dodgedart1968
Well-Known Member
I'm rebuilding my '68 Dart heater box. One half of the box is distorted, and it is going to be a challenge to assemble the two halves. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Heater Box
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dodgedart1968
Well-Known Member
Never2MuchHP
Member
use a heat gun to soften the warped areas to get them to match up
Lord Sparky
Well-Known Member
Yes, easier to take apart than put together.
Do a search on here, lots of info.
One tip.....before u put it back together, take some of the tension off the spring clips that hold halves together. If not you will break the 50 yr old bakelite/fiberglass whatever the housings made of.
Tip #2....if you need heater core, send the original to a rad shop for repairs instead of replacing.
One tip.....before u put it back together, take some of the tension off the spring clips that hold halves together. If not you will break the 50 yr old bakelite/fiberglass whatever the housings made of.
Tip #2....if you need heater core, send the original to a rad shop for repairs instead of replacing.
dodgedart1968
Well-Known Member
Odd story here. I just purchased the car a few months ago. The only spare part it came with was a heater box assembly. When I removed the installed heater box, I found the rear cover badly damaged and badly repaired, so I turned to the spare assembly for the rear half, which as I have noted above is distorted, so I'm zero for two so far!
The installed heater core has a date tag of 1988, and looks new, with no signs of leakage. It won't hold a vacuum however, so I plan to take it in to a shop for a leak check.
The housing halves are quite fragile, but I haven't broken them. I'll take care upon reassembly.
Thanks for your response.
The installed heater core has a date tag of 1988, and looks new, with no signs of leakage. It won't hold a vacuum however, so I plan to take it in to a shop for a leak check.
The housing halves are quite fragile, but I haven't broken them. I'll take care upon reassembly.
Thanks for your response.
Yes, both boxes were assembled, but both had sealant on the mating surfaces, so both had be apart previously. I didn't take note of how well they had mated before I disassembled them.
Be careful with a heat gun, keep it moving to heat the whole area, not just one spot. Heat guns can destroy a part quite quickly if concentrated in one spot. Heat lamp can also be considered, but can also have the same problem. Your moving the whole area, not just one spot. If you need a sealer for the mating surface, get a roll of rope caulk sealer from the hardware store and make smaller bead to seal. J B weld can be used for cracks or small repairs.
Advice above is good.
Good luck
Advice above is good.
Good luck
Detroit Muscle Technologies has a complete rebuild kit for those if need be.
The repair kit is basically a foam / gasket kit. If you want to do the driver's side vent, you will have to get that foam/ gasket seal separately. It's all worth getting, but doesn't address your warping issue. If you are missing the metal clips, Detroit Muscle has those too.
dodgedart1968
Well-Known Member
I found the kit myself, but after I had created my own version from various remnants i had around my shop.
dodgedart1968
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the heads-up. I can practice on my surplus damaged box before tackling the main course.
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