Heater core

Replaced the stock heater core in late July 2007, after 11 years. Today, roughly five years later, my mechanic told me today the replacement has failed.

Reading through the Ford Escort forums how-to's...wow, about as bad as I remember it from reading about it years ago.

Smart ideas

• Wear gloves...e.g., http://www.mechanix.com/automotive/the-original-glove
• Use something like a small bbq-fork to pry off plastic parts
• Tape screws for each panel to the panel itself
• Put painted marks on the cable to help with re-installing the heater cables
• Pull up on parking brake
• Put some grease on the speedometer head where the cable clips in because Ford did a poor job of doing this at the factory. the result is that the needle would jump all over the place on these cars.
• Burp the coolant system
• Lay a thick towel or blanket across the e-brake and seat belt components when you remove and lay your dash upside down across them.
• Do not get a replacement core from AutoZone as it is inferior core. I say this as i am about to do this job again on this car. 
• Get some angled wrenches and screw drivers if your going to do it because some of the bolts/screws at the base of the windsheild are a _________. (Insert Favorite Words Here)
• its important not to rush when doing larger projects and remember to plan ahead.
• re-secure (zip-tie) the speedometer cable back to the battery tray as it were originally
• Replace heater blower motor
• Check the state of the evaporator core
• Tighten up all the fasteners you can find on the removed dash assembly
• Power wash the seats and carpet, lube up pedal pivots and cables, wash all the plastic bits that come off and clean the inside of the windshield. 
• Pulling the dash really is a breeze. If you don't follow the manual. If you disconnet the heater/ac controls, radio antenna, speedo cable. You can then remove a combo of 13 to 14 bolts and nuts. When the dash is pulled forward you can disconnect 2 multi connector plugs and the speedo from the cluster and pull the dash as a whole. It takes doing it the hard way once to curse ford, chiltons, and haynes for instructing you the wrong way of doing it.

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0qJhyNRHx0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh8uFGud70c

Preventative maintenance

Backflushing: "I think doing regular radiator service helped keep it alive. Doing back flushing by unplugging the heater core from the engine, then attaching a hose to it to get all the gunk out. Did that every 3 years to the car."

Alternatives

Via Youtube comment [sic]: "bout a cheap heater core from napa, Cut a hole in the firewall just about 3/4'' all around the edges of where it will sets, and replaced it using rubber gasket material and 16 ga. steel to cover the hole with 4 small self tapping screws for when it happens again, be damned if i'm gunna go thru all that work atleast twice in the life of this car. Turns a 4-5 hr. job into about 20 min. and there is no problems at all." ...cordless spiral saw? Heh. Someone did this with die grinder and cutoff wheels....