1968 Airbox rebuild question

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Inspector71

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Lee's Summit Missouri
I took the non-AC airbox out to rebuild over a year ago and finally got to it this week. My question is about the 2 black metal plates for the heater core tubes. One is larger with larger holes centered in the plate. The holes of the smaller one are offset, closer to the top, or bottom, as the case may be.
1. Which of the two screws to the inside of the firewall?
2. For the other one, does the plate go inside the box, or on the outside where the tubes come through?
After consulting several books, including the shop manual, the internet, and YouTube with no luck, believe me, any help will be very appreciated. I've got to back and epoxy the cracks I've made. Thanks
 
I took the non-AC airbox out to rebuild over a year ago and finally got to it this week. My question is about the 2 black metal plates for the heater core tubes. One is larger with larger holes centered in the plate. The holes of the smaller one are offset, closer to the top, or bottom, as the case may be.
1. Which of the two screws to the inside of the firewall?
2. For the other one, does the plate go inside the box, or on the outside where the tubes come through?
After consulting several books, including the shop manual, the internet, and YouTube with no luck, believe me, any help will be very appreciated. I've got to back and epoxy the cracks I've made. Thanks


Hey Inspector71,
Check these pics. I took them before disassembling my heaterbox for restoration. At this point, the unit had never been removed from the car so this is the way it came from the factory.

Hope this helps!!



!!
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AAAndrews, that's it! Sir you have saved the day. Your pics are what I could not find anywhere. That is 100% what I needed. I was wrong, I took it out 3 years ago to restore the interior. I took everything out but the pics are on 1 of 10 undeveloped roles of 35mm. I can't thank you enough
 
AAAndrews, that's it! Sir you have saved the day. Your pics are what I could not find anywhere. That is 100% what I needed. I was wrong, I took it out 3 years ago to restore the interior. I took everything out but the pics are on 1 of 10 undeveloped roles of 35mm. I can't thank you enough

Glad to be of help!

A lot of people on here helped me out so .. "Paying it forward"
 
Watch the clips(see AAndrews 1st two pics) that hold the 2 "fiberglass" halves together. They are SUPER TIGHT! You may end up cracking the halves when putting clips back on.
Before reassembling, make sure to "open them" a bit to take stress/tension off a bit.
Good luck.
 
Watch the clips(see AAndrews 1st two pics) that hold the 2 "fiberglass" halves together. They are SUPER TIGHT! You may end up cracking the halves when putting clips back on.
Before reassembling, make sure to "open them" a bit to take stress/tension off a bit.
Good luck.
You are so right. I am rebuilding the entire box. Took out every screw, actuator rod, door, bracket, you name it, sanded them down, painted and or clear coated, replaced foam and gaskets, you name it. Then reassembly. I noticed the screw hole for the metal plate where the tubes come out of the box is stripped. So, I went a screw one size large. I saw this was splitting the plenum between the holes, stopped, and epoxied it. Tomorrow I will substitute a small bolt and nut. I hope it's okay to screw that plate in place before working the tubes through. You are so right about the cracking. My big mistake was not coming here first
 
Swing and a miss. Placed the plate on the outside of the box where the tubes come through, made it most of the way, had to jiggle them at the bend to push them all the way through, they went, and took the center with them. Epoxy just set now
 
Swing and a miss. Placed the plate on the outside of the box where the tubes come through, made it most of the way, had to jiggle them at the bend to push them all the way through, they went, and took the center with them. Epoxy just set now

Having done this several times, I've been there! A tip for you. Clean up the heater cooler pipes down to bare metal with steel wool until you have a shiny surface. A light coat of white grease and those plates will slide over the tubes very easily!!
 
Having done this several times, I've been there! A tip for you. Clean up the heater cooler pipes down to bare metal with steel wool until you have a shiny surface. A light coat of white grease and those plates will slide over the tubes very easily!!
Again, thanks a million. I thought about some type of lube, as I stood there looking at the piece I just broke, and my life flashed back to when I started this project (was I 4 or 5?) frustrated that a heater core had shut me down after so much work. Come Monday, I will follow your advice. I've got to find a 4-leaf clover before cutting the grass. I have a rabbit's foot too
 
Again, thanks a million. I thought about some type of lube, as I stood there looking at the piece I just broke, and my life flashed back to when I started this project (was I 4 or 5?) frustrated that a heater core had shut me down after so much work. Come Monday, I will follow your advice. I've got to find a 4-leaf clover before cutting the grass. I have a rabbit's foot too

No worries! The best advice I can give you is to take your time, go slow and don,t force anything!
These parts are over 50 years old after all and most haven't moved from their original installed location after all this time!
 
P.S. love your car. I'm originally from the East Coast and always wanted to get up that way. Unlike most folks around here in the Midwest, I don't care for the 2 seasons; fall and 7-8 months of intense heat.
 
ok so here's the bonus round...

Seeing as this seems to be your first time doing this I am going to give you some tips I learned from this experience. If you have the dash out of the vehicle, this is the perfect time to address the heater cables and controls.

1. spray a good quality lubricant inside each of the heater control cables and work the cables back and forth until they are moving easily.
2. Lubricate the heater control levers and make sure the posts for the cables are intact with no excessive play.

3. I just learned this one. Replace the two bolts that hold the heater controls to the instrument cluster with studs instead. Believe me it is much easier to put a nut and a washer on a stud when you can't see the threaded hole than it is to try to tread a bolt into that hole when the dash is installed!!

4. temporarily hook up all the heater control cables and adjust the movement of the cables before you permanently install the dash/instrument cluster. Its way easier to do it at this point/

I'm sure others on here can add to this but this is what I found.

Good luck with it!!
 
P.S. love your car. I'm originally from the East Coast and always wanted to get up that way. Unlike most folks around here in the Midwest, I don't care for the 2 seasons; fall and 7-8 months of intense heat.

Thanks!!
 
Lemme know if you need anything, pics or parts wise. I grabbed a complete(but broken) one from a notch back for parts for my 69.
 
Lemme know if you need anything, pics or parts wise. I grabbed a complete(but broken) one from a notch back for parts for my 69.
This is really helpful and I thank you for taking so much time to help. Yes, first time. Bought the car in 1984 while living in California. My plan was a slant six to 360 engine change. One thing led to another...
 
This is really helpful and I thank you for taking so much time to help. Yes, first time. Bought the car in 1984 while living in California. My plan was a slant six to 360 engine change. One thing led to another...
No cigar. The metal plate that attaches to the box where the heater core tubes come from the inside, does not stay put, or screw in flat, when the tubes are pushed through. Instead, pushing the tubes through breaks out the piece between the two tube holes...where the screw goes. I re-epoxied it but am at a loss as to what I can do. Without that plate, the tubes fit.
 
I removed the suspension, forward and aft, gas tank, exhaust system, and then removed all undercoating with a heat gun and scrapers. Then, using hand tools, sanded 100% of the undercarriage to bare metal. And then I primed, painted, and clear coated it. I did the same to the interior, trunk, and engine bay. Zero rust. I had never done any of this before, but this heater core deal has halted everything. Some pics:
 
I removed the suspension, forward and aft, gas tank, exhaust system, and then removed all undercoating with a heat gun and scrapers. Then, using hand tools, sanded 100% of the undercarriage to bare metal. And then I primed, painted, and clear coated it. I did the same to the interior, trunk, and engine bay. Zero rust. I had never done any of this before, but this heater core deal has halted everything. Some pics:

Ok, so here's something to check.

Did you notice that there are two metal plates involved? One attaches to the heater box, the other is mounted on the engine compartment side , goes over the tubes and then is attached to the firewall with a single screw.

As well, the plate that attaches to the heater box is the one that has the holes offset. Look at the pic I sent to see how it is oriented before you attach it to the Heaterbox.

If you are going to repair the Heaterbox holes ( they look like they need to be redone) use fiberglass to do it.

Lastly, that heater core doesn't look correct. See if you can find a pic under the cooling section on this site to compare..maybe someone reading this can help...

If it is not exiting the Heaterbox correctly maybe that's why it is breaking up the box when it is tightened down.
 
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Ok, so here's something to check.

Did you notice that there are two metal plates involved? One attaches to the heater box, the other is mounted on the engine compartment side , goes over the tubes and then is attached to the firewall with a single screw.

As well, the plate that attaches to the heater box is the one that has the holes offset. Look at the pic I sent to see how it is oriented before you attach it to the Heaterbox.

If you are going to repair the Heaterbox holes ( they look like they need to be redone) use fiberglass to do it.

Lastly, that heater core doesn't look correct. See if you can find a pic under the cooling section on this site to compare..maybe someone reading this can help...

If it is not exiting the Heaterbox correctly maybe that's why it is breaking up the box when it is tightened down.
 
I figured all that out with your pictures. I ordered the heater core through Classic Industries several years ago. Fortunately, I saved the other heater core. Based on your advice, I'll dig it up and compare. If the new one is not a match, can you recommend another source? Please forgive my ignorance, but how does one repair fiberglass? As always, I appreciate your patience and help
 
The new Heater core is a Spectra. Their website, and Classic Industries lists this as the proper one. I compared it to the Replacement copper one I took out and discovered this: The heater cores look identical but, the right tube, facing from inside the box, drops into place. The same tube for the spectra sits too high. The only way for that tube to clear the hole is to twist the metal plate, up at an angle, which it did, tearing out the center plenum. So even though Spectra lists this as the correct replacement, it does not fit. Can anyone suggest another good source for heater cores. Year One has them but we're talking maybe $100. Or do I spend the money with them? Thanks
 
Ordered the Rock Auto version, APDI/PRO AY 9010073.
Does not go in/fit.
Is there a way to "test" the one I took out to see if it is any good? It drops right in. I ran a hose through and lots of rusty water came out.
 
You can pressure test it. It's a glorified rad.
I've read about a spectra tubing being off. Maybe give them a call directly? They are a Canadian company and they used to be made in Canada as well. Not sure if still being made here.
Pics?
 
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