Tweet
As illustrated in the pics, my heater box on my daily driver 72 88" was pretty rough. Probably repairable, but since I have no reason to keep the old box (eg: obsessive originality syndrome), and I Know a Guy, I went a different direction. And I'm posting here as proof of concept.
Using the old box, and some measured drawings, a sheet-metal-worker buddy of mine fabbed me up a box in stainless. Took him about an hour and a half. My guess is it would cost around $150 to get something similar knocked together. In my case it cost some as-yet-unprocured hard-to-find microbrews (anyone wanna ship me some Dinner, Mean Old Tom, or Heady?) Though, I'd likely have a tough time getting someone to take the job here, if I didn't know someone, since the bigger shops here all seem VERY busy.
I might have to accommodate the different inlet angle so that the hose doesn't interfere with the hood, but I think it will be OK. The hood is easily 3" above that point there.
I'm using the common alternate, perfectly fitting (OK, an interference fit) late 70's Ford P/U heater core. $20!
Spectra 399023/94571
Murray 94571
Carquest/ToughOne 399023
So I'll drill out for the tubes, do a little sealing, and I'll just rivet on the "door" - I don't expect to need to get in there for quite a number of years - and I can just drill them out then. And I need to make a mounting tab for the top, and After a quick trip on the wire wheel and some rattlecan, I'll reuse the mounting ears for the sides.
BLOWER MOTOR: After a few minimally successful attempts, over the past few years, at getting more airflow, last year, I slightly modified the snail, and put a more powerful (some truck application, I think) VDO Motor (PM112), but the motor is not sealed and I don't have splash guards, so while it blew hot air like crazy(!) application, I thinkit seized up after ONE winter of salted roads. So I'm either going to find an equivalent sealed motor, or figure out a way to keep the outside out of it (my current idea on that front is to make a baffle out of something, similar to what is used on the back of car speakers, sometimes (inn the case of speakers, for sound enhancement, more than protection). It doesn't have to seal perfectly (in fact should likely be vented a bit), so this would work pretty well.
I considered the boat bilge blower route, but am not sure what I'd get for CFM compared to what I got with the VDO.
Using the old box, and some measured drawings, a sheet-metal-worker buddy of mine fabbed me up a box in stainless. Took him about an hour and a half. My guess is it would cost around $150 to get something similar knocked together. In my case it cost some as-yet-unprocured hard-to-find microbrews (anyone wanna ship me some Dinner, Mean Old Tom, or Heady?) Though, I'd likely have a tough time getting someone to take the job here, if I didn't know someone, since the bigger shops here all seem VERY busy.
I might have to accommodate the different inlet angle so that the hose doesn't interfere with the hood, but I think it will be OK. The hood is easily 3" above that point there.
I'm using the common alternate, perfectly fitting (OK, an interference fit) late 70's Ford P/U heater core. $20!
Spectra 399023/94571
Murray 94571
Carquest/ToughOne 399023
So I'll drill out for the tubes, do a little sealing, and I'll just rivet on the "door" - I don't expect to need to get in there for quite a number of years - and I can just drill them out then. And I need to make a mounting tab for the top, and After a quick trip on the wire wheel and some rattlecan, I'll reuse the mounting ears for the sides.
BLOWER MOTOR: After a few minimally successful attempts, over the past few years, at getting more airflow, last year, I slightly modified the snail, and put a more powerful (some truck application, I think) VDO Motor (PM112), but the motor is not sealed and I don't have splash guards, so while it blew hot air like crazy(!) application, I thinkit seized up after ONE winter of salted roads. So I'm either going to find an equivalent sealed motor, or figure out a way to keep the outside out of it (my current idea on that front is to make a baffle out of something, similar to what is used on the back of car speakers, sometimes (inn the case of speakers, for sound enhancement, more than protection). It doesn't have to seal perfectly (in fact should likely be vented a bit), so this would work pretty well.
I considered the boat bilge blower route, but am not sure what I'd get for CFM compared to what I got with the VDO.
Comment