'73 FJ40 Drivers Side Defroster Duct with Shopvac hose - How do you do it?

[cvan1971man]

Got a '73 FJ40, and I have seen somewhere on Ih8mud that someone had used a 2.5" shopvac hose to make a defroster duct.

Anyone done this? If so, can you expound on what you did or if you have pics.

 

[MOTOV8R]

Interior Heater Ducts FJ40

forum.ih8mud.com

See the last post. Looks like it may need to be 2”.

 

[cvan1971man]

Interior Heater Ducts FJ40

forum.ih8mud.com

See the last post. Looks like it may need to be 2”.

Thank you, I was using the wrong search words. I was using "Defrost duct"

 

[cvan1971man]

I looked at that post. The issue I have is on the '73, the connector that goes into the heater box is oval.

 

[charliemeyer007]

My 72 is round at the heater/defrost junctions. From the blower motor to the heater is a rectangular duct. I used glue and a industrial stapler to make the rectangular duct from a piece of car innertube back in like 84 - still there, still works. I bought new defrost ducts about that time. The hoses still appear good but the fittings are rotten. I thought about 3d printing new ones, but PVC could work nicely.

You can form PVC with a heat gun. Measure the oval circumference, match that to a round section fitting. Heat the fitting and then press it in place quickly using a glove. It should be easier to stretch a slightly smaller fitting to fit than to collapse an over sized one. Silicon calking is an option too.

 

[cvan1971man]

My 72 is round at the heater/defrost junctions. From the blower motor to the heater is a rectangular duct. I used glue and a industrial stapler to make the rectangular duct from a piece of car innertube back in like 84 - still there, still works. I bought new defrost ducts about that time. The hoses still appear good but the fittings are rotten. I thought about 3d printing new ones, but PVC could work nicely.

You can form PVC with a heat gun. Measure the oval circumference, match that to a round section fitting. Heat the fitting and then press it in place quickly using a glove. It should be easier to stretch a slightly smaller fitting to fit than to collapse an over sized one. Silicon calking is an option too.

I'll look into these, thanks

 

[Tanker120]

Are you sure about them being oval, I have round hose connections ones...

 

[steffan]

Wanted to share how my defrost duct hose project came out. Used 2-1/2" shop vac hose from the Depot and some 2" ABS elbows. The hose makes a nice snug fit in the elbows. I did have to heat up the outer ring of the elbow so that it would conform to the heater outlet. I just used a little butane torch and slowly went around the edge until it became a little malmble and then slide it on - one it cooled it was a perfect fit.

 

[steffan]

Originally, I was going to use the clip end of the hose to mate with the defroster inlet. the plastic end fits nice and snug inside the defrost inlet and the clip arm grabs the flanges. This worked great on the driver side but on the passenger side it was too long to make the turn around the heater ducting. I wanted them to match so I used a 2" neoprene shielded coupling (fernco proflex) with the shielding removed. This thing fits on there like it was made for it - the ridges hold it very securely and it as enough flex to allow good placement

 

[steffan]

Passanger side showing the path of the tubing

 

[steffan]

While trying to reroute the vent cable I ended up having to remove the ash tray in order to better visualize/ access the cable. Since I was in there I took a few more pictures showing the countour of the heater duct and passenger side defrost duct