Greetings Zedophiles I had bypassed my heater core after getting a green footwash and TWD going beserk, not too hard really PITA tho'. Two years on, the stink of a farmers boot every time I got it out for a run got the better of me, and decided to try to get it sorted. I wanted to initially just pull the carpet and underlay in the hope I would find the source...babong!! wrong, not smelling as sweet as new, it was still pretty crappy but not 'it' so I did my homework and bit the bullet and decided to pull the lot out. My first dashboard pull - ever! It is just so scary when i see just wiring looms hanging where my dash was and a garage full of pieces and a bucket of screws nuts bolts and clips. A true saying is 'the Z was built around the heater core!' however after taking out the aircon box section I found the source, black smelly muck had built up inside. Next out the heater box then finally the famous core. The heater box has a few flaps inside all of which have a foam edge all of which were so old they crumbled to the touch, so off it came and was promptly replaced with a sticky back foam rubber from Clark Rubber - peachy! Then came the hunt for a replacement core and hoses - Nissan Australia gave the usual snobby 'oh its the TT we have to get it in from Japan $700 odd for the core, $75 each hose' nah nah nah ..... The search through the forums indicated the Mitsubishi Lancer was identical so looked on ebay etc. found a comapny in Melbourne that had a Magna one for sale that looked identical too so I rang them to check.... the owner was really knowledgable and advised me I would have to alter my heater box as it was fractionally bigger, can be done but total PTA to do. He then told me he had the right core for the z now listed on Ebay for just over a couple of hundred bux with free delivery ex stock - a done deal ! it arrives later this week. http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=300zx+heater Just need the hoses now and found cheapest from The US performance nissan parts company, just over $50 delivered.... http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/OEM-NISS...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53e8bd12d6 I hope this helps someone considering the same suicidal mission of replacing the core. It will be nice to have climate control back, without the heater core the aircon is bloody freezing and needs turning on and off, the way it works is the aircon chills it then the heater brings it up to the selected temp. Got to put it all back together yet so won't gloat about it yet ! Good opportunity to re-do the interior too... Have you ever lifted up a drivers side electric seat ? wow must be 60 kilos so definately looking to replace with a non electric one. Will look to do a how to with photos for the rebuild of the dash etc. Down to just one car (& a motorbike) between two of us which is a PITA so wont be long off the road! Enjoy......
I just done mine too, was a good chance to clean everything, also sprayed the metal braces which connect under the dash while I had it out. And cleaned all the tweed panels on the dash and also centre console, and re done some wiring whilst I was at it. took apart the blower box and heater box and cleaned them, also cleaned all the other plastic piping whilst I was at it, was thinking about making up a bracket so I could install removable foam filters on the blower, but was already taking for ever, so decided to put it back together, and save that for another time I feel like ripping the dash out. It's pretty easy, just time consuming. especially if your like me, and can't help wandering onto doing other thing to your car while your at it. Forgot how nice it was to have a zed that gives you nice warm feet =]
