SOR (or probably other FJ40 parts companies) Heater restore kit. (1 Viewer)

[Orange76Cruiser]

I have a heater post but this is specific for an FJ40 Front Heater Restore kit the I bought from SOR, and probably could be answered by anyone with a 74-80 FJ40 that has used it. There are 3 foam pads that obviously have to go on the internal heater doors, and then a long 29 inch long 2 7/8ths inch wide foam strip that I believe goes around the heater core. There is also another foam strip, 3/4 inch wide by 19 inch long that is the only foam that comes with a self stick side to it, at least in this kit. I have no idea where it goes and I contacted SOR and no one that was there knew either. The original metal parts for the heater are all there and in good shape, with the one possible exception, but none of the nylon grommets / pivot joints were on the heater box when I got the cruiser. I can probably work out where the nylon parts go from heater rebuild videos but that one piece of self stick foam has no obvious home to me, and I can't find instructions anywhere for this. Its probably going to be obvious but I don't want to put it all back together and find out that I should have put the foam **someplace important** and now have to take it all out again. The possible exception I mentioned is because I took all 3 screws out of the hinge rod for the upper hinge door (the one that seals off the top front vent outlet) and the plate is still solidly attached to the rod, beyond what I think just paint would do. One screw hole is really messed up on this hinge shaft but the head of that screw was broken off and I got the other 2 screws out and I wonder if the plate is soldered/brazed to the hinge/shaft since nothing mechanical should be holding the gate plate to the shaft. I will clean the plate/shaft of paint and I'll know.

 

[bhsdriller]

maybe between the blower and firewall on the engine bay side?

 

[AntFarm]

If I recall correctly, your unknown piece of foam goes around the duct opening on the upper passenger side of the heater box. This is the opening where the plastic duct that runs under the passenger side of the dash enters the heater box. When you seal this opening with that new foam, it is a very tight fit for the duct to slip over it. I carefully pressed the duct onto the new foam and let the whole thing set overnight in my kitchen so that it would kind of "compress" the new foam, making it much easier to install when you're upside down in the truck.

 

[TheHardWay]

I have a heater post but this is specific for an FJ40 Front Heater Restore kit the I bought from SOR, and probably could be answered by anyone with a 74-80 FJ40 that has used it. There are 3 foam pads that obviously have to go on the internal heater doors, and then a long 29 inch long 2 7/8ths inch wide foam strip that I believe goes around the heater core. There is also another foam strip, 3/4 inch wide by 19 inch long that is the only foam that comes with a self stick side to it, at least in this kit. I have no idea where it goes and I contacted SOR and no one that was there knew either. The original metal parts for the heater are all there and in good shape, with the one possible exception, but none of the nylon grommets / pivot joints were on the heater box when I got the cruiser. I can probably work out where the nylon parts go from heater rebuild videos but that one piece of self stick foam has no obvious home to me, and I can't find instructions anywhere for this. Its probably going to be obvious but I don't want to put it all back together and find out that I should have put the foam **someplace important** and now have to take it all out again. The possible exception I mentioned is because I took all 3 screws out of the hinge rod for the upper hinge door (the one that seals off the top front vent outlet) and the plate is still solidly attached to the rod, beyond what I think just paint would do. One screw hole is really messed up on this hinge shaft but the head of that screw was broken off and I got the other 2 screws out and I wonder if the plate is soldered/brazed to the hinge/shaft since nothing mechanical should be holding the gate plate to the shaft. I will clean the plate/shaft of paint and I'll know.

Here's 2 pics I took of my 77 SOR restore:

The flap on the left in the first pic is permanently attached to the pivot rod, as designed.

 

[Orange76Cruiser]

This is the flap with the screws that are either removed or the head isn't there, but at least part of the body still is. Its the screw hole on the bottom of the lower picture. Since the shaft is still attached to the flap I can't slide the shaft out of the plastic housing to take the flap out. I'm taking it to a machine shop and going to try bead blasting. I can't get a good picture, but the opposite side of this flap, along the shaft there are 3 or 4 areas that look like the flap was welded or epoxied to the shaft itself. I can put the foam on both sides, the pivot arm itself seems to be positioned correctly relative to the Heat Selector lever arm, and I can spray paint it before i attach the foam to both sides.

The other arm and gate, the one shown on the left in your pictures, looks the same as yours, and it is factory attached to its lever arm. I removed the screw holding the clip that the shaft slides into and could get the gate out. This gate is at the very bottom of the metal housing.

 

[Orange76Cruiser]

If I recall correctly, your unknown piece of foam goes around the duct opening on the upper passenger side of the heater box. This is the opening where the plastic duct that runs under the passenger side of the dash enters the heater box. When you seal this opening with that new foam, it is a very tight fit for the duct to slip over it. I carefully pressed the duct onto the new foam and let the whole thing set overnight in my kitchen so that it would kind of "compress" the new foam, making it much easier to install when you're upside down in the truck.

If I am understanding you correctly the foam goes around the outside of the inlet on the right of the photo. I did not remove the ducting from the blower that goes into this as I didn't need to. The heater came right out after disconnecting the 4 bolts holding the heater to the passenger side of the firewall and the inlet and return coolant lines that go to the Heater core. I will look at that after I get my heater back together but before I try to re-install it. Thanks.

 

[TheHardWay]

That rod should separate once the screws are removed, so somebody done did something to it. Hope you can save it.

 

[Orange76Cruiser]

That rod should separate once the screws are removed, so somebody done did something to it. Hope you can save it.

Thanks, so do I. I called around to see if anyone had this shaft but I didn't find one. I may be able to use it like it is. Because the screw holes align its either the crank part of the lever arm is either in the right place or 180 degrees out. I can apply the foam and paint the flap and everything else should be ok. Thanks for your help.

 

[AntFarm]

View attachment 2792673

If I am understanding you correctly the foam goes around the outside of the inlet on the right of the photo. I did not remove the ducting from the blower that goes into this as I didn't need to. The heater came right out after disconnecting the 4 bolts holding the heater to the passenger side of the firewall and the inlet and return coolant lines that go to the Heater core. I will look at that after I get my heater back together but before I try to re-install it. Thanks.

This is a good picture. The foam strip adheres to the outside of this square opening and the duct then slides over the top of the foam. It’s a really tight fit. It takes some patience and I think I “lubed” it a little with some aerospace 303.

 

[Orange76Cruiser]

Just a note for everyone who supplied advice for this problem, the shaft is soldered to the plate. I'm going to try putting it back together on my workbench and see if it works. If it does, I will sand/paint it black then re-install it with the SOR items where I can use them and see how well it works. Even if its not perfect it should be better than it was, as I had almost none of the nylon parts that should have been on the shafts and the foam was non-existent on the lowest plate and only a flimsy packing foam, probably 1/32nd or less on the upper vent plate. I will need to get 2 new defroster tubes as well, but I will wait until I have the heater re-installed and know that I don't need to take it back out to get those. Thanks to everyone that helped.

 

[Orange76Cruiser]

I thought I was done with this thread, but when I tried test fitting the heater restoration kit the crank on the hinge arm wasn't quite in the correct spot. It was 3-5 degrees out, going by pictures I found of the heater. BUT I tried bending the gate on the shaft to get a couple more degrees and the weld holding the gate to the shaft broke. I got the plate off, and I can get the shaft out. The weld must have been cold because whoever was afraid of melting the plastic.This is a question that I can call SOR tomorrow but does anyone know offhand what the screws and thread are that hold the gate to the shaft? I think the restore kit had replacement screws but I can't get any of them started. I can probably call tomorrow morning but the size and thread isn't on the kit description. I'd like to get a tap and run it thru the holes to clean the threads out.