Removing heater from 54 Hornet Sedan

[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Okay I am about to tackle removing the heater to get at some rust behind it.



There are 4 bolts which hold the heater on the firewall. Then there is a support piece in front of the heater with two bolts holding it. After removing the afrementioned bolts, will the heater just drop down? It doesn't look like it will as the support piece is really snug up against the heater with no way of removing it. Am I missing something? No jokes please.



Thanks for any info you can provide.





Doug

Comments

  • Doug, The four bolts holding it on to the firewall have nothing to do with heater removal. There are 6 sheetmetal screws that hold the blower fan assembly onto the blower plenum inside the car. When the blower assembly is removed, it exposes the bottom of the heater. Make sure that the two copper pipes coming out of the heater through the firewall have been disconnected from all hoses.Remove any remaining screws on the heater connecting it to the plenum and it should drop down. If you have to nudge it with a putty knife do so but be careful not to puncture the copper core. It should drop down. A bunch of leaves and dirt may follow it but thats normal after 50+ years
  • Hudzilla wrote:
    Doug, The four bolts holding it on to the firewall have nothing to do with heater removal. There are 6 sheetmetal screws that hold the blower fan assembly onto the blower plenum inside the car. When the blower assembly is removed, it exposes the bottom of the heater. Make sure that the two copper pipes coming out of the heater through the firewall have been disconnected from all hoses.Remove any remaining screws on the heater connecting it to the plenum and it should drop down. If you have to nudge it with a putty knife do so but be careful not to puncture the copper core. It should drop down. A bunch of leaves and dirt may follow it but thats normal after 50+ years
    Lance, AKA Hudzilla,



    I have already dropped the plenum which included a 53 year accumulation of pine needles and who know's what else. I still want to get the plenum housing, for lack of a better word, off the firewall to treat some rust behind it. ? ? ?



    Thanks for your reply,

    Doug
  • Doug, the problem with that is that the four bolts holding it to the firewall are really in place to help with the welding of the large plenum unit. If you remove them-nothing happens. If you want to get that unit out it's a real pain . Plan on using chisels etc. It becomes a big sheet metal fight.Don't forget you now have to remove the cowl vent assembly as well. You might be better off getting an air hose with about 90lbs of air up there to blow out any remaining junk.I don't mean to pour cold water on your project but are you really sure that there's that much rust back there to go through the big hassle? Anyway good luck in whatever you choose.
  • Hudzilla wrote:
    Doug, the problem with that is that the four bolts holding it to the firewall are really in place to help with the welding of the large plenum unit. If you remove them-nothing happens. If you want to get that unit out it's a real pain . Plan on using chisels etc. It becomes a big sheet metal fight.Don't forget you now have to remove the cowl vent assembly as well. You might be better off getting an air hose with about 90lbs of air up there to blow out any remaining junk.I don't mean to pour cold water on your project but are you really sure that there's that much rust back there to go through the big hassle? Anyway good luck in whatever you choose.
    Lance, thanks for your words of wisdom. I think I will pass on removing that housing. There is surface rust up to the edge of the housing but it is not bad so I will just let it go at that and treat what I can easily get to.



    Thanks again

    Doug
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