Finally got my 2001 F-150's heater core swapped in my freezing garage last night after three tries and a lot of spilled coolant.

Has anyone else found a trick for getting those lower heater box bolts back in without dropping them into the abyss?

3 comments

3 Comments

Is dropping a bolt really that big of a deal? Just fish it out with a magnet on a stick, happens to everyone. Sounds like you made the job way harder than it had to be.

claireg813mo ago

Ever tried fishing a bolt out of a tight engine bay where the magnet won't fit? Sometimes it rolls into a drain hole or gets stuck behind a bracket. You spend an hour trying to find it, only to have it fall deeper when you touch it with the magnet. Then you're taking off parts you didn't plan to, just to avoid a nasty rattle later. It can totally turn a 10 minute job into a whole afternoon.

-1

jamies451mo ago

Heard a tip from a buddy who swears by using a piece of duct tape to hold the bolt in the socket. Works like a charm until you get the angle right. @claireg81 has the right idea about the magnet though, sometimes that tape saves your whole afternoon.

-1