The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Temperature control for the heater?

Turned on the heater today for the first time since purchasing my 1952 back in Oct 2012. Just to see if it would work or leaked. This heater really gets hot. I did run it on both high and low speed. My question, is there some kind of temperature controler, maybe not opening the hot water valve all the way, actuated by the cable pull dask mounted switch or do you just use the air vent or crack a window if it gets to warm? Thanks HUGH

The operation varied from heater to heater. There were dozens of aftermarket heaters used in addition to dealer installed from GM. A picture of what you have might help.

Will have to get with my daughter for help with pics tommorow, but a quick look under the dash looks like the fresh air vent on the passengers side has a plate over it and is no way connected to my heater assy. I can feel a honeycomb pattern on the square box that sits flush with the firewall that is probably the heater coil that the hotwater tubes feed through and a blower that sits infront of it with two outlets that run up to the defroster vents in the dash. The blower assy also has a 2 position flapper for heater and or defroster. Painted black with no idetification markings. Looks really simple compaired to the other heaters that I have seen on this site. Upon further reading seems some of these had some kind of copper tubed temperature control, and guessing if mine doesn't have it, then it probably didn't come with one. Which kind of leaves you with cracking a window or opening the fresh air vent a little just to keep the temperature as comfortable as it can be.

If this is the heater that you have, then it's the optional
Deluxe Fresh air Heater from GM:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/141790251
If the tube on the left is missing then the thermostatic control
is shot, they can't be repaired either. Finding a donor is the
only repair for the Ranco valve. The only regulation that you
have, as you have already discovered is to turn the blower
motor on and off. With out the fan blowing across the core you
won't get a lot of heat. On the low speed the fan switch
dropping resistor will get super hot so watch it, don't burn
your fingers feeling around behind it.

Doesn't sound like it's a recirculating heater because it has
a round heater core:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/149025181

If it's something along the lines of this then it's an aftermarket heater
as Charlie pointed out from an auto parts store that someone installed:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/149025155

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

It doesn't look like any of the ones pictured, mine is really bare bones, again appears to be only a very simple core with 2 speed blower, with a gravity flapper valve that stays in the defroster position. I noticed it has two larger openings in the top for the two smaller defroster hoses, I am missing the fitting that couples the two together, is this part available and what is it called?

You'll have to post a photo in order to get a useful answer to this question.

http://s898.beta.photobucket.com/us...mp;_suid=1362334473640015657809518924925


Ok guys as this is my first try (with help from my daughter) to ever post a pic to the internet, hope this works, I have included two pics of the heater assy and a pic of my pride and joy, here goes.

You and your daughter did fine.

As you most likely know, it is not a standard truck heater. Maybe someone will recognize it and be able to give you a year/make so you can buy parts.

If I was dealing with the heater, I'd see if I could find a plastic plumbing-pipe reducer to bring the diameter down to the size of the defroster hose.

looks a lot like the later dealer installed version, that you likely won't find any specific parts for, you'll need to make some DIY adapters for the defrost tubes .... very basic design that would benefit from an after market water shut-off under the hood .... having the wind wings open would be common for that style heater - also the defroster control lever should have some friction built in so it stays at either defrost or floor positions, but leaving it on defrost keeps the feet from getting fried

Bill

Will look into getting some kind of reducer to couple up the hoses to the heater box. It also has the water cutoff switch under the hood exactly as pictured. Is it posible to upen this switch just a little instead of all the way, as that may cut down on the flow of hot water making the temp a little more bearable.

yes, that under hood shut off [plumbing item, not a 'switch'] might be cable controlled [like the pic I posted] and can be set as you like - very useful for shutting off the flow altogether in the summer

Bill

I haven't had a chance to search my local hardware store for a possible source of a reducer to couple the heater box opening to the defroster hose. Does anyone know if this part is being repro'd, as it is approx. 2 7/8" at one end and 1 3/4" at the other. Has anyone here overcome this problem, thanks HUGH

I doubt you'll find something the 2 sizes, you'll need to find probably at least 2 things that you can use to "step down", like the outside of a smaller piece fits snug inside a larger piece, check plumbing stores - look at a FLAPS too, they should have a few different size hoses

Bill