The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors 1940 KC 1/2 ton Heater questions

I'm looking for any pictures and installation info on a Harrison Heater for a 1940 KC 1/2 ton PU.... Including the defroster and defroster vents.

Much appreciated...

Thanks,

Mike

Mike, Since the heater resides in the cab, I think your question may get better response from the Interiors forum so it has been moved there. I'm sure others should be along soon to offer some help answering your question!

Mike, If you scroll through this 1940 Chevrolet Accessories resource document you can see the different heater options available for both cars and trucks that year. I put a screenshot of the particular page below. Also included is a separate defroster unit. I haven't been able to locate any installation info yet, but perhaps anther Bolter may have that info and will share it??? Hope this may be of some help.

Thanks, that helps.

One thing that I can seem to locate is the defroster vents. I have no numbers or sizes and, odly enough, I can't seem to see how they are installed.... I can find no mounting holes or tabs near the vents on the dash.

Thanks again,

Mike

I have one installed in my truck. The other one is missing. I'll go out there and look to see how those fan-shaped vents are attached. They're cardboard/paper, I think.

Mike, The parts from the 1940 units were part of an accessory kit and not available separately to my knowledge. They would have been dealer installed. I know later year trucks have Accessory Installation books that detail the instructions for installations, but I haven't found any such books for the 1940 year. Perhaps one of our fellow Stovebolters with that era truck can shed some light on the subject???

I'll keep looking.... Thanks,

Mike

I was told that the defroster vents installation required the removal of the dash. Does that make sense? That seems a little extreme for a accessory...

Mike

Mike, A little further searching turned up this 1940 defroster vents conversation that might help a little. No one in that conversation mentioned the need to remove the dash, so maybe not??? There are a couple pics, but nothing showing the under dash area.

I'm sure my back doesn't appreciate this but I managed to slide my phone up under the dash and saw this.... Now I'm wondering what size screws held it up? I didn't see it before... Until I covered the vent opening.... Interesting....

Mike

It looks like it might be the same as AD defroster vents, with a clip on one end and a single screw on the other.
Brad Allen has a pic of a 41-48 Defroster vent that has the same thing HERE.
You might scroll thru more of his pics. It's a treasure trove of stuff.

Sure is.... I'll send him a note...

Mike

'37 doesn't have defrosters but if the '40 dash is as easy to remove, it may be easiest to install or fabricate the defroster vents than reaching under there. I like others have read that you pull the dash to get to the nuts.

Finally found way to get up there..... I found that Sheet metal screws might not work.... The metal seems too thick. But the holes are the same type that the metal side panels use for their #8 truss screws.... Just un taped .... And They look like there sized for a #6 .... but the head of a #6 might be too small for the vent flange. When I get a vent, I'll know. Im guessing they drilled all the holes to fasten the sheet metal at the same size.... And to use the same type of screws... A #8 truss head machine screw. Why would they use a #8 machine screw for the interior sheet metal and just 4 holes for the vents using a #6". And why change from a truss head screw to a panhead sheet metal screw for the vent?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Mike

Well I finally have my heater vents installed. I found a set that's matches the opening I have on Ebay. I tried a number of different screw, both machine and sheet metal and found that because the holes in the dash were not tapped, I would uses the sheet metal screws as suggested by many here and found that the only size that fit the vents were a #6 1/2 inch sheet metal screw. I was concerned that the netal would be too thick to use sheet metal screws, possibly breaking them off, but I found that not to be the case. I was concerned about the screw head being too small but a #6 was perfect. The vent hose is 1-1/2 inch and made of some kind of paper. There is no indication whether the vents point to the back or down.... I'll deal with that later...

Thanks to all...

Mike

I finally have the entire heater, defroster assemble installed and working.
Can't get the glovebox in.

my latest attempt, I removed the heater assembly and tried to install the glove box.  It was new ?  From a known supplier.  It won't fit.  The defroster vent is in the way.  I compared the new box with the old ? Box.  Looks about the same.  

Maybe trucks didn't usually come with defrosters allowing for the glove box to fit.....  Special glove boxes?  If the defroster vent curved any more than it is, it might not work....   

Any body have any measurement of a glovebox installed with a defrost vent?



Mike

Some of the trucks have a right and left vent ,could it work if you swapped them from side to side.

I checked that before installing the vents. Both are identical....
Thanks for the comment.

Mike

Do the vents point either forward or backward? In other words if you set them on a table on the mounting surface, would they point straight up? If they lean over, could they be turned around and give you more room for the defrost hose?

They both are bent, pointing to the front of the car. I think the problem is that the passenger side vent sits directly over the glove box.... A little further down toward the firewall..
It's almost like it needs a shorter glove box if a defroster is installed.

Mike

My heater and the Glove Box ..... Maybe I'm finished..... Thanks to all the forum members that helped .....

I am in the process of completing the restoration on my 1940 Chevy PU and I was offered a heater that was compatible with the age of the truck. Not wanting to give up an opportunity to add another piece to the puzzle, I bought it. It was in good condition so a little sandblasting and painting did a lot to make it fit in. Before mounting it, I decided to have the heaters radiator core checked. I haven't had any radiator work done in a few years so I went to my usual places..... which I found were no longer doing radiators. Apparently the EPA is cracking down on these places and the new requirements to rebuild radiators are cost prohibited.... I just wanted to see if would hold water..... Not leak..... Being in Florida I really didn't need a working unit...... Actually that's not true... It bugs me when things don't work so I needed to get this tested. The owner of one of my old haunts told me that's it's really easy to check.... Just put some air pressure... Keeping the pressure low... About 10-15 pounds... into the core and put the core into a bucket of water and see if it bubbles.... No bubbles, no leaks. Just like old bicycle tubes when I was a kid...
I was lucky, it seemed to hold air.... I was ready to install.
The heater unit has both the cab heater fan as well as a blower fan for the defroster.... My truck has factory defroster vents cut into the dash.... And after some discussion on the VCCA website I had some idea as to the shape and size of the attaching vents. I found the vents on ebay as well as the 1-1/2 in tubing that's connects them to the blower motor.... A little sandblasting and paint .... things were looking good....

I installed the vents, hoses and heater unit... A dry run test.... Worked great .... Until I tried to install the glove box. The glove box I had purchased from the supplier installed fine without the heater but now the heater defrost vent prevented it from being installed. It seems that the curved defroster vent interferes with the top of the glove box and the heater unit makes the the box too long. I had no idea if I needed a different size glove box or maybe I'm just using the wrong heater. I believe I have the correct heater assembly so I decided I need a new glove box. I find that a lot of things I get from suppliers are generic and aren't necessarily correct for the project year....

To build the new box, I dissembled the box I had and used it as a basic pattern. I used this pattern to create my own cardboard copy which I could modify. The original box front fit the dashboard fine without the heater..... it was the height in the back and the length that had to be changed. To lower the back but not the front, I lowered the angle... front to back..... to accommodate the curve of the defrost vent, then made it shorter to clear the heater.
I taped the parts together and tried to install it.... With a few modifications, I got it to fit. Patience is a virtur here.... "I CUT IT TWICE AND ITS STILL TOO SMALL"....

I took my cardboard model apart and used it as a pattern to create another box cut out of foam core board. If I had some flat decent cardboard I could have used that but I didn't... Just some old shipping boxes... I needed the cardboard flat and smooth so when I applied the felt covering it would look nice.

I found a supplier ... Amazon of course..... of adhesive backed felt that is used to line things like jewelry boxes. It comes in a roll about 16 inches by 6 ft.... plenty for my project and only about $8.

I used my final cardboard pattern to cutout the final box out of the core board. When I cut it, I made sure I only scored....cut half of the way through ...... where I bent the foam core board so that I would get a nice smooth bend.

I placed the felt...ahesive side on the board and cut the felt around the pattern leaving about an inch that I could use to wrap the edge....giving it a finished look. I taped the box together.... being careful not to tape over the felt..... the tape doesn't stick so well of felt..... so you will have remove any felt from where you are taping. All of my sides would fold in place except the top. That was taped on so I didn't really have to worry much about covering the edges with felt. I could have folded one side of the top also but my core board was not large enough for that.

And once installed in the truck..... Yes it actually fit....... Just make a lot of models, test them and make sure you use the model that actually fits...

I would guess this process..... using core board.... It's Waterproof.... Could be used in other places on the car also.... Sun visors, kick panels.... Possibly using interior finish materials for the felt....

Now I just need to wait for winter to test the heater .....

Fantastic looking! Well done and thanks for sharing!