The only cold Gt6 driver

[haggis]

Well contrary to popular belief, not all Gt6 drivers wear shorts. Having ‘dynamatted’ my mk1 over the winter it would appear that my heater doesn’t work. I took my car today, but had to return to get my woolly hat, gloves and an extra fleece! My question is how easy are they to take out with the interior in? Or what’s the minimum I have to take out to get access? 

Thanks

hag 

[Pete Lewis]

Stick a fair pressured hose on the stub pipes and give the matrix a blast through

But first check the valve is not full of crud

Take the case rivet out and split the case by rotating,  , they  fill with debris

Is the stat working , hows the engine temperature showing

Pete

[haggis]

Hi Pete, temp spot on for engine, (it does have a golf rad fitted) I did check the valve and gave heater a blast through with a hose a few months back when I was doing the rad. It did squirt a bit of rusty water out but seemed to flow very well, I was wondering if someone has bypassed the matrix with a straight pipe through the heater box ? Is that possible? 

Thanks hag 

[Pete Lewis]

Anything is possible , the matrix is generally a double , matrix with a link pipe

You could just have a 'pipe'   bit extreme  Ha 

Lift the front up high and slacken a heater hose to let any air escape , it may be just air locked

Pumps are not pumps  just a circulator  and easily fooled by simple flow problems amd the coolant takes the easiest route

Pete

 

 

[Paulfc]

Hi, I've recently removed the heater unit from my Mk3. Fortunately I have no seats or glove compartment in the car at the moment which is a real plus. It must be really difficult with either in situ. but may well be possible depending on how flexible you are! Remove the input and output hoses. Disconnect the electrical connections (don't know if they are the same on the Mk1). Disconnect the air distribution hoses. Support the unit from inside the car while a second pair of hands  removes the four(?) retaining bolts from the bulkhead. With some gentle manipulation the unit comes free. It was straight forward to open the unit and access the matrix. Be careful as the matrix just sits in the box and is not retained in any way. I pressure washed the matrix and blew compressed air through it, painted the housing, renewed the foams and then reassembled. All straight forward. If you need to renew the foam gaskets that go on the input/output tubes where they go through the bulkhead, they are available from Rimmers. Hope this helps.

 

[Mad4classics]

Hi, just done this on a Spitfire - NOT GT6 I know. But managed it with seats in and tunnel out.

Bit of a problem getting to the demist vent hose clips - clearly been tightened when the dash wasn't in so pointing at an ackward angle.

Had to replace the heater matrix because it was leaking so got a replacement from Motorads online.

Only got stuck head first in the footwell once; but there was no one about to see my embarrassing  predicament!

David

[Pete Lewis]

if your predickament was on view its the wrong forum again 

best to wear upside down varifocals and feet up in a sky hook 

you still get funny looks 

Pete

[Anglefire]

My uncle was a pharmacist and had trifocals- so when looking up onto the shelves above his head he could still see. Would be ideal upside down under the dash

[Mat]

I had a GT6 without a working heater once, It turned out to be the manifold internal pipe blocked. A bit easier than getting the matrix out!

[Pete Lewis]

Checked the heat in the hoses , if the return hose is very much cooler than the input then theres a flow restriction

If they are  both pretty hot then there is a good flow but  is the air distribution flap  actually working

Sfill sounds a bit like an air lock  

Pete

 

 

[haggis]

Thanks everyone for your help, ill do some more investigations and let you know. 

Hag