Just finished a sm420 install on my 76 fj40 using a Classic Cruisers adapter. Classic Cruisers has a nice product buy the way. Anyway my heater does not fit anymore because the stick shift riser is too close to the firewall and much higher. I guess I could cut it up and make it fit but was curious if anyone else has any ideas. Is the 1980 fj40 heater smaller and how does the defrost work, the drawing at SOR shows no defrost ducts. thanks joe b http://www.sor.com/sor/cat187.tam?xax=3963&pagenumber.ptx=1&page.ctx=cat187.tam
SM420, heater wont fit (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter joefj
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1973Guppie
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have you heated and bent the shifter yet?
Noah
Noah
i've got the same situaton on my 420 with extreme bends adapter and a sbc. i'm kinda torn between cutting a notch in the heater flap and box or recessing the engine into the firewall. the shifter has been cut and rewelded to make it as tight a bend as possible.
it'd be cool if a smaller heater box worked, but as stated, the ducting probably won't work.
it'd be cool if a smaller heater box worked, but as stated, the ducting probably won't work.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Hmmm-I have a 2F, SM420, Warden's 3/4 adapter, and a 3 speed case. It fits just fine. The shifter is slightly bent, and cut a bit shorter. No fittment issues with the heater.
Tankota
SILVER Star
Friend of mine had to bend his shifter and move his heater up till it touched the bottom of the dash...about an inch IIRC. Just drilled new holes in the firewall and bolted it in.
swilson
lurker
I switched to Flex a lite Mojave heater. Its a compact heater core/blower all in one. It'll clear up a lot more room under the dash since you can pull out the air duct from the factory blower to the factory heater... and will clear up more space under the hood since you won't need the factory blower anymore.
I can't testify to how well it works since my project isn't done yet, but I'm sure you can find people using these heaters, they've been out for awhile now.
I can't testify to how well it works since my project isn't done yet, but I'm sure you can find people using these heaters, they've been out for awhile now.
Tankota
SILVER Star
How you gonna deal with defrost?
My window fogs up here in WA even though I never put a top on the thing...well bikini plus doors
.
That looks like a 465...am I right?
They tend to have a much taller tower for the shifter.
My window fogs up here in WA even though I never put a top on the thing...well bikini plus doors
.That looks like a 465...am I right?
They tend to have a much taller tower for the shifter.
- Thread starter
- #11
The shifter is not really the issue, it's the turret the shifter locks into. I,m pretty sure that a 1949 chevy pickup did not have a sm465 in it and Merle still makes the sm420 stuff. The trans sits behind a cast iron bell housing with a 305 sbc engine. Me thinks I will spend some time cutting the heater a little and also look into that aftermarket heater. Past winters have seen my little group of wheelers licking our wounds and gearing up for spring but this season we keep crawling and are unbroken.........so far. Thanks everyone Joe b
swilson
lurker
How you gonna deal with defrost?
My window fogs up here in WA even though I never put a top on the thing...well bikini plus doors
That looks like a 465...am I right?
They tend to have a much taller tower for the shifter.
Nope, its a SM420.
Flex a lite sells an box that attaches to the Mojave heater that has ports for ducting (to go up to the defroster) and aim-able vents to be aimed where the driver wants them. If I attached this box to mine it would interfere with the shifter again.
I plan to Fog-X (similar product to Rain-X) my windows, and maybe I can get away without the defroster. If not, I'll just come up with a way to attach a duct to it for the defroster, w/o using the flex a lite box.
Sort of hijack: That heater is really cool!! I think my blower is dying a slow death, might be time to upgrade! I wonder if Flexalite gives locality discounts.....they are literally just down the street from where I live. I googled it and Amazon has the heater and the defrost duct work for 196 bucks, doesn't seem like that bad of a deal.
On a side note, BTB Products offers a heater upgrade, but if I remember right, it cost a pretty penny.
On a side note, BTB Products offers a heater upgrade, but if I remember right, it cost a pretty penny.
youre going to have to modify your heater or move your motor back. I cut and rewelded my stick so it didnt hit the dash (you can also heat and bend, but I was able to get very specific stick placement with cut and weld), and also had to cut the bottom fins off the heater, so all I have is the trap door for the heater. If you didnt know the fins were supposed to be there, you wouldnt know I ever cut up the heater...
-Dustin
-Dustin
[FONT=Times New (W1)]Only questioned about the transmission because the top cover and cane tower on the 465 are taller than a 420, and some folks say one trans and mean the other.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New (W1)]Talked with Merle back in September and was told that he only had the 465 plates and was not going to have the 420 plate made any longer.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New (W1)]I purchased my first 420 and plate adapter from him back in the spring of 1993 and many 420 and 465 plates and 465 modified main shafts since. He has always treated me right.[/FONT]
Good luck!
I positioned my engine far enough back that the shifter could be bent enough to clear the heater, I didn't want to cut it. Between the back of the motor and the firewall and the shifter to heater clearance there is not much room for adjustment.
