Dear friends:

I need so help in a bad way! I live in Detroit and it is cold right now and I'm afraid to turn on my heater. My 1886 240 wagon is stinking up the inside of the cabin with what I surmise is antifreeze. I marked the reservoir and the loss of fluid has been proven. Plus the fan sounds like somebody has caught their short curlies inside! It squeals at fan speeds 1 and 2, then cuts out. This is what I need to know: when I remove the center column and replace the core and the fan, what other repairs should I plan on doing? The A/C cut out last September and I was planning on getting it recharged this spring, but is there something in the center column I should replace now? Also, since I've been losing fluid I've stopped running the heater and fan altogether; can I at least only run the fan to keep windsheild clear of condensation? This is a safety issue. As my skill level is just this side of moronic, how long is this going to take? Also, can I drive the 240 without the center column while I fix this? Oh yes, the odometer cut out a week ago, but the speedometer still works.