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Getting the heater unit box out

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Steve1970

Steve1970

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i was re-connecting some wires this weekend after refitting the radio console, when I got some crossed and zapped the life out of the fan motor.

so i've got to pull the heater box out, and i'm hoping i don't have to remove the dashboard/dashtop to get at it. seems like at least one guy other there in the archives managed to do it, but it wasn't entirely clear to me what else he had removed.

the haynes manual shows a couple of bolts to mount the left side of the unit, and several more where it is attached from the top.

so how much dismantling have you guys encountered when pulling the heater box? are all the bolts accessible?

btw Paul... awesome photos of the heater box reconditioning on 74tr6.com. will be very useful during the rebuild phase.
 
Hi There Steve,

I can't imagine getting it out very successfully without doing the following (thinking off the top of my head)

1. Taking the heater hoses of from the heater core will be a little messy and if the heater hoses are old and brittle, they may need to be replaced.
2. Removing the duct work might be hazardous if you hoses are original...They might be brittle and far apart during the disassembly.
3. I think that it might be easier to remove the dash in order to gain access to the fasteners holding the heater to the bulkhead (3 or 4 if I recall correctly). I can't imagine working up in there without doing that.
4. I had problems getting the short cable off the side of my heater box as it was rusted on solid. This is the cable that operates the door on the bottom of the heater.

Cheers,
Tush
 
thanks for the info Tush.. man every time i mess around with that dash something else ends up not working. you are correct on the heater core hoses, i noticed yesterday that they are in fact starting to crack.
 
Pull your cubby box out, take the heater hoses out, remove the heater duct work, take your passenger seat out so you can lay on your back and go for it. One of the bolts is accessible from the ashtray hole, believe it or not. Ain't that bad, just a royal PITA. I did mine last year.
 
I did mine two years ago pretty much the same way as Bill did his. I did have to remove my radio too. Your heater hoses may just crumble in your hands and all the foam padding that was used in and around the heater itself will be all disintegrated.

Disconnect the battery before you start poking around up there because there's lots of bullet connections that can pull apart and ground themselves.
 
Sometimes taking the tach out allows for a straight shot (if there is such a thing) at that one miserable nut that is hard to reach.

After that, follow this: Heater Case Rebuilding

And replace that twin connector pipe assembly and gasket that goes between the inside of the compartment and the engine side hoses. If it's the original, you can't do this job properly without replacing it too.
 
thanks folks, i'll get pulling the ashtray/glovebox/hoses/etc AFTER i diagnose our faulty oven ignitor here.. an oven with no pilot light?? sorry thats for another forum. always some domestic chore keeping me from my beloved tr.
 
Brosky said:
Sometimes taking the tach out allows for a straight shot (if there is such a thing) at that one miserable nut that is hard to reach.

After that, follow this: Heater Case Rebuilding.
Click to expand...

Great pics Paul........I took some but I'll be darned if I can find them...let alone post them to my site.

And I second that tach removal suggestion. It's amazing how much easier it is to work behind the driver side dash by removing the tach and/or the speedo.
 
Thanks Bob. It was a great project for a snowy winter weekend.

Nothing to start during golf season.
 
finished up the job last night!! here's how i did it:

1. remove the following: ashtray, radio, choke and heat cables from center dash, glove box, vertical support under glove box.

2. disconnect hot water hoses, vent hoses, and wiring from heating unit.

3. remove nut from mounting stud at the left of the unit.

4. remove three bolts from top mount, start with the tough one by feeding the box end of a 7/16 wrench through the ashtray hole. the other two are easy to get at by reaching through the glove box door.

5. wriggle the unit to the right (passenger side). with the radio and two cables removed, you should have enough space to eventually get clear.

6. reverse order for refitting new unit.


i'm lucky to have a guy who deals in used tr6 parts a few towns over. i had a fully functional unit within hours after removing the old one.

thanks to all who responded! -Steve
 
Kind of like pulling a kidney stone out the left nostril.
 
DNK said:
Kind of like pulling a kidney stone out the left nostril.
Click to expand...

YEEEOWWWW! Ask me how I know.... The kidney stone part, not the nostril part.
 
Brosky said:
Did you go to Dean?
Click to expand...

Hi Paul, it was Dean! I mentioned some of you guys by name, he knew of you and "the guy from puerto rico" which must be Dale. I've been harassing Dean since I was 16 when he had the garage over at hingham shipyard.. was always good about talkin' tr6's with me even though he knew I was just a kid and couldn't afford one (yet!!)
 
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