Removing a Delaney heater box assembly

[Barry Kemp]

So I'm in the early stages of refurbishing my Herald  scuttle panel  and I need to remove the Delaney heater box (the square one). There's one screw at the top but appear to be  two fixings  at the bottom, one  at  each end of the box that iareimpossible to get to as they are  under the box. Any ideas on how to get the box off? . Do I just   lever it up - or is there some fiendish fixing I don't see?

 

Thanks,

 

Barry

[Pete Lewis]

Never removed a delaney but on the smiths there are 2 studs with nuts either side of the air flap box hold the base in place together with the single fix on the baulkhead.

 

its in on your back and head up the pedals , and a 7/16 spanner and socket ,

There could be a flap cable to disconnect also.

Pete

[david lewis]

i seem to remember that i also had to unscrew 2 nuts under the dash and also the heater distribution cable then it just lifted out .it was quite easy to do,it was also easy to fit back in except that the rubber grommet on the air intake disintigrated  so i have temporarily fitted gaffer tape around it .

if you are doing it to get your matrix cleaned i took mine to a radiator specialist and you would not believe how much crud was in it when they opened it up

good luck.

[Barry Kemp]

Thanks guys, sounds straight forward enough other than me being upside down...reminds me of a Diana Ross song!

[mishmosh]

the gaskets can be remade from neoprene. Cheap neoprene sheet- camping mat. The doughnut will need to be laminated.   be careful with the valve. Fitchets have some but they are v expensive. 

[Barry Kemp]

I found a supplier on e-Bay that sells rolls of self adhesive  neoprene  strip which you can use to make the round and square gaskets for the heater box. It is available  in 20mm widths (5mm thick) so all you have to do is wind it round the circular fan housing 3 or 4 times to replicate the original gasket. The square one is easy too- just use 2 layers to stick directly on to the bulkhead. A 10m roll costs just over £6.50, so a cheap and easy fix!

[Colin Lindsay]

Beware the foam circle types, they're only plastic drainpipe packing rings and as such are not suitable for the task. They may insulate for a time but the ones I've seen - and bought - are not waterproof.

[Steve C]

The scuttle to heater box gasket was NLA when I did mine, and I used a good bead of silicone sealant instead.

 

I can't emphasise enough how worthwhile either having the matrix done by a radiator specialist, or buying a new one from Demisterman online is in terms of heater performance. You often hear owners saying these cars have feeble heaters - they don't. What they actually have are heaters that are around 50 years old and knackered, and various suggested remedies, like descaling solutions etc. don't always work.

 

I can understand owners impatient to get a restored car back on the road after expending a lot of time and money, putting the heater on the "to be done later when I can afford it" list, but while you have the thing off the car, it really is worth doing properly. I made this mistake, and after I had treated it to a new matrix and valve, I can now drive up a motorway with the top down on a cold day and be warm enough. In good order, they really are not bad.

 

Regards

 

Steve C

[mishmosh]

blimey steve , the only way mine gets close to that is with the toneau on. and mine works well !

[Barry Kemp]

Thanks Steve,

I did send  my heater to the Demisterman for a re-core and what a great job he did - very fast turnaround  and it even came back with replacements for the old  foam strips to stop it  knocking against the inside of the heater box.  One of the best £80's I've spent on the car.

Can't wait to get out and drive on a cold winters day!

[mishmosh]

good value.  thanks for the heads up

[Pete Lewis]

and just looked at a refurbed delaney  and reminded me that if the valve has a capiliary sensor attached this should be in the cabin it modulates the valve to keep heater temperature constant with the variations of engine temperature .

 

just need to find a route to the air out vent zone .

 

not all have this

 

Pete 

[Colin Lindsay]

Never knew Heralds were that advanced in their day, but then again I never knew one that was so well sealed that something like that would make any difference to the interior heat..

[Pete Lewis]

Ha, never said it ever worked

 

Def more 70s than 60s maybe its just evolving later replacements

 

Pete