Topic: '67 Heater Box Removal w/o AC--Need to Remove Console Too?

[drummingrocks]

Hi guys, I'm still plugging away in my spare time on my '67.  The car evidently sat for quite a while before I got it, as there was a ton of leaves and trash in both the heater box and the driver's side fresh air vent.  I opened both of these up and vacuumed out what I could, but I can still hear leaves and other junk moving around when I operate the heater box doors.  So I guess now I might as well pull and reseal the heater box, especially since I have no idea how old the heater core itself is.

The car is a non-AC model, but it does have a full length console.  Does the console need to come out in order to remove the heater box?  I've done several '65-66s, but this is the first '67 I've worked on.  It doesn't look much different, I just want to know ahead of time what I'm getting into.  As a side note, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the heater box still had the original cardboard plenum around the defroster outlets.  Hopefully I can get the box out without destroying it.

Thanks for the help!

[J_Speegle]

Depends how big your hands are   and how careful you can be. I would also be concerned about the defroster duct and would make every effort to remove the cable from it and remove it before removing the heater - just me.

From there if you can get your hand around the back side to the heater hose connections (no console in the way helps here) then I believe the rest is not a big issue (takes some rotating - removing or opening the glove box door) though from many angles it will appear stuck

Once you get it out you can clean, lube, test and seal to your hearts content

Careful of the mess

[ruppstang]

I would remove the console just to protect things from damage but that is just me. Some times those short cuts take longer and end up costing more if there is a accident.

[CharlesTurner]

I would also remove the console, doesn't add that much time to the job.

[sparky65]

If you are going to be taking the console out any way to redo the carpet or whatever you might as well get it out of the way now. 

Depends how big your hands are   and how careful you can be. I would also be concerned about the defroster duct and would make every effort to remove the cable from it and remove it before removing the heater - just me.

I agree with Jeff.  Take the defrost plenum off first if you can.  Something tells me there is a screw you cant get because its too close to the floor or something like that.  The reason you want this off is it is very fragile cardboard and there is no accurate reproduction available.

From there if you can get your hand around the back side to the heater hose connections (no console in the way helps here) then I believe the rest is not a big issue (takes some rotating - removing or opening the glove box door) though from many angles it will appear stuck

If I remember correctly you should disconnect the heater hose connections from the engine  and then pull all the hose inside through the firewall as you pull out the heater box.   You might need some one to feed the hose in as you pull since it could be stuck on the firewall.  If you do it this way you will have plenty of room to catch any antifreeze that may drip onto your carpet.

[jwc66k]

Take the defrost plenum off first if you can.  Something tells me there is a screw you cant get because its too close to the floor or something like that.  The reason you want this off is it is very fragile cardboard and there is no accurate reproduction available.
If I remember correctly you should disconnect the heater hose connections from the engine  and then pull all the hose inside through the firewall as you pull out the heater box.   You might need some one to feed the hose in as you pull since it could be stuck on the firewall.  If you do it this way you will have plenty of room to catch any antifreeze that may drip onto your carpet.

Yup, you can't get to the screws - easily. The best way is to disconnect the hoses, drain them (force air thru one end if possible), disconnect the control cables, take out the passenger's seat, REMOVE THE CONSOLE, and then the mounting hardware. Remember, the cardboard plenum is the most valuable part of the heater assembly.
This applies to all 64-66 and 67-68 without A/C.
Jim

[drummingrocks]

Well, I was able to finish this job yesterday.  For me, the most difficult part was figuring out how to remove the console.  The four nuts on the backside of the faceplate are an absolute nightmare.  Well, the bottom ones are a breeze, but the upper two are nearly impossible to get to.

Once the console was out, the heater box came right out.  As I expected, it was piled full of leaves.  I went ahead and cleaned and re-sealed the box, lubricated the blower motor, and installed new heater hoses.  Surprisingly enough, the old heater core looked nearly new, and it was brass instead of those cheap aluminum ones that are available now.

I was able to get the cardboard plenum out and back in successfully.  It had "222" written on the face; not sure what that was about, but it probably had some significance on the assembly line.  However, the plenum did tear slightly where the defroster cable bolts up.  I guess it was just rotten there.  For the time being, I left the defroster cable loose, and I plan on seeing if I can possibly repair the cardboard in the future.

Thanks for all the help and advice!

Here's a picture of the heater box, AFTER I had already tried sticking a vacuum nozzle in the fresh air door and vacuuming out what I could with the box still in the car.  It was crammed full; I can't believe it didn't rot the heater core.