Heater box

Technical advice Q&A

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jemt1234
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2019 5:09 pm
Great Britain

#1 Heater box

Post by jemt1234 » Thu Oct 03, 2019 5:27 pm

Hi
i have a S1 RHD FHC 4.2 etype.

The heater flap cable comes out of the hole near the heater valve and loops above the washer bottle and connects.
All well and good. (photos 1 and 2).

when I move the flap by using the control in the dash, the cable draws neatly through and the flap moves. (photo 3 and 4)
However, when I move the dash control the otherway to 'push' the cable away and reverse the motion of the flap, it wont 'push' the cable.
I can move the flap by hand to reset it without problem.
I'm obviously doing something stupid but I can seem to find photos etc of how it should work.

All help/ideas gratefully received.

thanks
Jem
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AshM
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#2 Re: Heater box

Post by AshM » Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:24 pm

Hi Jem

Firstly, a caveat - my car is a late S2 RHD FHC so it may not be the same.

My cable for the ‘flap control’ comes straight out of the bulkhead behind clamp so it is in a straight line.

I wonder if you have a cable which is unnecessarily long (due to its exit from the wrong hole in the bulkhead) and this is causing the inefficiency in its ability to push the lever forward?

But, might be different on the S1.

The spring is different on mine too - I don’t have the long spring on the outer side of the heater box. But again, that may be model differences.

Picture of mine.

Hope it helps.

Cheers
Ash


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Series 2 FHC 1970
1R 20607

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tim wood
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#3 Re: Heater box

Post by tim wood » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:07 pm

My S1 and current S1.5 reflect exactly as described by Ash. Straight cable run.
Have a good look at the spring assembly, that in your picture looks incorrect
The cable is a single wire push/ pull type not a Bowden multi strand type.
Series 1 FHC purchased 40 years ago. Courted my wife in it.
Series 1 2+2 when the kids were small now sold.
Series 1.5 OTS in opalescent maroon, Californian car. My retirement present.

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jemt1234
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#4 Re: Heater box

Post by jemt1234 » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:11 am

thanks for that.
I did think about the cable route being straight, but if it is straight in the engine bay, then there has to be a curve in the dashboard as the heater control in the dash is in line with the heater valve and not heater box.
there isn't a lot of space to bend the cable between the dashboard and the bulkhead.

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Mich7920
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#5 Re: Heater box

Post by Mich7920 » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:56 am

Hi Jem,

I'll work on the lever.
When the flap is closed, the lever seems to be too hight for a good return mouvement.
Your spring seems to be above the axle instead of below
Unscrew and turn anti clock wise the lever for some mm and see if it's better.
After you could change the routing if you want.

Mich
Michel
1965 E Type FHC - On the road / 1963 E Type OTS - on the road after Angus Restoration

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jemt1234
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#6 Re: Heater box

Post by jemt1234 » Fri Oct 04, 2019 9:06 am

also found this picture in the Factory manual, (for a LHD 3.8) but the cable is shown looped in the engine bay.

Image

If the cable is to bend outside of the engine bay, it will have to be between the bulkhead and the inner bulkhead as there is no room before the inner bulkhead
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Robbiee
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#7 Re: Heater box

Post by Robbiee » Fri Oct 04, 2019 12:47 pm

I think the problem is that when the “return spring “ is at full stretch the lever it acts on is just beyond “neutral point” thus acting to keep it locked open
You need to loosen the lever and rotate it, retighten so that the spring always acts on the lever
Robbie 1962 3.8 Coupe OSG 1962 OTS ODG

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tim wood
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#8 Re: Heater box

Post by tim wood » Fri Oct 04, 2019 3:36 pm

The cable does indeed move from the hole directly behind the control lever to exit through the bulkhead via a hole directly leading to the connection at the heater box. It curves in the space between the bulkheads. Quite a task to reroute it. If I recall I did mine whilst the glove box was out whilst undertaking the RHD conversion.

I appreciate that this differs from the diagram above but on my current and previous cars this is how it was. Both these were 4.2
Series 1 FHC purchased 40 years ago. Courted my wife in it.
Series 1 2+2 when the kids were small now sold.
Series 1.5 OTS in opalescent maroon, Californian car. My retirement present.

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jemt1234
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#9 Re: Heater box

Post by jemt1234 » Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:40 am

thanks all for your help - much appreciated.

some adjustment of the bracket on the spindle that the spring attaches to so it is move like 8oclock at full stretch and some lubrication of the flap spindle got it working.

Now I can adjust the cable route, since the glove box and dash top are off I might be able to manage it.

Why is every job so fiddly on an etype?

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Robbiee
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#10 Re: Heater box

Post by Robbiee » Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:49 am

Great..yes 8 o’clock sound perfect
Robbie 1962 3.8 Coupe OSG 1962 OTS ODG

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Mich7920
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#11 Re: Heater box

Post by Mich7920 » Sat Oct 05, 2019 3:32 pm

:yeahthat:
Michel
1965 E Type FHC - On the road / 1963 E Type OTS - on the road after Angus Restoration

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