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2ndGenGuy
01-01-2009, 11:14 PM
So I got to work today doing some revamping of the heater box. I have had broken vent doors for so long, and I've been too lazy to pull the dash. The main defrost vent has been broken inside the heater box and the recirc / fresh air flap has been broken on the blower motor too.

Started by pulling the dash.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/3158308747_efcae14a1f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3158308747/)

I also decided to do a couple quick fixes to keep mice and debris out of my car.


Meshed over the fresh air vents.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/3159143084_67d28c903d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159143084/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/3159144536_a5314429e2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159144536/)


And the intake for the blower.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/3159145532_60f167014a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159145532/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/3159146516_69a77a9b9f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159146516/)

I think I might pick up some hypo-allergenic heater filters tomorrow from the hardware store and cut them down to make them into cabin filters. Should help my horrible springtime allergies.

Installed new weather stripping on the new, non-broken blower where it seals up against the fresh air duct.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/3159148524_e96defbd7d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159148524/)

Also installed new weather stripping around the coupler from the blower to the evaporator. The old stuff was so deteriorated that the blower could just blow air around the evaporator straight into the cabin. Also bypassing the heater...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/3159147574_ac6ccc7be7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159147574/)

And here's the new blower motor with functional flap installed.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3159149608_b7ab421991.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159149608/)

This is one of the vacuum solenoids that operates the flaps in the box. As you can see one of them was broken, so I'll be replacing it with the good one.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/3159150630_c89b639494.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3159150630/)

I'm also picking up a new heater core and installing it tomorrow, and as my camera batteries died, I decided to call it a night.

More tomorrow when I swap my good parts from my donor heater box and install the new core.

Hazwan
01-01-2009, 11:23 PM
Nice work.

More details on the filter please. I always want to do that, but the gay thing with my 81 is there are no fresh air intake. The system is defaulted to recirculate all the time. I guess they came like that for locally assembled model..

2ndGenGuy
01-01-2009, 11:44 PM
Don't your windows fog up all the time when it rains? I bet yours is doing the same thing as my 81, and the flapper is stuck on recirculate. When you put the lever over to defrost, it should automatically move the flap over the blower motor to open...

You've got either an electrical switch that's not working, or the vacuum isn't holding the door open. By default, yes the door is closed, causing it to recirculate.

Hazwan
01-02-2009, 12:42 AM
Actually there are no hole at all for the blower to suck air from the outside. Either someone welded it shut or they never have one from the factory. Thats the only thing I still don't understand on my car.

The door mechanism works fine. It doesn't really matter anyway since I always put the AC on 99% of the time, so no fogging on the windows but it would be great to get fresh air from the middle vents.

2ndGenGuy
01-02-2009, 09:06 AM
Wow that's weird man. So there's probably not even a door on your blower motor at all. And if you want fresh air, you just flip open the vents?

Hazwan
01-02-2009, 07:36 PM
The door mechanism - vacuum solenoid, vacuum pipes, wiring and door is all there, just no hole for the blower to suck air from the outside. Right now I simply flip open the side vents if I wanted fresh air. But it would be nice to have fresh air coming from the center vents. I'm going to cut a hole and install a filter - which I want to see how you do it ;)

Dr_Snooz
01-02-2009, 08:33 PM
Looking good man. I'm inspired to tear into my dash now but not until I get a lot of other stuff done.

Vindicted_Reprise
01-02-2009, 09:32 PM
how long does it take to pull the dash? it's always been too intimidating to me. there are a lot of things that could use some TLC in my 2gen dash.:uh:

2ndGenGuy
01-02-2009, 11:59 PM
I started on it about 11am on New Years Day and took my time and worked until about 9pm. I took lunch and dinner breaks and took a trip to the store. It is intimidating at first. It's not HARD its time consuming. And it's a bit tedious. You can't take any shortcuts or nothing will work right when you're done and you've pretty much done all the work for nothing. Just be careful, take your time, and actually dedicate some time to it. Don't have any friends over BSing with you, don't have a TV on, etc. There's just a lot of things to disconnect and you gotta remember where everything goes.

So anyways, I got the box all fixed up and a new heater core installed...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3161823889_75d74d0fe1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3161823889/)

Split the box open to replace the heater core. Which I found out is completely unnecessary. It just slides out of the heater box. DON'T take the box apart if you don't have to. It's a huge PITA to get together.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/3162659394_5eebf95daf.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3162659394/)

Since I had it apart, figured I'd lube up all the moving parts. I'm sure it's dried up like an old cooch after 25 years. Remember this car is like 80 years old in human years.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/3162658384_26a3c6e962.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3162658384/)

Lubed the temp slider.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/3162660400_9ceb5dee85.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3162660400/)

And all the little bits.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/3161827759_f655e127a0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3161827759/)

Installed new weather stripping on the sealing surfaces.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3076/3161828777_057e60cff6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3161828777/)

Then finished installing everything nice and tight.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/3162664400_89b4a6cc56.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3162664400/)

2ndGenGuy
01-03-2009, 12:03 AM
Then after the install, I went ahead and installed my cabin filter! I bought a hypoallergenic filter for your house heater. It was about $20.00 compared to the $3.99 ones that looked like the smallest thing they'd filter would be a small dog.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3162652578_aeb00299c2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3162652578/)

I cut it quite a bit bigger than the vent hole and pushed it in so it fit tight against all the edges. Then put some more weather stripping around the outside just to hold it down in the hole so it doesn't come out for some odd reason...


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/3161829929_a985e77d95.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgturk/3161829929/)

So that's what I've got for tonight. Hopefully it all works. The job is done aside from reinstalling the dashboard. :thumbup:

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 12:04 AM
how well does it seal against the screen you put up? about to do the same thing.

2ndGenGuy
01-03-2009, 12:14 AM
Seems pretty good actually. I figure so long as air can't get around it from the outside, it can only pull air through it. Hopefully it doesn't cut the airflow back too bad. I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I fire it up!

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 12:34 AM
Seems pretty good actually. I figure so long as air can't get around it from the outside, it can only pull air through it. Hopefully it doesn't cut the airflow back too bad. I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I fire it up!
i've taken out my blower about twenty times already, then moved it forward a quarter inch, working on all the stuff under the dash area. still needs to come out one time. i got rid of the evaporator, i made an aluminum plate with a welded on tube that seals the side of thee air box, then another adaptor with a tube that goes into the blower housing. they connect with 3 inch silicone hose. just sick of taking it out and putting it back in. my "new" heater core leaked from day one, but it was over 30 days from the time i bought it.so the warranty was void. i'm buying a used one on here from someone, at least it didn't leak in service, i may have better luck with it. i need to solder a copper fitting on one of the outlet pipes anyway,so i can finish my conversion to AN lines.

Hazwan
01-03-2009, 12:38 AM
Nice work.

Just an idea for those who took apart their HVAC box, clean up all those dust and craps while you're at it. The air smells much better with the ducting all cleaned up!

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 12:41 AM
Nice work.

Just an idea for those who took apart their HVAC box, clean up all those dust and craps while you're at it. The air smells much better with the ducting all cleaned up!yep found a dead mouse in my blower. also if you don't mind the noise get rid of all the padding crap behind the dash. it's old jute material and it absorbs odors like crazy.

2ndGenGuy
01-03-2009, 12:43 AM
Yeah if I didn't love A/C so much, I'd have deleted the evaporator too, and just used that silly tube that the non A/C models had. I love the idea of the weight savings, but I also love keeping cool and keeping the windows up, since I have mega spring time allergies. If the 3g and 2g heater cores are the same, you're welcome to one of my two old ones. Mine never leaked, I just replaced it while I had everything out. My luck, the new one will leak, like what happened to you. And supposedly the donor one I got never leaked either. It came out of a SUPER clean car I parted out for someone.

I should have taken pics before I ripped that thing apart...

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/jgturk/2g%20Dismantlement/100_0686.jpg

2ndGenGuy
01-03-2009, 12:45 AM
Nice work.

Just an idea for those who took apart their HVAC box, clean up all those dust and craps while you're at it. The air smells much better with the ducting all cleaned up!

+1. I blew out everything with a compressor and wiped down every surface I could with a clean rag.

2ndGenGuy
01-03-2009, 12:46 AM
yep found a dead mouse in my blower. also if you don't mind the noise get rid of all the padding crap behind the dash. it's old jute material and it absorbs odors like crazy.

Exactly why I put that mesh in, to keep those little bastards out.

I thought about pulling that jute out. But it's so thick... I'm afraid it will be ridiculously loud... I could still pull it out easily enough. I suppose.

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 12:51 AM
Exactly why I put that mesh in, to keep those little bastards out.

I thought about pulling that jute out. But it's so thick... I'm afraid it will be ridiculously loud... I could still pull it out easily enough. I suppose.I took a whiff of that jute crap, and it reeked,thats why junkyard cars smell so bad too. what year is yours? i will try and cross reference the two heater cores. the jute insulation under the carpet was so bad it had actually stuck to the floor.

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 12:53 AM
oh if yours is built like the three g, how mice get in there, there are two rubber flappers over the drains inside of the cowl area,one on each end, they simply climb up the drains and chew through the flappers. if you have those,put a piece of screen over each one inside of the cowl.

2ndGenGuy
01-03-2009, 11:03 AM
Mine is an 84.

Vindicted_Reprise
01-03-2009, 06:21 PM
that jute crap, it sucks, it gets all soggy if you ever have a leak, and it doesn't dry out so well. i really want to pull all of mine and then get dynamat for the road and engine noise. but that stuff is expensive, at least where i have seen it. i'm also thinking about using it in my trunk for better sub resonance. let us know how the air flow is with that hepa filter in the blower intake. it's really exciting that someone's getting on this! i have serious allergies too.

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 07:38 PM
if that filter is too restrictive get a hepa filter for a shop vac. they are designed to allow a lot of air to pass through them and still filter.

Dr_Snooz
01-03-2009, 07:40 PM
Nice work.

Just an idea for those who took apart their HVAC box, clean up all those dust and craps while you're at it. The air smells much better with the ducting all cleaned up!

I soooo need to do this! My vents stick like old decomposing plastic. I shoot them with Vinylex or Pledge every so often and it kills the smell until the next sunny day when it all starts stinking again. I suspect the jute is making some bad smells too.

This thread is AWESOME! Thanks!

lostforawhile
01-03-2009, 07:54 PM
here's a link on the hamb about cheap alternatives to that insulation,some great ideas on here. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51399

AccordB20A
01-04-2009, 01:14 AM
buy my 3rd gen climate controls for $200 and cack them in there :)

2ndGenGuy
01-04-2009, 02:06 AM
here's a link on the hamb about cheap alternatives to that insulation,some great ideas on here. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51399

If I could find something that wasn't permanent (i.e. sticky) I'd be more up for it. I want it to be removable just in case.

Dr_Snooz
01-04-2009, 10:50 AM
If I could find something that wasn't permanent (i.e. sticky) I'd be more up for it. I want it to be removable just in case.

Oh, it's removable all right. Removable with a caustic two-stage, carcinogenic stripper, 3" angle grinder, blow torch and cold chisel with 3# sledge hammer.

No sweat!

2ndGenGuy
01-04-2009, 11:10 AM
Oh, it's removable all right. Removable with a caustic two-stage, carcinogenic stripper, 3" angle grinder, blow torch and cold chisel with 3# sledge hammer.

No sweat!

LOL! So you get what I mean then... :lol:

2ndGenGuy
01-04-2009, 02:13 PM
Okay I finally refilled the coolant in the car, bled it all out and tested everything...

And NOTHING worked.

Then I noticed there was no vacuum to any of the solenoids. I traced the lack of vacuum back to a check valve that I had installed backwards. As soon as I flipped it around everything came alive!!! All the vents started working just as they should! I made a video of it's operation and it's uploading right now. It's all fixed, it's been so long I'm so happy! Now I just gotta put the dash all back in. What a project...

2ndGenGuy
01-04-2009, 02:40 PM
Well here's a link to the video. It's still processing as I type this, but I'm sure by the time anybody gets to click it, it will be good to go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY0hu_ytIK0

LX-incredible
01-04-2009, 05:53 PM
Damn dude that shit looks new. Nice work!

What's jute? That decomposed foam crap on the AC vents or that fibreous stuff under the carpets and such?

I need to put a screen on the auto, find out why it leaks in rain (not the drain tube), and clean the leaves and whatever else those packrat bastards stuffed in there. Smells like dog food and ass everytime it rains. Killed 9 in a row in the same trap with no bait. Thought I solved the problem with all the yard work and shit, just wound up concentrating them near the house I guess... Nice work.

lostforawhile
01-04-2009, 06:14 PM
Damn dude that shit looks new. Nice work!

What's jute? That decomposed foam crap on the AC vents or that fibreous stuff under the carpets and such?

I need to put a screen on the auto, find out why it leaks in rain (not the drain tube), and clean the leaves and whatever else those packrat bastards stuffed in there. Smells like dog food and ass everytime it rains. Killed 9 in a row in the same trap with no bait. Thought I solved the problem with all the yard work and shit, just wound up concentrating them near the house I guess... Nice work.
jute is the cotton like heavy crap they put behind the carpet and dash pad, it absorbs odor like a sponge

Lil Mike
01-04-2009, 08:19 PM
Okay I finally refilled the coolant in the car, bled it all out and tested everything...

And NOTHING worked.

Then I noticed there was no vacuum to any of the solenoids. I traced the lack of vacuum back to a check valve that I had installed backwards. As soon as I flipped it around everything came alive!!! All the vents started working just as they should! I made a video of it's operation and it's uploading right now. It's all fixed, it's been so long I'm so happy! Now I just gotta put the dash all back in. What a project...

thats awesome, i would love to see if mine works that well with the dash out right now, maybe ill do what you did with the sil glyde, good work man.

Dr_Snooz
01-04-2009, 08:31 PM
Super awesome 2ndGen. I was watching that video thinking, damn this is cool when I realized what a nerd I am for sitting here ooing and ahing over heater doors.

God I need a life...

Hazwan
01-04-2009, 11:26 PM
Super awesome 2ndGen. I was watching that video thinking, damn this is cool when I realized what a nerd I am for sitting here ooing and ahing over heater doors.

God I need a life...

Haha me too. I was like ooh look at that door opens by itself by a push of a button!

But that sure is a cool video!

2ndGenGuy
01-05-2009, 09:13 AM
I know how you guys feel. I was geeking out watching them work in the car. :) That's why I made the video.

lostforawhile
01-05-2009, 01:43 PM
well i have a drink holder that works on vaccume, i got like a thousand views on you tube with that one. :dunno: must somehow induce a trance in people, ooooo it moves and no ones touching it!! wooooow!!

lostforawhile
01-05-2009, 08:19 PM
Mine is an 84.they aren't the same, you might want to hang on to it,i couldn't find ANYONE who could even order an 84 one :nervous:

2ndGenGuy
01-05-2009, 09:00 PM
I just ordered mine from NAPA. They even had it in stock. Hmm... to hold, or not to hold... I hang onto too much shit already...

Vindicted_Reprise
01-16-2009, 02:11 AM
so, how does it feel when its all put back together and you're cruising down the road?

2ndGenGuy
01-16-2009, 08:18 AM
That's a good question sir. I haven't taken it out and driven ityet. Work got crazy the last couple weeks. And I haven't touched the car since getting the dash in. Though I've got some plans tonight, since I'm getting out early. I'll let you know!

Rendon LX-i
01-16-2009, 08:27 AM
Thats sweet john. looking good man.

Vindicted_Reprise
02-07-2010, 12:41 PM
so, old thread and all, but, i'm very curious... How did it turn out? still high flow?

2ndGenGuy
02-07-2010, 10:42 PM
Oh yeah thanks for bumping the thread. Yeah last I drove the car, the whole heating system worked great. Like brand new! Actually, it only worked the first week I had the car, so it was like nothing I've ever had! :)

Vindicted_Reprise
02-09-2010, 12:04 AM
awesome! driven past any stinky dumps or cow pastures? did it keep the smell down a BIT?