My gasket set from Detroit Muscle came today so I'm getting ready to pull the heater box from my Duster hopefully one day this week. Just need to get some adhesive, new hardware and a few other things, including either finding or cutting my own new cardboard backing.

For those of you who've done your heater boxes, what have you used? I'd love to just have something made up out of plastic, but I'm thinking that might not be do-able. So what'd be a good type of cardboard (or other material) to use?

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

take notes as you go and keep tabs on your spring clips (use a large screw driver to fit into the 'head' and pry back on them... never pry between the clip and the plastic...)

Have some heat resistant caulk, or sealer that does not contain an 'etcher' (silicone has mild acid in it to 'work' on the adhesion surface... which won't be good for your heater core...)

Things you will want to have:

some 3M foam pad with adhesive backing (the foam pad that insulates and seals you 'bypass' door will now be crumbled to black/green dust)...

For my 'backing' I used some .025 aluminum (a 9.25"x10" peice is more than enough), trace your cardboard peice out on the aluminum, drill and paint black as needed (if you get lucky and can bum a scrap of black anodized from a sheet metal shop... skip painting it)

after cleaning the heater box, and fitting your new core in place... check the fitment of the new core and use foam or non invasive caulk to seal the holes... if ready to 'button' it up, I run a very light bead around the sealing surface of the two halves of the box, put together, then clip it ...

if you've fitted and sealed everything correctly (even the spots where the heater core leaves 'gaps' around the core and inner box cavity)... when you go to defrost you'll clear the windsheild pretty quick (hand have some good air flow out the defrost tubes too.... (make sure those are in good shape... I've seen a lot of 'duct tape' repaired one's out there...)


good luck,

-D.Idiot

Hey good idea on the aluminum. I'll try to get my hands on some of that for my backing. As far as seals and foam, I've already got all that in the DMT kit, along with a white rope/caulk to seal the box halves together. The new heater core is on its way and I'm going to throw in a new blower motor for good measure.

Can't wait to pull it apart and see how many mummified dead baby rats there are in there...

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

What is the "backing" you guys are talking about? Where is it used in the box?

Thanks,

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-76 Cordoba, 360 4bbl
-68 Valiant, 273 2bbl
-67 Dart /6 4bbl, Leaning Tower of Power!!!

I used a flat plastic vanity (license) plate for an A-body heater box repair panel; it worked quite well.

I rebuilt my Dart's heater box this spring with a kit from Detroit Muscle, it included the calking string. Detroit Muscle stocks the correct precut cardboard backer under a separate listing for 15 bucks.
http://detroitmuscletechnologies.com/ Click on Ebay rebuild kit: Dart.


Scrub every surface of the box with a brush using dish soap & water, repaint all the flappers after removing the old foam for that "New Car Smell". Use a good quality spray contact cement to apply the foam gaskets. While you are at it flush, and clean the heater core, or replace it for about 60 bucks. I had to use little #4 screws to secure the control cable clips that hold the cable ends to the box.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I'm going to see if I can pilfer a thin sheet of aluminum from the sheet metal shop on base to use instead of the cardboard piece. I figure that'll last alot longer than what's on there now. All the rivets in the assembly will be drilled out and replace with small nuts and bolts, and I'm going to put small aluminum backing plates against the cable pivot mounts just to beef 'em up, a-la this pic (from the Bigblockdart forum):



Also have a new heater core on the way and I'm going to try and source a "stubbier" blower motor to clear the valve cover when I eventually have a big block in there.

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me