A couple questions heat & spare tire removal

[truckin 79]

I have replaced the heater core in truck 2 years back. It was smaller and aluminum not brass that I bought from parts store. The heat in my truck gets warm but never hot. It is warm enough to defrost windshield but I thought with such a small cab it should get hot. I have a four core radiator and so temp only rises to the first mark on gauge not half. I am worried on those rare occasions when the temp drops to 0 or a little below here in CO
The second question is spare tire removal. I am getting tires changed and want to get a different tire on spare. I do not have the slide out tire just the standard type. I have not messed with it before, the spare tire on there now is like Christmas story spare. My spare is only a spare in the academic sense, it is round and once made of rubber with tread. Is it just as simple as unscrewing the nut with the eyelet and the taking spare out? Does the spare tire cross bar just fall to the ground or swing to the side? Is rim secured by a bolt or but that might be rusted?
Thanks in advance

[Dead Parrot]

What temp thermostat are you running? The system is designed around a 195 being installed.
When you installed the new core, did you seal any gaps around the edges? Any air bypassing the core lowers the output temps.
Check the flapper cable adjustment behind the glove box (The hot/cold slider). If it has slipped you wont get full heat or cold.

If the spare setup is standard, only the eyelet nut is holding it in place. It just falls to the ground. Can be a PITA to get back in place.

[truckin 79]

I have a 195 thermostat in there and put foam around smaller heater core. I guess I will just love with it for now
Thanks for the help parrot

[Axle]

When you put in that aluminum heater core, did you use sealing foam around it to fill any gaps? It does not take much of a gap around the core to lose your heat. I failed to do that in a car I had, one side had a gap and as a result of that, pretty much luke warm barely able to defrost. Pulled it apart, put on the sealer strips where needed and promptly got roasted hot in the cabin.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by truckin 79

...
The second question is spare tire removal. I am getting tires changed and want to get a different tire on spare. I do not have the slide out tire just the standard type. I have not messed with it before, the spare tire on there now is like Christmas story spare. My spare is only a spare in the academic sense, it is round and once made of rubber with tread. Is it just as simple as unscrewing the nut with the eyelet and the taking spare out? Does the spare tire cross bar just fall to the ground or swing to the side? Is rim secured by a bolt or but that might be rusted?
Thanks in advance

Loosen but do not remove the big nut near the bumper. It is a keyhole so when it's got some slack just lift up slightly on the end of the cross bar and tip the long bolt so the nut fits through the hole. Then let the whole thing down being careful not to have any body parts between the tire and the ground. Then just drag the tire out.

Getting the spare tire back up there is a bit harder but just the reverse the procedure. Make sure to secure the cross bar if you don't put the spare back up there right away.

We did this for many decades or else just carried the spare in the pickup bed.

[wazzabie]

I have the cold climate package with the super duty heater. Never had a problem with it getting cold. I have no air conditioning.