posting!
I'm a do it the right way guy too. Most of the time. But when it comes to removing a dash I learned the hard way that I'm gonna wind up with a few left over nuts and screws. And maybe a courtesy light or two that didn't get regrounded. I like this idea because all the ugly is hidden behind the dash.
This truck is a 99-02 don’t try this on a 03-07 classic our evap Core boxes are different I tried this and now I have to change out my whole box I have a 04 Tahoe and they changed the style
Honestly i think this is a pretty good hack. All the haters complaining should take a look at a shop quote at $100 to $150 per hour in labor and a $175 part. The dash part you cut is easily fixable by tack welding or drill and rivet some scrap metal in there.
all I know is....I KNEW there had to be an easier way!!! What a nightmare & rookie engineering job from GM....or they planned it that way????? Thank you for this!!!
Have you run into any issues with hack way of doing this? Would you do it this way if you had to do it again? I’m all about doing things right, but the thought of everything else that could go wrong with pulling the dash seems to favor cutting the box. Not to mention what, 10+ hours of extra work. Thanks for the video and research!
Maybe not. I suspect my evaporator has a leak and there is no dye visible at the drain tube, but my refrigerant leak sniffer does seem to indicate refrigerant at the drain tube. I'm trying to decide how to be very sure before I go after the evaporator.
Thanks for showing this technique. Is your vehicle engine a Duramax or gas? My shop is telling me that evaporators for my '04 Duramax are not available and that the gas engine a/c evaps are not compatible with the diesel models. I do have two torx heads on my firewall fitting that I don't see in the fitting on this video.
I feel better now I’m not the only person who gets harassed at home doing mechanics for my personal vehicle I checked my oil that’s it they seen my hood open an say you can’t work on it ?they did not understand
That COULD have been designed with a removable cover and cross member which would have eliminated the horribly time consuming nightmare of dismantling the dash.
For sure. I wish the GM headlight engineer was in charge of the hvac system. I love the fact that I can change a head light with no tools in under a minute. Genius engineering. Cheers
Awesome video its messed up how these things are designed to replace a simple part when they could put an access panel to replace their cheapo parts they use…
And you know, there’s several ways one could modify this piece going back in. Pretty sure I’d just plastic weld a few spots and coat the rest with RTV, or HVAC tape. This should have always had an access panel like that. This was obviously designed by a designer and not a mechanic.
What size are the nuts that go to the accumulator and ac line? And thread size if you happen to know it, at some point someone was working on that on my truck and they didn't put the line back so I'm missing one
Too bad i didn't get to see the rest of this hack job. I did heater core on my 99 Dakota. 10 hour job and didn't break or butcher anything.. Sometimes it's worth the time to do it right.
with all the lovers and haters of this "fix",, I have seen much worse repair work from ASE Certified Technicians, if you are tight on money and not froggy to pull your dash out, then this is for you, if you have the money then do it by pulling the dash or take it to the shop. Remember if you don't like beer, don't buy it.
the heater core is removed from the top of the climate control box, there is a blend door between the heater core and the side of the case that Joe cut to remove the evap core. So sadly the dash needs to be pulled back or removed to replace the heater core.
@@propanepusher101 thanks Richard. Luckily my heater core wasn’t leaking or blocked. I had wet carpet which turned out to be a weatherstrip issue and the heater stopped blowing hot not because of the blender or the core but because the engine cover plastic piece was pinching off the heater hose in the engine compt!
I recently changed out the compressor and accumulator and changed all the seals even on the condenser. I never thought about the evaporator. Could this be the reason why my new compressor won't engage because the evaporator is bad? System will not hold compression either.
@@ewalt5501 the clicking in and out is because it is not at right PSI in system. Mine does the same once it runs low. Believe mine has a bad evap. Most likely will be using this method in the spring so I have ac
What width did you cut. It looks like it can be gaged by 2 or 3 rib sections. If I could load a pic I could explain better how I see it in sections. Th aka for sharing this hack.
Hi Jamie, it has been a while, but if I recall correctly the housing is shaped just like the condenser so we just cut the portion that protruded out. I hope that helps. Good luck
Curious how many people take a vehicle to a shop and they say we can fix the evaporator coil for $300 this way or $1,500 to do it right how many would choose this
he heater core is removed from the top of the climate control box, there is a blend door between the heater core and the side of the case that Joe cut to remove the evap core. So sadly the dash needs to be pulled back or removed to replace the heater core.
coming from someone who did the heater core the correct way, there is literally none. Best way is to label every bolt. The HVAC box has to be completely unbolted from the firewall & even the dryer for the hvac to come back some to even slip the heater core out bc isn’t there enough clearance to just slide it out.. so the entire hvac box has to come out a few inches and by that point you can take it completely out of the truck and clean it at that point
Now I'm really worried that my 99 Silverado is going to be leaking thru this part. My air compressor kicks on and off, and when it does seem to work, it only blows cool & not cold. I wish I could know for sure why it doesn't work. But I don't have time to let my truck sit for too long in a shop because its my only form of transportation.
One of the comments said to add dye tobthe system, then look for traces of dye in the condensate that drips...that sounded like a good idea to help determine if it is the evap or not
My question here is.. I got the same problem rite now , I have a leak inside my cab I have a 99 gmc Sierra 1500 but I ask a mechanic if he can just cut it and replace it, but he said it wouldn’t be a good idea because then water is gonna be leaking inside cab because that thing gets full of water, is that true? I want to do it my self , everything else is new except that can y’all help me out with this question please??? Thank you!!! And I need to do it ASAP!!! Cause I live in Florida and is so damn HOT!!! 😁👍🏽
I think someone did this to my truck before I got it so now the are doesn't make its way up to the vents what do you do to fix that put it back on there and then glue it maybe I
im curious on a update... how bad does it rattle? did you have any leak issues? flex tape sealed my hole in bottom of pool and i applied it while pool was full. maybe apply over glue?
@@SouthFLMudClub The B Soda acts as a filler and also helps kick off (Catalyzes) the crazy glue, and acts as additional strengthening material. Basically, it makes a stronger joint
A few things I'm a firm believer of..... 1) if you don't know what you're doing, hire someone that does. 2) if you're not going to do it right the first time, don't bother doing it at all. 3) you said "without screwing everything up now" you screwed it up 2 seconds into the video.
Should have been titled how to make sure that your dash cracks your glove box doesn't close right that everything goes to shit while you devalue your pickup and look like an idiot doing it but be sure to post it on UA-cam so everybody sees it!!!
it's a 20 year old GM product, everything plastic that is going to crack has already cracked 10 years ago LOL
Who hurt you cry baby
I've got a 95 2500 pickup magnificent thank you car Wizards scared me it ain't got to be pretty for crying out loud it's under the dash just needs to work and blow cold air AC is back in town👍👍 two thumbs up thanks dude very cool indeed literally 😁
I did pull the dash on my wife's 98 GMC and it was so brittle it fell to pieces. Not to mention that it was a real pain to put it back in. Never again. I need an evap core in my 99 Silverado so I'm going to try this method.
What evoman said... When it's you and your truck you can make the decision to try it by the book. After you've broken ever single corner of plastic from countless dash pieces you'll be cutting that glove box up in no time.
Nice hack job...but I mean that in a positive way. I've done 3 evap cores and 2 heater cores on 20+ year old Toyotas.....and while a pain, everything came out and went back in without breaking anything. I did ONE evap core on a 2000 Silverado the "proper way" using a proper shop manual.....NEVER again. So many plastic pieces broke that my friend thought I was speaking in tongues I was swearing unintelligibly. Great video, this is THE proper way on an old GM.
Wow, this is your most viewed video (by a long ways)! Kind of surprised me at first then I realized it probably gets searched every summer when guys are trying to get ACs working in their old trucks. Love that you’re still answering comments 2 years later. 👍🏻
Hi Cory, I am terrible at predicting which videos will do well. I almost didn't film this because I thought it was too specific. I guy there are a lot of folks like me with 20-30 year old trucks. Cheers
Well done, old school thought process. Fix what is broke without deconstructing the entire vehicle…
Thank you much for this great hack, you're my kind of mechanic. God bless you 🙏
Great shortcut! Reminds me of the time I cut a nice hole under the back seat of my Mazda 626 to get that fuel pump changed. Gotta love engineers
Instead of trash talk. Post your vids of pulling your 20+ yr old dash and doing this "the right way" then show me how good it came out. Meanwhile my a/c is blowin snow in the fl heat. Jobs done, im cleaned up and your still crackin your dash pad, still 2hrs away from exposing the evap core.. not to mention most of you diy "tubers" won't have much dash left to put back in. Please excuse my experience. Its just an opinion like everyone else...
Thanks for the comment Joey. When a vehicle has 265k miles on it "getting it done" becomes the goal. Getting it done "the right way" feels kinda like rearranging chairs on the Titanic....just my opinion. Cheers
@@joeheilm Yes, you're 100% right. I like how you used black RTV sealant (I think that's what it is) so that should hold together quite well. I think that's the better option than the gorilla tape someone else used. I think this is the ONLY correct way to do this repair when the repair costs as much as the vehicle in many cases. I think this is where my leak is on my 276,000 mile suburban. I'm going to do it your way and if I glue it will I don't think there is anything wrong with doing the repair this way. It's not like it's some valuable or classic car!😂🤣
@@davidbenji1 thanks David! Good luck. The jb weld plastic is excellent glue. Cheers
Beer time that’s what I’m talking about
No truer words have ever been spoken.
Hell yeah that’s what I’m talking about, I rather do that on my truck than think of what a normal mechanic would charge me if he was doing it the right way. It would cost more than what the truck is worth lol😂
For sure...cheers!
In a old beat/rusted/up old truck I love this ideal
Perfect video 👌. In the middle of doing the job right now along with a new accumulator and compressor
Aside from the parts store sending me the wrong compressor. Ac is now blowing at a crisp 35° 🥶
Great video. Thank you for sharing. I’ve been driving around with no A/C, dreading having to replace my evaporator the conventional way
I just paid $45 for three 12 oz cans of 134a; thanks Brandon!
I don't like Biden either, but r134 prices have been crazy for years. The new r1234 stuff is like $44 a can at advanced. No doubt the Greta Thumberg crew owns stock in refrigerant. Cheers
@@joeheilm you need an air conditioned car more than you need a car.
Customers vehicle? Absolutely no
Personal vehicle? Where's my oscillating tool.
Short and Sweet, thank you, great job!
Great clear video instructions without wasting time talking about and promoting yourself.
Thanks for the kind words. Cheers
No doubt about it, IM GONNA DO THE EXACT SAME THING. Im convinced the only reason the behind the dash "coffin" was ever designed was to SPIKE HIGH GM service department revenue. Dude they sure could've designed it with door covers just luke a cabin filter cover, abd done it for the heater core too..... SHADE TREE HACKS THAT ROCK💪💪💪
No doubt...there had to be a reason behind this terrible design. Thanks for the comment. Cheers
Great video! I would use "The right stuff," made by Permatex for gluing it back in. It comes in a caulking gun tube. Make sure you give it a full "48 hrs." To dry, because then it is strongest. Ask me how I know! It is easy to cut when you need to replace the evaporator again. They used "the right stuff" to seal a huge hole in an engine block on a boat on UA-cam and it worked great!
If you didn't video the glove box going back in without any rattles it didn't happen. Good hack though but not showing the glove box re-installation is an indication it didn't go right.
Not showing the glove box reinstall is an indication that I edited that part out 😂. I have zero interest in misleading anyone...it went back together with no problems
@@joeheilm Ok I can understand. This is a good hack but most are not use to cutting up their vehicle even an old truck. It would have been nice to show the solution and detail of the glove box re installation similar to what you showed when fixing the evap box after cutting it. Showing that part could have shown others ways to prevent rattle, ways to improve it, or a ways to return back to a stock. Again, good hack and thanks for taken the time to film it.
Same thing on the newer Chevy evaporator coil temp sensors. Instead of pulling the dash you can cut a 1" hole.
Thanks love this I got the tools and a shop and will never remove a dash cut cut snip snip
Thank you guys for the nice video I was about to ripoff my dashboard
Excellent video. Beats the hell out of taking your entire dash out just to get to the evaporator
Glad it worked for you. Not my style though. Replaced in a 99 via dash removal method. I guess that sawsall method is just as good. Or not.
Very clever hack.👍🏻👍🏻
@Joe's Shop OMG this is GOLD right here. Even tho I have a 2012 'Tahoe, I think alot of this will apply as far as this job is concerned... SUBSCRIBING! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the info. Its nice to know in wich direction the evap. sits . I have a 2002 silverado and if the Evaporator ever goes bad , this is how I will replace it .
Yea, this is a real time saver. When your evap goes i hope this helps. Cheers
Great video , thanks for sharing, very well explained , and using that JB weld to put everything back together is a great clean idea
I saw what a mess it would be to change the heater core on my 98 Chevy 1500 so carefully did the same,,,upgraded to H.D. core and glued it back together. Super easy, never could see it and it roasted me out, Lol. I didn't have to cut glovebox metal. Drove it daily 10 more years trouble free until it was rear ended. This is the ONLY way to do it.
My suggestion for the glove box door.
The cut made on the left side should have been made on the left side of the bolt hole.
That way with only drilling two more holes and two small pieces of flat bar you could remount the bar you cut out on both sides.
As long as you cut the Evaporator box neatly and in one piece, aluminum hvac tape should seal the cut out piece just fine.
YES
Been doing this as a pro for 45 yrs. I would definitely offer this as a cheaper labor alternative to a customer. Remember haters the guys working on an old pu truck not a Lamborghini. Get real! He got cold air in a couple hours, good job! To dh guy if GM had put a nice,neat access panel like they easily could have would it be ok then? Get a life. Hats off to the hacker😂
Interesting…
If I were to suggest anything. There are some videos of basically wielding plastic.
The short, use a soldering iron to melt it and use some more plastic as a rod. Like tig.
Great hack! Thanks for sharing. 🍻🍻🍻
Hi David...i actually have a very old episode on plastic welding, zip ties make great plastic welding media. I wanted to plastic weld it, but my buddy wanted to use the glue. Thanks David. Cheers
@@joeheilm What was the voltage of the drill you were using? I am in the process of replacing my antenna because the screws busted off, an I have to drill them out from the base surface.
why is people complaining by him doing it this way? It's genius. once you put everything back youre not even going to know. anything was done.
Very true...it is still working great. Cheers
My thoughts exactly ....... Genius.
Hey had to change fuel pump on my 97 Silverado. It called for dropping the gas tank or lifting the bed to get to it. Well i just cut a square access hole straight over top of fuel pump. Put hinges on the squre i cut out wnd niw i have a open and shut window to fuel pump at any time. For some people it had to be by the book for me it has to be by common sence. See these car and truck builders do these type of things on purpose knowing the customer will pay for all that shop and mechanic time. If only thongs where made like they was back in the day life would be better. Gotta do what you gotta do.
If a guy took his time, and paid real close attention to what he was doing, this method would work well on an old beater truck. I would pay closer attention to how I cut off the plastic, and make sure a few locating tabs to help hold it in place while epoxy set. The removal of the glovebox support is also not something I would do personally. I would try to leave a way to reattach it somehow, but that’s not hard to fabricate. Lots of hate for this guy, but it’s a decent hack. Literally 😆
As summer comes I bet that more than a few haters are going to give this hack a second look...just sayin. Cheers
Got it done. Thanks 😊🙏
The lower dash part isn’t bad to remove, I’d would have done that..the cut to the plastic was nice. I’ll definitely keep this in mind if I ever have to change mine out
Great video chief
not my current issue but im glad i saw this, if an whenever my evap needs replacing, im doing it like this lol
Yea, it is a real time saver. Cheers
This is amazing content! Right when I gave up hope and except the fact that I’d never have ac in my 99 tahoe again, I run into this video. I mean I totally refuse to take that dash out! But thanks to you guys I don’t have to!👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
I hope it works out for you, my buddy Dave's system is still working great, and there are no condensate leaks. Cheers
@@joeheilm It don’t look like a 2004
Thank you thank you thank you great idea for my 92 silverado
It would be cheaper for the elderly people to pay the repair shop to do it this way than the tedious factory way, with these $115/hr. Labor rates.
This worked great for my old pickup. Would do it again. I had some condensate leaking onto my floorboard, but I bet if you're careful, you can seal it up to condensate drains through the drain.
Yea absolutely I'd do it again. Did you use epoxy to seal it back up?
I was gonna ask if you had any condensation leaks. I'm pretty sure my 99 is leaking at the evaporator
@@garysimmons5520 hi Gary. No the jb plastic epoxy sealed it up perfectly. Cheers
Thanks... that's what I'll use
Dude that was amazing! Saved me sooo much time and headache. When you star pulling older dashboards out for this repair they usually crack everywhere. This is the only way to do it imo.
This MIGHT be considered a hack job but I believe in disturbing as little as possible to get the job done.
If you're careful in cutting and take a bit of pride in putting it back together, a decent repair is possible.
No way I'd consider disassembling and removing the dash.
U could rebuild it in a way that allows future access like a little door. But it does have to keep some pressure 🤔 I guess that's fine honestly because you won't go back in there for years hopefully. U can cut the glue out again easily if necessary. It's a god damn shame that's the most sane option for fixing it 😆
Need a follow up video on how to put it back together now
I checked online I found the generic 99 Silverado evap core R&R price is $1400 to $1600 this process saves about 1000 well fucking done
Yes sir...thanks for the comment. Cheers
2004 had Cat Eye headlights so this looks like an older truck. Basically the same other than front end.
You are right...that is why I put (2002) in the title. I'm not sure why he said 2004. Cheers
How you get the glove box door remounted and not rattle every drive making you kick the dash inside out lol?
what size was the bolts that you used bolt back into the evaporator core the old one has the studs the new one doesnt just pulled mine out and same thing the new one doesnt have the studs
Hi Joe... my sons 2001 s10 just stopped cooling.... this might come in handy when we decide to tackle that... but for now, I hope it just needs charging.. but I doubt we get that lucky.. lol.. have a gooden
thats a different setup on an s10
My air wasn’t working properly. I used stop leak, but I think that took out my compressor. I know one of the Schrader valves was leaking, but I feel like it’s probably this damn evaporator core too. I’ll do this in about 10 seconds. The only thing I would probably do different as use some HVAC tape to secure it back in place, and if it happens again, it’s even easier than the first time!
I’m normally a “do it the right way” even if it’s a hard job kind of guy, but I’ve been under the dashes on enough of these trucks to know how much of a pain they are. So many opportunities to create more problems than you’re solving. I have an 02 that’s I’m pretty sure the evaporator is leaking on. Probably gonna go this route… thanks for posting!
I'm a do it the right way guy too. Most of the time. But when it comes to removing a dash I learned the hard way that I'm gonna wind up with a few left over nuts and screws. And maybe a courtesy light or two that didn't get regrounded. I like this idea because all the ugly is hidden behind the dash.
I’m in the middle of doing this project. I wish I had seen this video before I started. It would’ve been easy if only I had known in advance.
I am sorry you found this too late. There is no harm in fixing it the "right" way i guess. Anyway good luck and thanks for watching. Cheers
I’m just glad that all these auto makers can save $25 a vehicle by not having the evaporator core serviceable through an access panel
Great video thank you. work for me.save time and money.Thank you again...
I'm glad it helped. Cheers
Dash assembly is pretty strait forward. I don’t believe that the air conditioning is important enough to destroy your dash. Good luck
In Florida AC is essential. Unless you pulled the glove box you would never know. Cheers
Good idea 👍
Savage. But a serious saving in time an labor.
That's what I'm about to do to my 24 year old silverado, forget taking that dash off.
This truck is a 99-02 don’t try this on a 03-07 classic our evap
Core boxes are different I tried this and now I have to change out my whole box I have a 04 Tahoe and they changed the style
Honestly i think this is a pretty good hack. All the haters complaining should take a look at a shop quote at $100 to $150 per hour in labor and a $175 part. The dash part you cut is easily fixable by tack welding or drill and rivet some scrap metal in there.
Woohoo no struggles with dash 🙌
all I know is....I KNEW there had to be an easier way!!! What a nightmare & rookie engineering job from GM....or they planned it that way?????
Thank you for this!!!
Right...what a joke. Good luck...I hope this works out for you. Cheers
What if someone did this before you bought your truck what's that whole piece called if you want to buy a new one to replace that?
Have you run into any issues with hack way of doing this? Would you do it this way if you had to do it again? I’m all about doing things right, but the thought of everything else that could go wrong with pulling the dash seems to favor cutting the box. Not to mention what, 10+ hours of extra work.
Thanks for the video and research!
This is my truck we used to test this in the video, still going strong 2 years later!
Could you shine your black light on the water dripping from the ac and see it it had ac refrigerant in it? it would glow if it had something in it.
It's not guaranteed the condensated water will mix at the leak... But yea worth a try
Maybe not. I suspect my evaporator has a leak and there is no dye visible at the drain tube, but my refrigerant leak sniffer does seem to indicate refrigerant at the drain tube. I'm trying to decide how to be very sure before I go after the evaporator.
Thanks for showing this technique. Is your vehicle engine a Duramax or gas? My shop is telling me that evaporators for my '04 Duramax are not available and that the gas engine a/c evaps are not compatible with the diesel models. I do have two torx heads on my firewall fitting that I don't see in the fitting on this video.
Mine is gas.
Is there anyplace that still does after market A/C ???
That might be the way to go.
I’m going to do this tonight it’s too hot during the day and I’ll get a fine from my apt complex lol
I feel better now I’m not the only person who gets harassed at home doing mechanics for my personal vehicle I checked my oil that’s it they seen my hood open an say you can’t work on it ?they did not understand
@@John-pk6ep working class problems lol
That COULD have been designed with a removable cover and cross member which would have eliminated the horribly time consuming nightmare of dismantling the dash.
For sure. I wish the GM headlight engineer was in charge of the hvac system. I love the fact that I can change a head light with no tools in under a minute. Genius engineering. Cheers
Awesome
NOT a 2004 looks like a 2002.
Dremel with a 90 degree and cutting wheel.
Awesome video its messed up how these things are designed to replace a simple part when they could put an access panel to replace their cheapo parts they use…
And you know, there’s several ways one could modify this piece going back in. Pretty sure I’d just plastic weld a few spots and coat the rest with RTV, or HVAC tape. This should have always had an access panel like that. This was obviously designed by a designer and not a mechanic.
You could use duct tape and never even glue it back on.
Lol...yes you could. Cheers
Dumb question but can you access the heater core this way? I figured if i was in there i might as well replace it too if this gives you access
I don't think so
What size are the nuts that go to the accumulator and ac line? And thread size if you happen to know it, at some point someone was working on that on my truck and they didn't put the line back so I'm missing one
Id guess m10 x 1.5
Can I do the same thing on a 2008
Too bad i didn't get to see the rest of this hack job. I did heater core on my 99 Dakota. 10 hour job and didn't break or butcher anything.. Sometimes it's worth the time to do it right.
For sure...but not in this 250k mile beast. Cheers
So does it leak condensation on the passenger floor now that the pan is no longer a solid molded piece?
Not at all. The jb plastic weld is amazing stuff
with all the lovers and haters of this "fix",, I have seen much worse repair work from ASE Certified Technicians, if you are tight on money and not froggy to pull your dash out, then this is for you, if you have the money then do it by pulling the dash or take it to the shop. Remember if you don't like beer, don't buy it.
Well said. Cheers
Plus that old Chevy plastic breaks to easy.
Not a bad hack. Just got done replacing it. I just want to know what’s best to seal it back up. I used the same jb weld but it’s leaking through it
That is weird...I have had really good luck with the JB plastic weld. Maybe the Bob Smith industries (BSI) epoxy is worth a try. good luck
Whats the chances you could cut the bottom or side of the airbox to get the heater core out?
Good question...my heater core has not blown out yet, so I am not sure. It sounds possible. Good luck. Let me know what you end up doing. Cheers
the heater core is removed from the top of the climate control box, there is a blend door between the heater core and the side of the case that Joe cut to remove the evap core. So sadly the dash needs to be pulled back or removed to replace the heater core.
@@propanepusher101 thanks Richard. Luckily my heater core wasn’t leaking or blocked. I had wet carpet which turned out to be a weatherstrip issue and the heater stopped blowing hot not because of the blender or the core but because the engine cover plastic piece was pinching off the heater hose in the engine compt!
I think I'll take the long way around..
why not show the finished product and how it looks?
I recently changed out the compressor and accumulator and changed all the seals even on the condenser. I never thought about the evaporator. Could this be the reason why my new compressor won't engage because the evaporator is bad? System will not hold compression either.
I meant hold vaccum.
Mine clicks in and out, so I’m in the same boat! I’m willing to bet it’s my evaporator
@@ewalt5501 the clicking in and out is because it is not at right PSI in system. Mine does the same once it runs low. Believe mine has a bad evap. Most likely will be using this method in the spring so I have ac
What about glove box? Did it rattle after cutting that brace? Dash rattle?
No, it still works fine and there is no rattle
Are you able to reuse the Glove box afterwards and not have anything rattle around?
Yes...it is good. Nothing gets destroyed
What width did you cut. It looks like it can be gaged by 2 or 3 rib sections. If I could load a pic I could explain better how I see it in sections. Th aka for sharing this hack.
Hi Jamie, it has been a while, but if I recall correctly the housing is shaped just like the condenser so we just cut the portion that protruded out. I hope that helps. Good luck
@@joeheilm thanks a lot for sharing and the reply. Keep on pioneering
Curious how many people take a vehicle to a shop and they say we can fix the evaporator coil for $300 this way or $1,500 to do it right how many would choose this
Excellent question. Cheers
I would pick " this way for $300", in honor of Mr. George Alexander Trebek
Can you remove heater core the same way?
I don't think so...sorry
I do not understand why they just do not make a plate for the firewall(if room to pull it out engine side).
Most semi trucks have a plate right where he cut
I just paid $1000 to have this replaced! I wish I would've seen this hack first! 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
What’s that part number for that trim plastic (1.00) under the glove box
“1.00”
Any chance of a shortcut for the heater core?
Lol....i wish. Cheers
Just take the dash pads off and you can get to it
he heater core is removed from the top of the climate control box, there is a blend door between the heater core and the side of the case that Joe cut to remove the evap core. So sadly the dash needs to be pulled back or removed to replace the heater core.
coming from someone who did the heater core the correct way, there is literally none. Best way is to label every bolt. The HVAC box has to be completely unbolted from the firewall & even the dryer for the hvac to come back some to even slip the heater core out bc isn’t there enough clearance to just slide it out.. so the entire hvac box has to come out a few inches and by that point you can take it completely out of the truck and clean it at that point
Now I'm really worried that my 99 Silverado is going to be leaking thru this part. My air compressor kicks on and off, and when it does seem to work, it only blows cool & not cold. I wish I could know for sure why it doesn't work. But I don't have time to let my truck sit for too long in a shop because its my only form of transportation.
One of the comments said to add dye tobthe system, then look for traces of dye in the condensate that drips...that sounded like a good idea to help determine if it is the evap or not
My question here is.. I got the same problem rite now , I have a leak inside my cab I have a 99 gmc Sierra 1500 but I ask a mechanic if he can just cut it and replace it, but he said it wouldn’t be a good idea because then water is gonna be leaking inside cab because that thing gets full of water, is that true? I want to do it my self , everything else is new except that can y’all help me out with this question please??? Thank you!!! And I need to do it ASAP!!! Cause I live in Florida and is so damn HOT!!! 😁👍🏽
Just glue it back together with the JB weld plastic. I have not had a drop of water inside. Cheers
I think someone did this to my truck before I got it so now the are doesn't make its way up to the vents what do you do to fix that put it back on there and then glue it maybe I
ua-cam.com/video/HRYHZoIO89M/v-deo.htmlsi=0ppQoo5HU4vrB720
It sounds like a blend door. Check out this video. Cheers
im curious on a update... how bad does it rattle? did you have any leak issues? flex tape sealed my hole in bottom of pool and i applied it while pool was full. maybe apply over glue?
It works perfectly, no rattling, no leaks. The jb plastic weld worked perfect to seal it all back with no leak.
@@joeheilm awesome... Yours def looks better than the rest of them slop jobs ive seen. What exactly did the banking soda do? I was a bit confused
@@SouthFLMudClub The B Soda acts as a filler and also helps kick off (Catalyzes) the crazy glue, and acts as additional strengthening material. Basically, it makes a stronger joint
Oh we can tell you were definitely huffing Freon before you made this video , Nothing wrong with you LOL
Use a roto zip on it it will work fine
Is the procedure the same for a 08 gmc sierra
I don't know...sorry
A few things I'm a firm believer of.....
1) if you don't know what you're doing, hire someone that does.
2) if you're not going to do it right the first time, don't bother doing it at all.
3) you said "without screwing everything up now" you screwed it up 2 seconds into the video.
You do you...I prefer to screw things up on my own. Cheers