Heater disconnect

Simplest is just to close the heater flaps, if disconnecting the control cables, just wire them closed at the heater boxes.

 

If you want to remove hoses, only remove the hoses from the heater box outlets to the frame/interior vents. If you remove the inlet hoses from the fan shroud, you should replace the heater boxes with J-tubes. Without the constant airflow from the fan through the heater boxes, the exhaust tubes will overheat and can fail early.

Justin;

 

Thanks, I was afraid of that.  What my real problem is and I thought this to be an easy solution.  Is  that, my breast tin, doesn't have holes for, the shroud hoses, to go thru/under the tins and then connect. I bought a tin with the holes for the heater hoses... and discovered why, the PO, didn't put that style tins in.  The holes are directly over the header/exhaust pipes.  No room period.  I certainly am not going to buy,  for example A-1 sidewinder set, just for correct aesthetically heater hoses. (I don't need the heater, in Central Calif.Valley and Central Calif Coast where we live.)

 

So, I guess I have to pay someone to fabricate tins, that allow, for the current exhaust header system. with holes almost outboard on the tin and to the rear, to allow for the 2" diameter hose.

 

Just another  &^%$  CMC moment.  I am a rookie and on a retired budget.

 

Thanks for keeping me out of trouble!!

 

Art

 

 

J-tubes are inexpensive ($20 a pair) - sell off your old stock (hopefully) OEM heater boxes if you don't need heat ever.  You'll save 30# of weight too.

 

You buy em, I'll come install 'em. I'm just over the hill from you man! Look to the east. You can see my signal fires.

That's the stock location for those hoses though. The stock exhaust has small heater boxes around the 2/4 cylinder exhaust headers. Those small boxes then directly connected to the large 1/3 heater boxes below them.

Thanks to all. I've got choices. I read a good article, on fresh air hoses and the heating sys. in general:

http://www.vw-resource.com/heat4.html

 

I think, I'll try to salvage the heating system, by making tins with holes in a location away from the exhaust components.

 

The engine is in the car, so for me it will be a challenge.

 

I tried to fabricate some too thin aluminum sheeting, 25 gauge, I think.  The Wiss cutters, left rough edges and the aluminum flexed.  I didn't even try to cut hose holes, the tin was unacceptable.

 

Next. CMC provides fiberglass pieces to help seal the engine compartment.  I searched and couldn't find any pre made fiberglass sheets.  Don't really want to mess with epoxy.

 

I looked at FRP sheets, the type used in shower stalls. .09" thick, so not as flimsy as the Al.  BUT, the spec sheet, suggests against using in any environment above 130 degrees F, so I guess that eliminates that product. (although it has a high self ignition point, 400F +)

 

My lovely wife suggested cement backer board.  It is non combustible, so that's good. Hardie makes sheets 1/4" thick.  I have worked with this product in many tile projects, certainly easier to cut to shape. And it takes black paint easily.

 

Anybody ever hear of this being used?  It's heavy but I'm only looking at 2 pieces 4" x 17"

 

Thanks,

 

Art

Art, try McMaster Carr, they sell fiber sheets with heat ratings to probably match your needs. I ran into the same problem on my CMC with regard to the heater tubes from the fan shroud. I made some block off plates ti fill the holes in the original tin and located the hoses in the fiberglass filler piece and ran them down to the heat exchangers.

 

I had the original CMC glass pieces to work with from the start and I don't think Harde would work as it would crack from vibration at the attachment points and come loose.

Mike;

 

Thanks SO MUCH !  It's reassuring to know a fix is possible. I hadn't even thought of McMaster Carr.

 

Did you attach the fiber sheets to the tube of the square chassis tubing?

 

And do you have an item # ? Oops , i see now that you had the CMC original material.

 

What is that material your using for your fuel lines?

 

 BTW, your engine & compartment looks great!

I attached the bottom piece with sheet metal self tap screws after drilling the frame and the fuel line is covered with heat shield from Summit. I had been dealing with a vapor lock/heat issue with my carbs and this was part of the solution.

 

Just last weekend I removed the fuel filter from the engine bay as it was temporary after redoing my fuel lines. The interesting this is that the heat shield does chafe the rubber fuel line as I discovered when I removed it to replace that particular piece of line. The heat shield will be removed in the near future because of this and some other solution will be applied.

 

Going to Carlisle is great for this show and tell stuff as everybody pretty much goes through the same process with regard to " this should work","thought this would work" and so on.

 

I'll take a few pics from underneath because the short pieces of tubing to the heater boxes still took some magician balloon bending.