The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Replacing deluxe heater switches in a '63 C-10

A couple of the levers that control some of the heat functions (not the blower switch, but some of the long levers connected to the cables behind the dash) are broken, so I bought a nice set from LMC. I have no idea how t change them out, though. I guess the switch assembly comes out the back of the dash, but how do they disconnect from the cables, and what am I getting into when that happens? I wanted to look it up in the shop manual, but there doesn't seem to be anything that specifically addresses changing out the levers themselves.

Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!

It's pretty easy, just remove the screw on the front of the control and it will tip back into the dash. Feed it down and disconnect the fan switch wires and follow the cables back to the heater box and remove them there. After it's out on the work bench, label where the cables came from so they go back where they belong. Make sure you clean and lubricate everything as you go,
Scott

Pretty easy, huh? Sounds like a job to me! Anyway, thanks for the tip--I'll give it a try and see if I can do that without rendering the truck useless.

I just replaced all the cables in my 64 C10 (lovingly known as "Ugly Truck") after I'd rebuilt the heater control. Seems the cables were junk and wouldn't free up even with the new control arms.

Scott's given you good directions for removing the control. You may have a brace at the bottom and you may have to loosen one screw in the instrument panel bezel.

I'd strongly suggest replacing the cables at the same time as you rebuild the control. You'll thank yourself if you do and (if you're like me) curse yourself if you don't.

I just took my truck on a trip from Utah to Colorado and back and used the controls more during that rip than I have since I've owned it. It was REAL nice to have them working well.

One other thing I did was to replace the blower motor (the old one was sorta balky) and taped up the defroster vent hoses. They were a little leaky. Now that sucker blows thru the defroster like there's no tomorrow.

If I could only keep the motor warm. I'm gonna have to put a redneck thermostat in it for the winter (cardboard in front of the radiator) cuz the 292 runs so cool...and that's without a fan! (It does get hot if it sits and idles for an extended period of time.)

I got a "new" standard heater assembly and switch from a junk yard truck. I took EVERYTHING apart and blasted and painted the heater housing and stuff, and cleaned the mechanisms on the contrl levers with carb cleaner.

For the cables, I cleaned the outside of them with carb cleaner, and then pulled the wire through the sleeve as far as I could (with a pair of pliers) and shot it with some white lithium grease. Did the same at the other end. Then I worked the cable through the sleeve for a long time, back and forth, working the grease into it.
The cable slides like butter and the switch action is very good too. I'm waiting to get my new radiator before installing the rebuilt heater assembly and heater core--just in time for winter!

Brad