Heater box teardown and rebuild

S

simmosimkins

Member
Can anyone point me in the right direction, I believe sowen has published a detailed description of this (pherhaps not on this forum) yet when I tap the link on this forum nothing in any relation to this pops up at all! Thanks
 
Alex charges about £350 for a completely refurhiahed heater box which has new matrix, new seals, new fan motor etc - or £300 if you send her your old box. Sending your old box only costs about £12 by courier. But fitting them is a pig of a job as wipers have to come off, scuttle and bonnet have to be removed, glove box doors removed etc. I paid someone to do that on mine.
So an expensive job - but at least I have some heat in the car now and can clear the front window!
But bear in mind, even when done, these heaters are not what you would describe as a furnace . . .
I have Alex’s contact details if you need them. She is a lovely lady to deal with.
 
I haven't found refitting a heater box to be all that onerous (and I don't see the need to remove the glove box doors). You just need to be systematic. Removing the plenum/scuttle panel should be something we all do fairly regularly in order to clean and rustproof the areas below.
 
It takes two people to remove a bonnet and rehanging it correctly can be tricky. Tom Cheetham, who I think we can accept is a guru when it comes to the P6, did mine as I watched (and helped) and I would describe it as a sizeable job.
 
no you don't need to remove the bonnet!
it's all a fairly straight forward job but a pain in the proverbial fiddling about under the dash upside down.

Removing mine the first time took about an hour and a half due to unfamiliarity but replacement took only about 45 minutes which if I were to do it again would also be the removal time.

Graeme
 
PeterZRH said:
Didn't think so. Wondered where this thread was going...
Click to expand...

Mind you, I suppose some people might.....:rolleyes:

index.php
 
As usual, thanks for all your replies, Hoping the heater isn't knackered. On the plus side the controls work as they should,(if a little noisy, probably worn out foam) it heats and blows correctly, although does take a few miles to start heating effectively. The minus side is although there are no leaks (rain) water appears to be slightly dripping through the feet heater vents. I intend to replace the rubber seal that sits on the lower windscreen rail first as well as removing the heater for a check of its condition/foam replacement, as well as the integrity of the surrounding bulkhead area. I am not afraid of rebuilding it myself, however its nice to know ALEX P can deal with this issue should its condition warrant it.

Again many thanks to all replies, especially H, as usual his post is both accurate and concise, detailing the most efficient way of dealing with your issue! What else do you want? I have often thought, big enjoyment in life comes from a p6, but this would often be compromised if there was not so many genuine enthusiasts on here, gladly willing and able to share their knowledge and expertise!
 
Like the spirit you are entering into these projects. My heater is really poor and needs to come out but I think that'll need to wait until spring. I get very little heat and not much flow. When the motor switches in it howls as it spins up for about three seconds. So it's motor and matrix. I'm hoping to do Demetris's Metro Heater blower assembly upgrade.
 
PeterZRH said:
Like the spirit you are entering into these projects. My heater is really poor and needs to come out but I think that'll need to wait until spring. I get very little heat and not much flow. When the motor switches in it howls as it spins up for about three seconds. So it's motor and matrix. I'm hoping to do Demetris's Metro Heater blower assembly upgrade.
Click to expand...

I know after I refurbed my Box and Matrix the resultant heat output was still poor, little improvement over the origional accept my window no longer steamed up as the pin hole in the matrix was fixed :D

I think Demitris metro mod is very worthwhile
 
Not many metros around these days.. There must be multiple other suitable donors, I keep meaning to investigate that myself actually. My box is off the car so I'll have a measure up tomorrow
Jim
 
Well it’s a mystery to me then why Tom, who has probably rebuilt more P6s than anyone on here, saw the need to remove the bonnet. Getting the box out was tricky enough with the bonnet gone - goodness knows how harder it would have been with it there.
Still. I’m no expert.
 
A decade ago i could still find some Metro heater boxes in the usual BL->Rover used parts suppliers in my neck of woods. This blower motor seemed ideal because it has essentially the same motor case which means it can use the standard mountings, and it has also a bigger impeller, just big enough to fit without any major modifications to the box itself. I think anything more modern has a much bigger impeller so it is going to require some drastic changes to the box. But then it would probably be even more effective.

If i remember correctly, the bonnet removal is a requirement for the removal of the scuttle panel according to the workshop manual. However i do not understand why. I have always removed the scuttle without having to touch the bonnet.
 
If you ever need more clearance for anything you can just prop the bonnet higher with a long piece of wood or carefully strap it to a beam above etc

Jim
 
I do tend to remove the bonnet for a lot of jobs. It's easy enough - prop it up, unplug the washer pipe, place thick rags under each side, undo the two 7/16 bolts each side and lift it off single handed.
 
Yeah when I do decide to remove a bonnet I usually do it on my own too, and I’m only average height/wingspan :D
Jim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top