old man neri

Hi all!

I am in the middle of a valve adjust. I noticed that on one of my valves there seems to be a tiny bit of play between the elephant's foot and the part it swivels on, just at the bottom of the adjuster screw. (I called it the elephant's ankle for lack of better term). Is this an issue or am I just looking too hard at things.

Thanks!
-matt

Peter Zimmermann

No worry - the gauge, when inserted, will take up any play (by pushing the foot against the bottom of the screw) and your adjustment will be correct. Have fun!

old man neri

Thanks Pete!

I just realized this after I adjusted it. I kind of feel stupid now. Oh well.

-matt

Amber Gramps

It seem the oil causes greater suction between the foot and the valve than the foot and the screw. Toys with me every time. I have to back the screw out two turns and pull on the rocker to get the gauge back in.

old man neri

Stupid suction.


Side question; my heat is stuck on. Can I just unplug the blower fan at the back over the engine? I have a bit of a road trip ahead and if it starts raining I will have to close the windows, if I do that I will end up looking like the chirstmas turkey at the end of the trip.

-matt

Amber Gramps

your issue is the flapper boxes not the blowers. you have to get under the car. Just over the rear axels are the boxes. I've got a picture. Be right back.

EDIT: See the spring? I had to double up on springs on mine 'cause the nuts are not willing to be adjusted. If you can adjust the nuts then great. If you can't, the springs are a couple of bucks at any hardware store.

old man neri

Mine are completely rusted to death. I don't have the time right now to fix them before my road trip. So, can I just unplug the blower motor at the back as a temp fix? Will it affect engine cooling at all?

Thanks,
-matt

jester911

Unplugging the blower will only stop the heat being forced into the cabin while not moving. When you are moving the heat will be as usual. This is basically the heating system before the came up with fans. Unhook the springs and close the flappers if you can.

Auto_Werks 3.6

You can unplug the fan... but if the boxes are still open, it will still be quite warm... I'm assuming you mean unplug the electrical connection, not removing the whole thing. I ran my old SC for 2 years with a broken fan, and was still able to get enough heat to be comfortable in early spring and late fall.

Amber Gramps

unpluging only helps if it is an electrical issue and I really dobt it is if you have rusty boxes. The next step if you cant get them to close is to undo the hoses on the boxes and plug everything up, but that is not really a good idea. get a couple springs, bang it with a hammer, sinche them down with zip ties, or leave your windows open. You just gotta figure out how to blow the heat onto the window instead of yoru feet.

old man neri

Wait a sec, for heat off; should those louvers be open or closed?

Peter Zimmermann

The boxes should be open for heat off.

The usual reason for the boxes not opening (heat off position) properly is that the bowden tube (through which the cable passes between the firewall and the heater box) fails. The (white, plastic) tube gums up badly inside (it can also collapse onto the cable), the cure is to disconnect the cable at the box, pull the bowden tube off the cable, clean the cable, slide a new tube over it and reconnect the cable. Yes, an additional spring will help, but usually only for the short term. Of course, sometimes the boxes will leak hot air, even when open, and then box replacement is necessary. In L.A.'s mild environment we replaced far more bowden tubes than boxes - this could be the reverse elsewhere.

old man neri

Ya, my louvers are open. So I don't know where the heat is coming from. I assume I will have to replace these things, sadly I leave tomorrow morning so no time right now. Worse comes to works I am just going to shove a rag in there as a temp measure. Pete, it's not the bowden tube, I have a feeling it's the fact that the boxes are red and flaking that may be the issue.

Thanks,
-matt

Amber Gramps

When is someone going to listen to me????



Hold on guys and please forgive me but,,,,in the picture of the flapper box above the resting position of the flapper is at the one/seven o'clock position. that is where it rest when the thermastat is set at "0" position and the cable is not pulling on it. In that position the air from the heat exchangers is blocked. No heat can pass thru it in that poition when they are in good working order. you can see the side opening on the box that acts as fresh air vents when the box is not activated by the cable. The heat comes into the cabin when the flapper box gets stuck open even just a smidge. if it is open even an 1/8th of an inch you are going to fry in the summer. I know. I did. Readjusting the cable, or putting on stronger springs is the only thing that is going to keep the heat out. The negotive preshure in the cabin caused simply by driving the car is like a giant vacuum that sucks it thru the vents and into the car.


HOLD ON MATT>>>>DO NOT shuve a rag into the boxes. Do you not remember the song DISCO INFERNO. it was about this very issue.

old man neri

I listen to you. So shoving those old paint and oil rags up there is not a good idea?