A bad day with throttle pedals and heater boxes

[dmblbit]

Last year having read one of the "carburettor tuning" threads, I bought one of those neat little grommets from Ian to close up the hole in the floor around the throttle linkage, and decided to fit it today. The nuts on the bracket under the heater box were seized solid, and the bracket was virtually rusted through, so it basically fell off as soon as I applied pressure to the first nut. At least it's off now, but it's going to be an interesting job for somebody (me? - no welding equipment yet, but maybe) welding it back on again with the engine still in place. Decided to make that job easier by removing the heater box. Couldn't get any purchase on either the crosshead self tappers at each end of the valance, or on the nuts holding the wiper arms in place, so off comes the bonnet. End up having to drill one of the self tappers out. Nuts on wiper arms put up a robust fight, but yield eventually. But the heater box is looking very sad indeed, with the driver's side riddled with rust.

In addition, there appears to be about a kilo of nuts, shells and old dried up conkers sitting on the top of it where some woodland creature has been using the car as a storage facility.

One securing bolt missing altogether - remaining three removed without major incident, but now we have another problem, which I have left for tomorrow. How on earth am I supposed to undo the nut and screw which attach the drivers side heater lever to the box - there's just no room in there for two hands. Anyone got any ideas? Have I got to take the radio and its surrounding bits and pieces out too? Not sure where this little adventure is going to end . . . .

Depressed

 

[harveyp6]

How on earth am I supposed to undo the nut and screw which attach the drivers side heater lever to the box - there's just no room in there for two hands. Anyone got any ideas? Have I got to take the radio and its surrounding bits and pieces out too? Not sure where this little adventure is going to end . . . .

1/4" drive 5/16"AF (IIRC) socket, extension and ratchet from below, and if you're lucky just your finger to hold the top, otherwise it's a spanner up there to hold it.

 

[dmblbit]

Thanks Harvey: I can get a 5/16 ring spanner on the nut OK, but someone has replaced the 5/16 bolt with a cross-head screw, with a slightly manky head of course. Yesterday it was proving mighty difficult to get a purchase on the screw head while also holding the spanner. And if I managed to hold the screw steady I couldn't get my other hand in to move the spanner. However, to be honest, enthusiasm for the task was already starting to wane. Today is another day, and having come this far, I will not give up, even if I have to dismantle the entire car around it.

When I do get the heater box out, and I will, I am a bit nervous about what state the bulkhead is going to be in . . . .

Steve

 

[quattro]

Part of your problem is the lower windscreen channel rubber, which has broken up. So all of the water that runs down your windscreen drops onto heater and down the back onto the bulkhead, instead of being directed sideways and away down the inner wing channels.

I loosened the centre consul, (which I was taking out anyway) and removed the drivers side glove box and then managed to get to the bolt. I also had the seats removed which helped a lot. I used a new bolt when replacing it as it was a pig to remove :shock:

Looks like you may need another heater box there, seems a bit holy

Richard

 

[dmblbit]

Thanks for the advice Richard, although in the end I managed to get it without removing either the centre console or the glove box. The fact is, that you can either see what you are doing or you can get two hands in there, but not both, so I did it blind so to speak, and although the nut was a little unwilling at first it did come off with a little patience. As you suggest I will definitely get a new nut and bolt. Here are some pictures of the heater box - to me it looks like a write off, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had any success in resuscitating one this bad. Intriguingly, the motor does actually still work!

 

[dmblbit]

With the heater box removed, the bulkhead looked like this, which was a little alarming. You can see the innocent looking hole for the throttle pedal shaft which started the whole thing off:



It didn't look quite so terrifying after a thorough going over with the vacuum cleaner. I assume this part is going to be OK - don't be afraid to tell me if you disagree.

 

[stina]

krust ( hammerite ) or whatever your chosen poison ! onto the mettle of the bulkhead , then black smooth hammerite on the bulkhead . Cant advise on the condition of your heater box , looks a tad past it , maybe wise to source a good second hand unit and reseal the flaps with "foam stuff " Draft excluder from B&Q as i did , ( don't tell anyone on here though )
Mine works in all positions , hot and cold .
work from the drivers side with many long extentions , it's easier than the manual would have you believe ,
Copy right Graeme , kiwi .

 

[quattro]

I would get a wire brush in there and give it a good going over then get a rust converter like this one http://www.rust.co.uk/rust-converters.cfm - brilliant stuff 8)

Prime it up and then a good paint.

Remove that lower windscreen channel and do the same with that, and fit a new rubber.

There is suppose to be a sealing foam/rubber which goes around the large hole in the bulkhead, you will need one of those.

looks a tad past it ,

Master of the understatement it's FUBAR


There's a scrapyard in Doncaster with a couple of heaters if you can't find one

Richard

 

[rp61973]

My personal preference is to get the metal chemically clean before treating with a good rust primer. I have used the Bilt Hamber rust removing gel which you paint thickly on the metal and work it in with a wire brush. I managed to clean up my heater box using this and their Deox powder (soaking the parts) to good effect.

 

[dmblbit]

Stina: thanks for the tip about the long extensions - I couldn't figure out what you meant at first but I get it now.

RP61973: I think if I use rust remover of any kind on the heater box there won't be anything left. My current feeling is that (as Richard so wisely observed) the heater box is FUBAR.

For the bulkhead I was thinking of using POR15 which I have read very good reports about. Anyone tried it?

Steve