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Oh I almost forgot about that! The mechanic noticed that the boots are gone and suggested that I could replace them but if I wanted to I can replace the joints for assurance. As for the transmission, when it got warm, it would vibrate from first to second gear if I drove normally but went away if I jack rabbit it. The guy that worked on my dad’s F-85 said to check the modulator/governor to see if it needs to be replaced.

If the engine was worn out then the cv joints are probably worn, too. How many miles are on the car?

I'd take the original cv joints and send them to a rebuilder like Lares or Cardone or Applied GMC.

With evetyrhing out of the engine bay, you have a perfect opportunity to restore / refresh the underhood components.

I'd replace the heater core as well because that's a frigging bitch to do with the engine in place - especially if you have a/c.

The part is $25 but the labor to do it with the engine in place would be prohibitive.

For the heater core, where can I find a replacement? It seems like Autozone and RockAuto don’t supply one.

I bought one for my car several years ago from Rock Auto. Who knows if they're part of this supply chain problem or whether companies have stopped making them?

When I was looking for a new radiator for a 1966 Mustang recently I was told by a major national radiator supplier that copper/brass radiators are becoming scarce. They didn't have any in stock. All they had were plastic/aluminum replacements. The copper to build them is priced through the roof and demand is dropping off.

My rebuilder had one in stock for $200 and told me that to repair the original would cost $350 due to the cost of materials.

If you can't find a new one it might be a good idea to take your old one out and check it. Have a radiator shop boil it out maybe even re-solder the tanks. or even re-core it. I normally subscribe to the adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." but in the case of radiator cores on any vehicle, it makes sense to R&R them if you happen to have the engine out because they are universally difficult to access on vehicles from the 60s and up.

NicolasB,

Heater cores are readily available. I replaced mine last year. The one I used in my '66 was made by APDI # 9010328 or #AY:9010061; Other than one screw at the bottom of the housing, the heater core replacement was not a bad as I expected. As Otto said, it would be much easier without the engine.

If you find someone who will rebuild your CV joint, please let us know as I was unable to find anyone who would do this once they found out it was the large round joint (on my '66 car) and not the triangular one found on later model cars. I fund the same issue with CV boots. The ones for the triangular CV joint are available, but not for the large round ones. I researched the largest boot that I could find and then stretched it to get it on.

Marty St. Louis, MO

Willysnut1959 wrote:NicolasB,

Heater cores are readily available. I replaced mine last year. The one I used in my '66 was made by APDI # 9010328 or #AY:9010061; Other than one screw at the bottom of the housing, the heater core replacement was not a bad as I expected. As Otto said, it would be much easier without the engine.

If you find someone who will rebuild your CV joint, please let us know as I was unable to find anyone who would do this once they found out it was the large round joint (on my '66 car) and not the triangular one found on later model cars. I fund the same issue with CV boots. The ones for the triangular CV joint are available, but not for the large round ones. I researched the largest boot that I could find and then stretched it to get it on.

Marty St. Louis, MO

Hi Marty are you talking about the inner boot? I recently replaced both outer boots with a Dorman Speedi Boot. Not ideal but works well.

I remember that you contacted Applied GMC a couple years back. Do they not rebuild cv joints anymore?

Cardone sells rebuilt cv joints and will rebuild yours if yu send it to them. Dorman lists boots for both inner and outer joints.

Here's the contact info for Applied GMC. They've changed their name and website and I don't see the cv joint rebuild service listed but I'd call and talk to Jim anyway. He has been extremely helpful to me in the past.

https://www.gmcrvparts.com/Articles.asp?ID=83

Okay, I’ll check them out and see what I can do if my budget permits. As for the heater core, the part number for ‘69 is different and it looks very similar, just a difference in terms of ridges on the top and bottom of it. Would a ‘66 fit in mine? Just want to make sure.

Does this come with the joint? It’s the axle and it’s $108.99 per side.