Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
#740161
07/04/10 12:15 PM
07/04/10 12:15 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263 Switzerland, Europe
Swiss_Robert
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Switzerland, Europe
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Following all the advices that I've got from this very helpful board, I digged deeper and deeper towards firewall - inside my 1970 Challenger (440-sixpack clone without AC). Today I arrived at the heater/defroster box. Down there everything is in a bad shape. The fan was filled with old leaves and debris and did not move for many years obviously. Radiator leaked. And so on. I found that it is not too easy to get parts for that box. Radiator is easy but a new blower motor or seals or cardboard stuff seems to be rare... Is there someone specialized who sells that kind of stuff?
Last edited by Swiss_Robert; 07/04/10 12:29 PM.
After all these years having a 440 I realized that this means having an attitude... and a budget.
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740164
07/04/10 12:27 PM
07/04/10 12:27 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,923 Medina, Ohio
HEMICUDA
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,923
Medina, Ohio
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Quote:
Can someone tell me, why I have this gap between heaterbox and defroster-channels??? What's missing???
Nothing is missing, quality from back in the day.
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740169
07/04/10 04:08 PM
07/04/10 04:08 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,432 Warren, MI
71TA
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,432
Warren, MI
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The kits and cardboard WERE rare when I pulled MY 71 Challenger heater box about 6 years ago now. Mine looked like yours. I cleaned it all up and thought I'd just Google a heater box restoration kit. NOT. If I had a Camaro or Moostang I there were some crappy kits available but NOTHING for Mopar. Now I make all the Mopar heater box restoratiion kits in A/C and Non A/C from 63-76. Don't have the 69-7X C bodies though. Funny, many people ask me about that "gap". In fact some have told me I don't know what I'm taking about when I tell them there is NOTHING that goes in that gap PS I just had new clips sets made for the heater boxes too. It's amazing how much is being remade or can be restored by artisans like Jules above!
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: 71TA]
#740170
07/04/10 04:34 PM
07/04/10 04:34 PM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,191 imperial mo.
stickman
super stock
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super stock
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,191
imperial mo.
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You can buy a heater core at rockauto.com
YOU CAN`T RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS IF YOU NEVER LEAVE THE PORCH.
EB5 70 U Code RT/SE Shaker Challenger
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: stickman]
#740171
07/04/10 09:14 PM
07/04/10 09:14 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,822 Colorado
denfireguy
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Colorado
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Quote:
You can buy a heater core at rockauto.com
You can but it is not anywhere near the quality of the OEM part. It lacks much of the support of the original. I could see it failing from metal fatigue. I had mine boiled out and pressure checked by a radiator shop. Since it passed the check, I sent the replacement back for a refund. Craig
2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740176
08/03/10 07:11 PM
08/03/10 07:11 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263 Switzerland, Europe
Swiss_Robert
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I'd like to report the follow-up. I've got the exciting kit from james fillmore - it's one of the finest i've ever seen: Not only everything fits perfectly but he adds a very helpful documentation. I've got the heater core from summit racing. And I did rebuild the blower motor just with some ellbow grease It's not to difficult - i'll give you some pics:
After all these years having a 440 I realized that this means having an attitude... and a budget.
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740177
08/03/10 07:16 PM
08/03/10 07:16 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263 Switzerland, Europe
Swiss_Robert
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Uuups: How to start - first brake anything to make it more demanding... (Jim wrote in his documentation: clean it CAREFUL). But it's plastic and can be glued again Then: gave the doors a coat with zync-paint and glued the foam gaskets on as Jim described. Fixed the black plastic hump with pop rivets...
After all these years having a 440 I realized that this means having an attitude... and a budget.
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740178
08/03/10 07:19 PM
08/03/10 07:19 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263 Switzerland, Europe
Swiss_Robert
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To build in the defroster door is a bit tricky - it's not exactly symmetrical and it took me a while to figure out which turn around it will fit.
After all these years having a 440 I realized that this means having an attitude... and a budget.
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740179
08/03/10 07:23 PM
08/03/10 07:23 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263 Switzerland, Europe
Swiss_Robert
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So this is the backside of the box with everything attached including the new cardboard (also from Jim) and the new clips (dito). Jim also includes the gasket to the firewall - in 2 versions...
After all these years having a 440 I realized that this means having an attitude... and a budget.
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Re: Rebuilding heater/defroster unit of a Challenger
[Re: Swiss_Robert]
#740180
08/03/10 07:27 PM
08/03/10 07:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263 Switzerland, Europe
Swiss_Robert
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Now the front half - and the caulk- thing. Btw: to remove the air-vent door from this half it's necessary to drill out 2 rivets it's fixed with. Can be refixed with pop rivets...
After all these years having a 440 I realized that this means having an attitude... and a budget.
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