oleyeller
>>> Just to be clear, are you saying that when you bolt the two heater supports to the firewall, there is a gap between the heater case and the inner cowl? Or, are you saying that the heater body presses against the inner cowl and does not allow it to move into place? I assume that you have tried mounting it completely assembled. Don't know if that would make any difference, but I see that the front cover is off in your photos.
EDIT: DISREGARD MY QUESTIONS AT THE START OF THIS POST I re-read your questions which confirm that the heater case is touching the cowl and preventing the blower motor and support brackets from seating into place.
I had a devil of a time mounting my heater the last time that I had it out. I had to enlarge the square cut-outs in the dash mat to allow the feet of the support brackets to move into position. Otherwise I was having a similar problem that you have. I protected the blower motor with blue tape, because it was scraping against the opening in the firewall as I was jamming everything into place. I wish that I could remember which piece that I put into place first ... brackets bolts, blower motor, air intake. Or if I moved them in as a group.
> Post a photo of the air intake door mounted onto your heater. Just to make sure that it is correct.
Original post ...I guess that I am lucky. With some wiggling, my heater sits into place with the air intake positioned correctly into the inner cowl and all mounting bolts aligned perfectly. Your heater is really nice looking. It will look good in your truck. Protect it with some blue tape while you are trying to get it to fit. In the end, I hope that you don't confirm what others have hinted at - - that your truck was wrecked or twisted sometime in the past 60 years and caused the varience.
You will not be able to tighten the middle clutch head screw on the firewall-side of the heater case with a screw driver. You will need to replace it with a 1/4-20 hex head bolt and use a wrench, or leave it out. The 1954 Accessories Installation Manual says to use five screws ... which I guess implies that this one is left out. You can see the hex head bolt on my heater in the "> Hoses to core" photo below.
Stovebolters are posting some good pics of their heaters. I hope that a few will result in the ah-ha moment that will help you. Not saying that my heater is totally correct, but here are pics of the AirFlow installation in my '54 3104.
1) MOUNT TO FIREWALLYour installation onto the firewall looks like mine, except that you have not installed the Ranco valve and hoses yet. Your blower motor is centered in the opening. There is not much wiggle room in the holes in the firewall for the heater support bolts. BTW, Jim Carter is the only source that I have found for a reproduction metal ring that holds the rubber gasket around the heater motor to the firewall. Most suppliers include a foam rubber gasket for the blower motor to firewall in the heater gasket kit. Seems awefully flemsy. I like a solid gasket instead of the foam.
> My firewall> Jim Carter Firewall Ring2) MEASUREMENT TO INNER COWLThe center of the head of the lower support bolt is 14-1/2" from my inner cowl.
> 14-1/2" to inner cowl> Here's how it was measured3) VARIOUS PHOTOS OF MY HEATER INSTALLATION
> Hoses to core> Upper and lower support and Ranco valve> Lower support and Ranco valve> Heater to inner cowl - 1> Heater to inner cowl - 2> Heater to inner cowl closeup - 1> Heater to inner cowl closeup - 2> Heater to inner cowl closeup - 3 Scroll up and down.
> Heater to inner cowl side view - 1> Heater to inner cowl side view - 2Don't know if it will help, here is the link to my Heater Album on Photobucket:
> Photobucket AlbumI'm originally from Bowling Green. There are a lot of good ol' trucks in Kentucky and Indiana. Keep 'em runnin'.
- Lonnie
