Removing the cabin heater on a facelift K11 (2000)

Hi guys,

I've had something leaking coolant, which got so low that the engine overheated and I got steaming antifreeze coming through the vents. Mmm, smelly socktastic!

A couple of guys said to me that it's probably a blown head gasket, but I don't want to believe that (plus it may mean the death of the car because I can't afford to have the block reskimmed and am completely unqualified to do anything with the head).

I'd figured that it might be a leak in the cabin heater, because the carpets had been a bit damp a while back. So I removed the dash (total nightmare to do it without taking off the steering wheel, it took a couple of days on and off with two of us messing about) and we removed part of the box between heater and blower. Enough to reveal some patches of rust on the cabin radiator. Yes!

However, even though the Haynes manual says that the same instructions apply to post-1998 K11s, it doesn't seem possible to just "extract" the heater matrix and core. There's a big grey metal frame in the way, bolted to the body and apparently welded to some kind of pole behind the steering wheel!!

I'm at a complete loss here. Does anyone have a clue how to remove the heater bits from a 2000 Micra? :suspect:
 
OP
OP
Desty
That'll teach me to try removing car parts at night! The welded on bit was bolted in somewhere else and I was able to swivel the rest of the frame out of the way and work the heater matrix out :D Now I just need to make a note of which cable goes where for later....
 
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