- Thread starter
- #21
Decided to wrap up several threads that I started here, since this was the first heater thread that I started.
Finally got the heater out, got MOST of the parts I needed replaced, and put back together and installed. Last year a few months after I purchased the Cruiser I noticed that I didn't get much heat out of the front heater, and soon the rear heater started blowing fuses. I ended up just buying a used rear heater, but decided I would try rebuilding the front. First off the cable operated valve supplying coolant to the Front heater was stuck closed, so I bought a replacement and installed it. I can't say I noticed a vast improvement with the Front heater but the rear heater worked much better. Took the Front heater out, and here's what I found:
1) No foam seals on any of the heater flaps.
2) No foam seal around the heater inlet from the fan duct from the blower.
3) Most of the Nylon spacers used with the Vent/Heat/Defrost selector lever were either in bad shape or missing.
4) This is the one item I didn't replace that I wish I could have found: The spring for the Vent flap looked hand made but I could not find one anywhere. I reused what I had.
Cleaned out and flushed the heater core, primed and painted the metal, bought a rebuild kit for foam and nylon parts, and reassembled the heater. Before I started the selection lever basically only had 2 positions, skipping the middle 'Heat' position. After the nylon pieces on the lever were replaced or added, and the foam put on the defroster and vent flaps, and I bent the vent flap hinge back into its proper shape I now have the 3 selections that I should have.
What I learned:
I wish that there was a breakout of the parts for the heater somewhere. I have the FJ40 Factory Body manual but it doesn't show the heater parts, just the entire assembly.
The SOR foam used to provide that seal between the air duct and the heater inlet would work better if a slight bevel was put on mating edge of one side of the foam so the plastic ducting could slide over the foam without getting stuck. I ended up manually putting one on using a dremel tool and a sanding cylinder. It did work pretty well once I quit trying to force the duct over the foam around the heater air inlet without a lead in.
The Nylon spacers and pivots are very important.
The heater seems to work well, although it hasn't gotten that cold yet but I also found out the the defroster tubes, which looked good at the heater end didn't look good at all at the windshield defroster vent side of the tubing. Looking at my options for either repair or replacement there.
I do want to thank everyone for advice/pictures.
Finally got the heater out, got MOST of the parts I needed replaced, and put back together and installed. Last year a few months after I purchased the Cruiser I noticed that I didn't get much heat out of the front heater, and soon the rear heater started blowing fuses. I ended up just buying a used rear heater, but decided I would try rebuilding the front. First off the cable operated valve supplying coolant to the Front heater was stuck closed, so I bought a replacement and installed it. I can't say I noticed a vast improvement with the Front heater but the rear heater worked much better. Took the Front heater out, and here's what I found:
1) No foam seals on any of the heater flaps.
2) No foam seal around the heater inlet from the fan duct from the blower.
3) Most of the Nylon spacers used with the Vent/Heat/Defrost selector lever were either in bad shape or missing.
4) This is the one item I didn't replace that I wish I could have found: The spring for the Vent flap looked hand made but I could not find one anywhere. I reused what I had.
Cleaned out and flushed the heater core, primed and painted the metal, bought a rebuild kit for foam and nylon parts, and reassembled the heater. Before I started the selection lever basically only had 2 positions, skipping the middle 'Heat' position. After the nylon pieces on the lever were replaced or added, and the foam put on the defroster and vent flaps, and I bent the vent flap hinge back into its proper shape I now have the 3 selections that I should have.
What I learned:
I wish that there was a breakout of the parts for the heater somewhere. I have the FJ40 Factory Body manual but it doesn't show the heater parts, just the entire assembly.
The SOR foam used to provide that seal between the air duct and the heater inlet would work better if a slight bevel was put on mating edge of one side of the foam so the plastic ducting could slide over the foam without getting stuck. I ended up manually putting one on using a dremel tool and a sanding cylinder. It did work pretty well once I quit trying to force the duct over the foam around the heater air inlet without a lead in.
The Nylon spacers and pivots are very important.
The heater seems to work well, although it hasn't gotten that cold yet but I also found out the the defroster tubes, which looked good at the heater end didn't look good at all at the windshield defroster vent side of the tubing. Looking at my options for either repair or replacement there.
I do want to thank everyone for advice/pictures.
