[DeTomaso] Air Con down under

JDeRyke at aol.com JDeRyke at aol.com
Fri Feb 4 15:25:40 EST 2011


Charlie, it IS possible to remove/replace the fan motor in the heater/AC 
box without pulling the dash, as was discussed a week or so ago here. One 
screw on the fan motor split-clamp is totally invisible and requires knowlege of 
where it is, plus a short screwdriver, but it can be done. I've had my 
motor out twice this way.
Second, there a horrible mismatch between the front heater/AC box outlets 
and the upholstered dash itself. Stock, the gaps are filled with 3" square x 
1" thick foam 'doughnuts' that slips in between the dash and heater box. 
They normally disintegrate with age, letting cold air divert between the outer 
dash and the heater/AC box. By removing the front vents, you can force new 
doughnuts in place; they are only held in by compression. 
Third, if any of the cables that control the various flaps on the heater/AC 
box have slipped, the flaps may hang open & you'll get air leakage & less 
air out whatever vent is affected. Those cables can also be adjusted (with 
some difficulty) with the dash in place. Plumber's putty and duct tape can be 
used to seal up holes etc in the heater box as well. All this increases the 
air flow one gets out from ANY fan motor. 
And don't forget the bad effect of the 'normal' hot water leakage past the 
heater valve. This is due to the mismatch in arcs by the heater valve lever 
and the control lever. The effect is, there is ALWAYS some hot water going 
thru the heater core which the A/C has to overcome before one gets cold air. 
You can adjust the cable to completely shut off and then only get 1/2 
capacity to the heater.defrosters, OR adjust so the heater/defroster works full 
bore and never quite shuts off. Besides the safety aspect, this is a second 
reason to add a manual shut-off for the under-dash hot water hose for summer 
operation. Good luck with your efforts- J Deryke



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