Questions about deleting my heater core bypass

[Gambaholic]

The previous owner did a heater core bypass and now I want to put a new heater core in. Believe it or not it gets cold in the Arizona desert. My windshield was frozen the last couple mornings and it sucks driving with your head out the window! I managed to find a brass/copper replacement. It’s one of those Thermal Solutions units made in Mexico. I hope it’s better than the aluminum Chinese stuff.

Long story short I’m looking to replace the blower motor and all the actuators while I’m in there. It’s a 1997 with 219K on it. The blower motor squeals from time to time and I think the actuator for the top vents is broken. No idea if the blend door works either.

1. Can someone recommend a source for any of these parts?
2. Anything else I should be aware of when tackling this job?
3. How much do most shops charge to evacuate the AC?

Any help or advice is appreciated.

 

[DaYooperTransplant]

The actuators can be found on Amazon. These are the two I replaced on a 97, Sport

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FQ225U/?tag=wranglerorg-20https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FQ2796/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Its not a complicated job, but it is tedious. Plenty of useful YouTube videos. Some do it without removing the steering wheel, I chose to remove mine. It's not my daily driver so it was nice to get all that out to look it all over, and clean it up. Don't allow the wheel to spin or you will damage the clock spring. I took pictures of anything that could possibly be put back together wrong. Wiring mainly. I took note of how many electrical "clips" I unplugged and ensured that's how many I plugged back up on assembly. There were several wires that were not connected, as they were for things my Jeep didn't come with, so keeping track of the number you disconnect is important so you are not wasting time looking for a male/female plug that isn't there. There is a "hidden" nut directly behind the valve cover/head that you have to remove the plastic cowl drain (not proper name) to get to it.

If you have the time, removing both front seats and the center cowl are a huge help. If its a soft top, I would fold that back too.
On assembly I put the nuts and bolts on loose in case I needed to jostle the dash around to get it to set right. When I finished and went for a test drive I had a horrible squeak, and it took me a while to find it. I hadn't torqued down the nuts behind the glove box. I would also go to a home center and buy some foam insulation. At 219K on the odometer, I'm sure its pretty brittle, and might as well replace with new while its out.

I don't have AC, so I cant tell you what the evacuation would cost.

Good luck

 

[Gambaholic]

I appreciate the response. This is very helpful. It got me thinking about a few things that will save me a lot of headaches. Thanks!