Ok, since I have no dash I figure it would be a good time to lay some dynamat inside, and I want to start with the firewall. How do I get this heater/air box off? I removed all the bolts from the inside of the engine compartment and that side of it is lose, but I want the inside part off. I really don't want to take off the fan/heater stuff off from the engine compartment unless I have to, so I'm asking first.

http://www.ductape.net/~spy007/elcamino/firewall.jpg

i'm pretty sure you'll have to remove the heater/air box from the engine side i think that it is all one unit, been awhile since i removed mine or i could be more helpful. I just removed the whole unit and made up an aluminum plate to block the hole off, painted it black and it looks pretty good.

Chris

Why did you block yours off?

I no longer needed the a/c or the heater, since i'll only drive it in the nice months i don't need air and in summer its not that bad without air. I hardly use air in my daily driver.

plus it really cleaned up the engine compartment and gave me alot more room.

i'm pretty sure you'll have to remove the heater/air box from the engine side i think that it is all one unit...
That's correct. There are a bunch of screws around the perimeter of the box on the engine side of the firewall. Remove them all and the box will come out easily through the engine side of the firewall once you've broken the box to firewall seal.

Or, since its just plastic, you can use a BFH and take it out in chunks. Good thing to relieve tension too. You'll still need to remove all the screws afterward. :P

Ok, since I have no dash I figure it would be a good time to lay some dynamat inside, and I want to start with the firewall. How do I get this heater/air box off? I removed all the bolts from the inside of the engine compartment and that side of it is lose, but I want the inside part off. I really don't want to take off the fan/heater stuff off from the engine compartment unless I have to, so I'm asking first.


Andy,

I JUST did this 3 days ago! You have to take the heater box off. It's not that bad...just a pain. After I got it off...It looked way to roomy inthere to put it back in. It's not my daily driver...and in the summer, I just roll down the window.

Here is the plate I made yesterday for it.
http://www.collegecourse.com/Joe/DCP_1796.JPG

And here is the cab in the process of dynamat (B-Quiet) insulation
http://www.collegecourse.com/Joe/DCP_1726.JPG

Hope that helps a bit.

SIDE NOTE: if it is just a heater, with NO a/c. Treat it nicely...and keep all tubes and controls with it if you decide to remove it. People on ebay pay quiet a bit for just a heater box and not a Heater/AC combo.


J

Cool pics, and thanks for the tips. No A/C by the way. I'm really torn between working on this car and driving it! I've got till november when the tags expire, and I will probably not be able to drive it for about a year because I'm sure it won't pass DEQ with that cam in it, so I'll have to garage it until January 2006, when I will move across the river and register it up there. An 81 will be DEQ exempt in vancouver, starting in 2006. Despite knowing that I'll have a year to work on it, and I should drive it while I still can, I can't help but dive in and start working on it!

OK, The thing will not come out at all. I unbolted it again and broke the seal lose so it wiggles around, but it hits the valve cover (they are tall) on one side and the inner fender on the other. I unbolted the fan motor shroud to get a little more room to work with but when I tried to break the seal it started cracking the plastic so I stopped. I suppose I can take the inner fender off but that in itself is a huge hassle. Now it's gotta come out at least so I can seal it up properly when it goes back in. If I were going to leave it out temporarily and cover the hole with a plate, can I just plug where the two heater hoses come out of the intake manifold and the water pump?

http://www.ductape.net/~spy007/elcamino/airbox.jpg

Also, what is the thermostat-looking thing in front of the heater core and should it have a hose going somewhere?

thanks.

I know we needed to remove the inner fender to put ours back in. That was even without an engine in!

I just plug where the two heater hoses come out of the intake manifold and the water pump?

Yes you can just use pipe plugs to fill the holes in the water pump and intake manifold. I got some recessed allen headed plugs from autozone, they were in the engine dress up section.

Chris

OK, The thing will not come out at all.

...since its just plastic, you can use a BFH and take it out in chunks. :P

OK, The thing will not come out at all.


Tripple check all of the bolts, I had troubles too, had to remove all the wiper and cowl stuff....and then I missed a bolt on teh very bottom passenger side on on the engine compartment side..and once toward the center of the car on the inside. Took a bit of pulling and about a 6-pack of beer....but I got it. Just to let you know...that plastic is very brittle...I did crack it in one or two places (oh well...it's not going back in anyways.)

I'll have some more pictes tomorrow of the engine compartment....I just got the bass cap in and it looks pretty bad-a$$

J

I just plug where the two heater hoses come out of the intake manifold and the water pump?

Yes you can just use pipe plugs to fill the holes in the water pump and intake manifold. I got some recessed allen headed plugs from autozone, they were in the engine dress up section.

Chris

WOW, you sure one that....I always thought that that was part of the coolent path...and if you blocked off both sides, the coolent couldn't get from the water pump to the manafold.

I mean, I know there are channels it flows in the engine...but I thought that was part of the path.....im confused.....

What I did wsa just loop the hose from the pump to the manafold (I HATE IT LIKE THAT) If I could use block off screws, that woudl be great.

Is the nipple of hte water pump threaded????

Bad, picture, but you get the idea of what I have... (Sorry for the thread jack :( )
http://www.collegecourse.com/Joe/DCP_1738.JPG

It's part of the coolant path OK, but only the part that provides heat in the cabin of the vehicle. You close off that coolant path and you will have no heat in the winter. Either the plugs or the looped hose will stop the flow of coolant to the heater. The engine coolant path is through the top and bottom radiator hoses.

I did get the thing out finally, but I had to take the inner fender out, which also meant the battery, and the valve cover off. The plan for now is to cover the hole with sheet metal, and work on cleaning up that box, and doing a little dynamat on it. It needs new pads on the air doors and the seal around the heater core is worthless. I won't be in any hurry to get that thing back into usable condition.

Man, its amazing how one project can lead to another, no matter how much you convince yourself you don't have time to do it. I decided that since I'm going to lay the dynamat, I need to get the floor shifter in it's permanent position. The previous owner spot welded a raised section on the left side of the hump to mount the B&M Mega ratchet, and he used a piece of aluminum over the hole that was left. I ripped everything off, and found out that the piece of aluminum was part of a road sign of some kind! I might have left everything the way it was if it werent full of so many holes due to bad fab. I could see the tranny while driving. I covered the hole with sheet metal and mounted the shifter back a little farther, and in the center of the hump, so I can actually reach it while wearing the harness. I also painted the underside of the new cover, and sealed everything up with seam sealer. I did rush through it a bit but overall I am very satisfied with the job.

http://www.ductape.net/~spy007/elcamino/shifter.jpg

Now I might be able to finish the job and get that dynamat down, buy a carpet set, put the seats back in, and resume driving it until november!