Is there any easy way, or should I say "trick" to replacing those hoses that go from the floor under the front lid, to the defroster outlets by the windshield? Mine collapsed after I put the shop vac on that little y in there to try to clear them from all the dead bugs etc in there. looks about impossible to replace these cept by feel and lotsa luck, maybe hyou guys know something to try.
if you pull back the carpet on your kick panel, you will see a little hole, and in that hole you can see the defrost tube. you are right, feel is 90% of getting it on, but looking through the hole helps. hope this helps matt
Matt,
But doesn't that mean that your head would need to remain inside the car while your hands are somewhere under the hood? Unless I am missing something, i don't see how this would be possible. I am interested to know this procedure as well since mine are missing and some day, when the winter comes and get I get heaterboxes back, would too like to put those hoses back on.
Anton
187 wrote:It is a PITA !
You push it down from the top by feel, then look inside to see how you are doing - and maybe fiddle it a little from the inside using a pair of screwdrivers or similar. I found it harder (on a super) to get the hose (not OEM) to stay on the top connector where it bends to line up - duct tape helps here.
I did consider getting the hose nearly on at the bottom then sealing it half way up with expanding foam ? but I managed in the end.
Rich
glad you didn't do that....that area is subject to collecting water and moisture...that and that foam could cause problems in a hurry...
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Nope. But it provides a nice example of the many 'improvements' that turned a good little vehicle into a piece of crap.
Earliest veedubs, the defroster tube was METAL -- that flexible stuff, like a continuous spiral.
That got 'improved' to 'waterproof' PAPER. Which wasn't.
So they replaced it with 'heat resistant' PLASTIC. Which wasn't either.
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Traditional repair was to pull the fender, cut a hole in the panel, install a METAL tube, weld things back up & repaint.
There's a few other techniques but they get sorta complicated and nobody reads this shit anyway :-)
-Bob Hoover
hehe...sometimes it seems that way, eh?
Don't fix it, it's not worth the effort. I think it was John Henry that came up with or at least promoted the heater conversion that bypassed the heater channels and just dumped the heat out under the front seats. The idea is that all that cold steel in the heater channels suck all the warmth out of the air before it gets where it's intended to go. I removed all the ducting from under where the back seat used to be and ran a heater duct straight under the front seats.
I did the conversion in the middle of December. Even with out any heat to the defrosters, the windshield and other windows clear in about the same amount of time or maybe a bit quicker and there was way more heat to go around. Also with the heat spilling out from under the seats it's like having heated seats. It keeps the buns warm and toasty. ;o)
Tony
I would read it ! and store it !
You know - old techniques lost in the winds of time , and all that .
Rich
Watch out for the nasty bunch of bastard spikey nail things poking through into that dead space from inside the cabin. They're made of old fishing hooks & rust.
yes.....good mention....i believe last time this came up i mentioned this(been awhile)...they are the tacks that used to hold the carpet in...or might even still....
Well I got them in, kind of just fell into place when I shoved them down in there. vacuumed out 30 years worth of debris, including a
1968 ink pen, antique!!, yea right... I saw those carpet tacks in there and thought they were from some PO, didnt know they mighta been orig equip... Thanks everyone for responding!!oh yea. PS Now get good hot air up to the windshield...
Cletus wrote:
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