Just did my 85 (my right arm was in a sling, so I had a 20 year old guy over with no Corvette experience doing what I told him to do). It was a success.
We pulled the upper pad, the right fuse cover housing, the lower knee bolster, and the CORVETTE punch pad off, as well as the hush panel that goes over your toes.
There are a couple of screws way up on the top of the housing that are a bit hard to reach.
I suggest you get a manginfied 1/4" drive 7mm socket and 10mm socket, as well as at least a 6 and 3" 1/4 drive extension to reach the upper screws.
After you get the screws out, you will feel how the housing just kind of pops loose when you get it just right. Even at this point getting to the 7mm screws that hold the heater core brackets against the core are a bit tricky. That is where the magnatized socket comes in handy to hold them in the socket drive when you go to put them back in. Otherwise, the screws are falling out and on the floor when you are suppose to be threading them in.
If you can't get a magnet, get a dab of adhesive or silicone and put it in the socket to help hold the upper screws and heater core bracket screws in. This tip alone will save you an hour or two of hunting for the dropped screw, as well as fighting to get it to stay in the socket while you start the threads..
DON'T....even think about leaving the upper screws out...because nobody but you will know! Spend a little extra time and do it right. It will be worth it in the end.
Anothe trick...if you can get a air powered 1/4" drive wratchet, it will make taking the nuts off the back of the knee bolster a snap. I can't remember for sure,but those are either 10 or 13mm nuts. There are four of them. Two on each side.
You will need:
philips head
flash light
1/4" wratchet
7, 10, and 13mm sockets
7, 10, and 13 mm wrench
3" & 6" 1/4" extension
flat head to pull the heater hose off the firewall side
plyers
Magnetized tip, or adhesive for the upper screws.
Also...get some weatherstrip foam rubber from the auto parts store. You will find when you drop the old core that the factory foam seal between the core and the house has long since deteriated away. You can put the fresh stuff in there for a factory perfect seal. You will see what I mean when you open it up.
Good luck!
