Leak in evaporator core

So my second gen developed a leak in the evaporator core. I’m planning to replace it myself due to them asking $1700 for repairs. I’ll replace the evaporator core and he also recommended replacing the heater core as preventative measures and the desiccant bag. Does that sound right?

Also, anyone know of a walkthrough/write up? I did a quick search and saw a few threads, but haven’t really read through them just yet. Figured I’d ask anyway.

 

I haven't had the pleasure of this happening to me.
That being said; the reading I've done boils down to it's a bitch and 4/3...Ok, 2/3. I would absolutely replace everything in there I could.

Get some masking tape and label every connector you unplug. If you find any that aren't being used. Throw a price of tape over the connector itself.

Zip lock baggies for all the hardware for, console, lower dash panel, radio....

And take lots of pictures of this adventure!

Just my $.02... I think I would be apoplectic if I had to go back in there again.

Good luck!

 

Excellent advice Larry!

 

Thanks, I’ve got no problem doing that. I just want to make sure I get everything I need before I start working on it. I’m not a mechanic, but I know how to turn a wrench, so if there’s any other recommended parts that I should replace, I’m all ears.

 

Check the fan speed resistor. Unplug it and look in the plug. One terminal may me discolored. You can buy a kit that comes with everything needed to replace the resistor and connector . Check the back of the HVAC control as well.

 

Thank you sir.
Experience; it comes from 2 things, age and f* ups.
Sadly, the first part I'm getting more of. The second part..... Well, we all have had one or 3.

One the job training... Lol

 

ha, this was already on my list. My low fan setting has not worked for a while

 

Any plans on tunes down the road? I imagine the front seats will be out.
Prefect time to get some RCA's under the carpet along with power and speaker wires. That will save hours later.

 

Also just to add to Larry, Check the two wire plug that goes to the motor itself it also burns at times, though less frequently than the others.

 

Something else I haven't had the pleasure of dealing with yet. As I cross my fingers my toes my eyes my legs my arms...

 

Is the expansion valve part of the evap, or separate? If separate, and in the case, do it too, as well as the accumulator (under hood)

Now, how confident are you in the diagnosis? Trustworthy shop? Dye test or sniffer? It would be a shame to replace a bunch of stuff and not fix the problem.

 

The expansion valve is a separate component and bolts onto the evaporator core where it passes through the firewall.

** NOTE: On a good note the Expansion Valve can be replaced without ripping out the dashboard from under the hood.

 

Having my evap core leak is probably one of the few large fears I have with my truck. I've replaced them on previous gen Toyota pickups and Tacoma, but not the 2nd Gen. Basically remove entire dash. I removed my entire dash in my 91 pickup to replace my heater core and that shit wasn't fun. Label everything and take pictures.
On a side note, if you would like to do a write-up later, I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate that here.

 

This one should be helpful.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/step-by-step-complete-dash-disassembly-with-pics.405055/

 

This may also help for the dash removal:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/attachments/dashr-pdf.2784702/

Taken from this thread on Evap Core Replacement:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/evaporator-replacement.556336/

 

It seems like more people have evaporator problems with later 2nd gens than early 2nd gens.

After doing extensive research before doing my own DIY repair on my A/C, the common leak points seem to be the schrader valves, condenser, and the seals at the condenser inlet/outlet (which was my problem). You should check those first before believing what the shop says about the evaporator. If the condenser or seals are leaking you will see grime built up around the leak point if it’s a slow leak or a pool of green dye from the refrigerant if it’s a big leak.

 

I replaced everything on my 2nd gen. Starting off, make sure you use a vacuum pump to remove oil/ whatever is left In system. Then disconnect the plastic clamp that’s closest to the firewall. I think there’s also a bolt there too if I remember correctly. Make sure you don’t lose that plastic clamp because only Toyota makes and sells it. For some odd reason that thing keeps the system tied in from the evap and the high/low pressure lines in the engine bay. The Whole dash will need to come out including crash bar to access the evap and expansion valve. It’s not really all that hard. It’s just tedious. Keep all the hardware in a magnetic tray. I didn’t label any bolts/nuts since majority were pretty much same in cab. For the condenser, you will need to unbolt the radiator to give room for the condenser to slide out. This may be a little vague but this is what I remember doing off the top of my head. I y’all is pretty much reverse order. I didn’t use oem parts but used aftermarket parts on mines so I saved $ there.

 

Yah I’ll be honest, I’m not real sure where exactly to look for some of the stuff that’s being mentioned, but my current plan is to remove the blower motor and see if I can see a leak in the evap core, which is what the shop said they did. Then I might have a better idea.

 

Take a look at this video, if you haven't already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dqoithYqm8

This is of a 2nd Gen's dash removal for evap core replacement. To me, if I had to do a evap core replacement myself, this would be a good video to show me the sequence of the dash removal, visually.

 

Your dash will look like this lol.