Heater Box Repair

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Rustyfish

Rustyfish

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Hi All,

Dismantling my dash for paint and pulled the heater box yesterday and noticed that one of the cable brackets that attaches to the box has pulled away and left a hole behind. I need to reattach it somehow and wondering what the boxes are made of. I could use JB Weld or a fiberglass product, but looking for help and which is better or is there something else to use.

Thanks, see damage below. Box is from my '66 Barracuda and is Model #741.
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IMG_7135.jpg
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I decided that glues and epoxies just weren't going to cut it in this situation so I decided a mechanical means of attachment was necessary. So I scrounged a piece of metal from the workbench and riveted it to the heater box and then riveted the bracket to the metal scrap. Looks like it'll work pretty slick. Some of the case clip mounting grooves are also broken out (someone probably replaced the fan motor and butchered the box because they didn't know how the clips work). So I think I'll use a similar idea and rivet some pipe strap the hold the halves together.
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rustyfish said:
Thanks for all the suggestions. I decided that glues and epoxies just weren't going to cut it in this situation so I decided a mechanical means of attachment was necessary. So I scrounged a piece of metal from the workbench and riveted it to the heater box and then riveted the bracket to the metal scrap. Looks like it'll work pretty slick. Some of the case clip mounting grooves are also broken out (someone probably replaced the fan motor and butchered the box because they didn't know how the clips work). So I think I'll use a similar idea and rivet some pipe strap the hold the halves together.
View attachment 1715974425 View attachment 1715974426 View attachment 1715974427 View attachment 1715974428 View attachment 1715974429
Click to expand...
Now if you had the best idea all around, how come you asked us bums? lol That looks great.
 
JB Weld would have been faster and easier.
I had the same issues, it worked perfectly.
 
CRUZE 418 said:
JB Weld would have been faster and easier.
I had the same issues, it worked perfectly.
Click to expand...
Actually it's not faster because of the set and dry time for JB Weld. And this is clearly a high stress spot, I am confident it'll never pull out again.
 
Yours is now better than factory.

For other readers, I posted rebuild of my 1964 & 65 boxes (they vary). That bracket (or another) was broken off on at least one of the three boxes I had. The boxes in factory AC cars are different still (as is the firewall).
 
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Bet that all of that mechanical making and attaching and riveting etc takes time too.
There's no free lunch.
 
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