You pretty much need to pull the right front fender to get to the blower box to remove it.

You also have to pull the dash and remove the glove box along with the oem heater control.

All oem ductwork comes out including defrost. It's replaced up to the oem vents with VA supplied parts

 

I just today removed my heater box from under the dash and removed the firewall heater cover with blower motor from the engine compartment. My wheel wells are loose and I removed it without taking the fender off. What a PITA I will say. I should have removed the fender to make for an easy job. :clonk:

 

Been there done that. :roll eyes:

 

When you guys talk about the fender, after the inner fender is loosened and dropped, can I remove just the fender bolts at the corner of the engine compartment at the firewall, door and rocker panel along with the ones that attach to the inner fender or do the ones at the header panel and lower valance need to be removed as well? I'm aware of removing the dash gauge cluster, oem heater box, radio and heater controls. Does the dash pad need to be removed as well? Should sound deadening mat be added to the interior side of the firewall before the VA unit is installed? Thanks

 

It's hard to loosen and move the inner out of the way. My advice is bite the bullet and just pull the fender. Label and count your shim stacks. Match drill with a 1/8" drill.

Dash pad has raptors be removed to pull the dash.

 

Got it. John, what about the existing fan switch? Is that used at all or just the the lever cause I'm not certain it is functioning correctly.

 

Fan switch is not used if you got the non AC setup. Check out the VA instructions for using stock heater controls.

 

Johnny while we are on the subject, do you know if the VA box under the dash uses the existing firewall holes to get mounted ?? I am in the middle of installing a heater delete firewall plate. Thx.

 

Donny

The VA kit come with the firewall block off plate that doubles as a mounting bracket for the evaporator. The 4 hoses fittings for ac and heat goes through the plate.

If you are installing a firewall heater delete plate you can drill holes in your plate to mount the evaporator.

If looking for a smooth firewall look you can weld 1/4" stud on the pass side to hang the evaporator or use a bracket from DSE that hold the unit without attaching to the firewall.

You'll still need to get the hose through the firewall with a bulkhead fitting or some other way.

 

John here is the delete plate I was thinking of using. The holes are drilled already and I was curious if the new VA unit had studs that came through the firewall as the original unit.

 

I ran the hoses from the dash through the blower motor hole and that eliminated the firewall connection and just another connect that could leak. VA suggested I use the 67 Chevelle plate with all the holes for the hoses. That way I have the hoses running under the fender coming out by the battery. The compressor hose I ran under the radiator to the drivers side. If I had to do it over I would have it mounted on the pass side like a 68. I had NAPA do the hose fittings for me . . . .I think about $6 or $7 for each fitting.

 

Make sure to blow out the hoses after you get the ends put on. I forgot and a piece of debris plugged my expansion valve. VA sent a new valve but I had to pull the unit out to replace it, a real pain.

 

Very nice Timmy!! You are absolutely right about the flange. Something I didn't remember when ordering the heater delete plate. I will have to use an 045 cut-off wheel on a grinder and trim around the opening.

 

If your gen 4 kit was ordered for a non air car, and you previously installed an oem AC controller, there are a few parts that are different when you begin installing the pots on the controller. It may actually be easier for you to use the non air controller if you still have it. Also, the factory center vent is different from the one the kit uses for a non air car. When you say you replaced the dash, I'm guessing you mean the dash pad with an AC dash pad. You can use the factory vent, but off the top of my head I think the backside vent housing for the duct hoses is different than the one supplied for the VA non AC center vent. As far as the fender, I hate removing just one. It comes off fairly easy, but I find it very difficult to get it back on without scratching the paint. Ive done it both ways, and I'd rather fight a little bit and leave the fender on. If you remove the bumper and the lower fender extension, the inner fender comes out fairly easy. Your call on the fender,

 

I always use the AC dash pad and OEM style center vent. You may have to order the adapter separate if you bought kit for non AC car

 

Tim, that looks great! As far as my project goes, I removed the fender which allowed me to remove the fan and heater cover today. What a pain in the jewels. When I removed the heater cover, I uncovered a huge vacated mouse nest. There had to be an entire bucket seat worth of foam in there! Not sure how the firewall on the engine side is gonna look and what I should do to address things like the formed flange and the holes where the heater core inlets came through.

 

LOL, I had what looked like wool in mine !! Johnny, you could use the DSE heater delete plate, I don't think any extra work is needed to install. Here is the link:http://www.detroitspeed.com/1967-1969-F-Body-products/010902-heater-delete-plate.html

 

How I ran mine using the factory heater box cover.

 

Thats very clever Joe. Definitely solves the issue of having the formed flange on the firewall left to deal with. Im still undecided what to do with my firewall. Does the delete plate by DSE fit in that opening? Anyone have any good pics? Im also trying to figure out what to do with the heater core hard lines that sit between the outlets on the core and come through the fire wall. I wanted to do AN fittings and braided hose but do not know what can be done with the barb like ends that are designed to have a hose pushed over them and clamped on. To complicated things even more, one side goes into an electrically operated heater valve and again, the outlet of the valve is designed to have a rubber hose pushed over it and clamped. Ideas? Is there a “barb to threaded” fitting I can use to transition to AN fittings close to the firewall?

 

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=348913&page=3 Jeff did an excellent job. Take a look at the pics in topic#33.

 

I use the inline bulk head fittings on mine. I also use reduced barrier hose and fittings for a cleaner install. I have a beadlock crimper and make up my own hoses.

 

I use the inline bulk head fittings on mine. I also use reduced barrier hose and fittings for a cleaner install. I have a beadlock crimper and make up my own hoses.

View attachment 136153

John/ Vega$69
Really neat install, your work is very detailed too.
Car looks great !

JohnnyD/ East Haven
I don't know if the Vintage System - Evap/ Heater Core Housing allowes you to take it apart ?
The Classic Auto Air did and so I took the Heater Core out and "Modded It" to fit my install I was looking for.

I am not an expert as to the Plumbing/ Fitting applications like where you mention using AN Fittings/ Hosses but the Heater Core Tubing wound up being 1/2" Copper tubing, so I cut and Sweat my tubes as needed.

See what kind of Fittings are out there.

I see you are in East Haven, I have a Beadlock Crimper for like # 6 - 12 line.
PM Me if you would like to borrow it and Make your own lines, I found the Ends on eBay for like $ 5.00 each in different sizes and Angles.

Timmy

 

This is where I get my fittings and hose for a very good price.

Neat trick is you can buff/polish the aluminum $3 fittings to show quality in a few minutes instead of buying expensive stainless of chromed.

http://www.autoacfittings.com/main.sc

 

Can you help me understand the modifications necessary to use the vertical inline bulkhead fitting? Does it require the re-plumbing of the kit? I am not afraid of a little sweat soldering but looking for clarification so I can plan accordingly.

 

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/mediumlarge/VTA-386600-MBA_ml.jpg Is this the bulk head connector (part#386600)??

 

yes

 

Thank you.

 

Wow, such great feedback! I love the DSE heater delete plate that Jeff put in. Loved it so much, I brought one home with me today. John, I love the bulkhead connector. Would love to use that as well but am unclear how using the DSE cover over the VA mounting plate and will work. I guess your heater valve is located inside the car? Tim, I can not take apart the VA system like you can with the CA setup. Nice work on that!

 

My ac and heater hoses are run between the inner fender and the fender. The heater valve is on the engine side hidden

 

As I said before I run the 4 hoses through the blower hole and under the fender like John did. They are connected to the evaporator then the the engine/compressor. You eliminate the bulkhead fitting and another area to leak. A much cleaner look. I bought the firewall cover that does the entire firewall and attached it with silicone. It is powder coated gloss black. Before I attached the end fittings I put the braded material over the heater hoses, then had NAPA clamp the fittings on the cut hoses for a few dollars each.

 

Bruce did you snake the hoses through the kick panel ?? What about fresh air duct in kick panel ??

 

NOTE:

My vintage air unit does not come apart and it's also pretty old. I bought it in 2005 and did not install it until 2011. It's the old style cable operated unit.

My heater hoses run from the vintage air unit through the firewall opening and inside the firewall mounted heater core cover/blower motor box. My heater control valve is mounted inside there also.

My install was done on total budget with me attempting to figure out how to make the ugly vintage air plastic firewall plate look better. I thought about the DSE plate but then I would be back to fabing up something and then messing with my firewall and doing something that could not be undone if I ever wanted to. I looked into going with bulkhead fitting and sending my unit back to vintage air to have heater hoses turned to 90 degrees. That was going to cost me nearly $400.00 for the fitting, box mod by VA plus shipping. The one spot of welding done on the firewall was to blend in the small block heater hose holes or half moons.

I did my modification for the cost of of some fittings and a little time. I might have $30.00 into it. I am by no means saying do what I did, just putting out an idea and letting you all know I am a cheap a$$.....LOL!!!