Overhauling Heater/AC Box
I bought a new heater core from Layson's. While everything appeared to be a good match, I ran into trouble when I tried to install it.
The inlet/outlet tubing goes through the box through two oblong holes in the fiberglass box. Then, there is a plate that goes around the inlet/outlet tubing on the outside of the box and screws into the fiberglass box.
I got the tubing through the holes ok, but once I got the core mounting screws in place inside the box, the plate that holds the tubing in place outside the box wouldn't line up to screw it in place. If I started with the exterior plate first and then tried to install the interior mounting screws, they wouldn't line up. I couldn't line up both at the same time. I consulted with Rick at Layson's, and he advised that sometimes the tubing has to be gently tweaked to get it all to line up. That was easier said than done, as these short pieces of 1/2" tubing don't bend easily unless they're heated, and that presents additonal problems of possibly loosening a soldered joint, kinking the tubing, or burning the crap out of your hands trying to "gently" bend it.
I finally identified the source of the problem. One of the tubes, the one on the right in the photo above has a long sweeping bend befor it goes through the firewall. On the new core, that bend is very short radius. So, it goes through the fiberglass box on a different plane the companion tube. Hence, the steel plate with two pre-drilled holes in the same plane doesn't fit. You can see the long radius bend in the tube on the right in these photos.
Compare that bend with the one in the tubing that came with the new core.
I bought a new heater core from Layson's. While everything appeared to be a good match, I ran into trouble when I tried to install it.
The inlet/outlet tubing goes through the box through two oblong holes in the fiberglass box. Then, there is a plate that goes around the inlet/outlet tubing on the outside of the box and screws into the fiberglass box.
I got the tubing through the holes ok, but once I got the core mounting screws in place inside the box, the plate that holds the tubing in place outside the box wouldn't line up to screw it in place. If I started with the exterior plate first and then tried to install the interior mounting screws, they wouldn't line up. I couldn't line up both at the same time. I consulted with Rick at Layson's, and he advised that sometimes the tubing has to be gently tweaked to get it all to line up. That was easier said than done, as these short pieces of 1/2" tubing don't bend easily unless they're heated, and that presents additonal problems of possibly loosening a soldered joint, kinking the tubing, or burning the crap out of your hands trying to "gently" bend it.
I finally identified the source of the problem. One of the tubes, the one on the right in the photo above has a long sweeping bend befor it goes through the firewall. On the new core, that bend is very short radius. So, it goes through the fiberglass box on a different plane the companion tube. Hence, the steel plate with two pre-drilled holes in the same plane doesn't fit. You can see the long radius bend in the tube on the right in these photos.
Compare that bend with the one in the tubing that came with the new core.