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Fresh air box rebuild
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Wade
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:38 pm    Post subject: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

I'm in the middle of rebuilding my fresh air system and though I'd throw a few photos up and describe some of the issues I ran into during the process in case it helps anyone in the future.

Here's the airbox at the beginning. The rubber had worn off the main flap so it leaked all the time, the rubber on the directional flaps was toast so air was always blowing on my head, and the spring-loaded pin that holds the main flap in position was worn down such that the main flap would suddenly flip full open and scare the crap out of me on the freeway. Anyway...

Here's the box when I started.

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Along with the ambulance fan face plate that I installed, without the fan unfortunately, back in '90. Someone had bent the mounting arm back before I bought it.

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Here's a shot of the original locking plate that had to be removed to pull out the main shaft.

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You can see how worn down my locating pin was.

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All the old seam sealer had fallen out so I cleaned everything up and resealed with new automotive seam sealer. See past posts from Everett on the specifics of doing this. I used the same sealer that he did and it came out fine. Sorry, I didn't take photos, likely because my fingers were covered in sticky, smelly, seam sealer goo.

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Here are the original screws that hold the main flap to the rod.

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One big issue I had was that the steel strengthener that the rod goes through, right under the handle, had broken its welds to the body. It was rusted tight onto the rod and just rotating in the larger hole that it should have been welded to. So, I got it off the rod, cleaned up the area, drilled a few holes and welded it back in place from the inside of the box. Messed up the paint a bit but worked well.

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I then installed the rubber back into the main flap using pop rivets. Getting the perfect fit took a number of trials, with me using scissors to trim small amounts off each time until it sealed well but could still be opened with the small handle.

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To finish the job, I decided to install the rubber seal that I believe was really only officially used in later '60s busses. As shown in other posts about the air box, I used weatherstrip glue to carefully glue it in place such that the main flap seals against it when it's fully up.

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For the air direction flaps, I started by pulling off the knob. It looked good from the outside but was all cracked and unusable on the inside. Note that mine being from a '56 is the older style that doesn't have any cross webbed plastic on the back. It also uses a large spring vs the later spring washer. I found a newer style with an identical finish and used that with a spring washer as it'll be stronger in the long run.

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I then pulled out the side screws that hold the flaps to the side of the box. The upper screw was under the headliner which is a huge problem usually, but my headliner is so thrashed these days that I was OK pushing it up a bit with the screwdriver to get to the screw underneath. With those two screws out, the whole flap system comes out.

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I used the flap rubber from Wolfsburg West, glueing it place with the same weatherstripping glue. I also carefully bent the two triangular hooks that are cut into the flaps to hold the rubber in place. I carefully cut slits in the rubber ahead of time so that when I set it in place on the glue, I could just slip the hooks through and bend them back down flat.

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There were a few tricks to installing this system. First, use cardboard to determine how wide the flaps of rubber should be. You want them to seal, but you also need them to move with the low leverage of the knob. It's trial and error.

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Secondly, I found that the trick shown in some other threads on this subject, showing how you can use a knotted string to pull the hinged portion of the flaps into place so you can get the screws in was hugely helpful. And lastly, the metal rods that move the flaps kept falling out of their grommets every time I tried to put the system in place. It was a huge pain. So I added a dab of silicon sealer to the ends to keep them in place. This was super helpful. You can see it in the photo below.

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I think that's it for now. I'd describe this as one of those jobs that was a huge pain to do for the first time, but now that I've done it, it would be 80% easier to do the second time, which is why I figured I'd pass along some of my learnings.

I still have to install my ambulance fan switch and the face plate and seals. I'll likely add to this post in the future as I accomplish those. (anyone out there have a ambulance fan and mounting chassis they'd like to sell?). Smile

Cheers,
-Wade


Last edited by Wade on Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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BulliBill
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Thanks for the write-up Wade! You might get a hold of Matthew Hendricks on here to see if he can help you find the missing parts for your Ambulance fan housing. Nice guy, and does great work!

Bill
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BarryL Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Yes a great write-up.
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Tom snowden
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:19 am    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Great photos, I’m about to tackle this unfortunately I have a new headliner and haven’t figured out how to get the top screws out without destroying it. Any tricks out there would be appreciated. Also think it will be a bigger pain to get those screws back in! Thanks anyone who knows.
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amishman
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Awesome! I have yet to use one. The lever seems frozen in place and I have yet to explore dissecting it to see what the problem is. One day. Thanks for the write-up! TJ
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EverettB Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Yes, thanks for the detailed write-up.

I added a link from the Split Bus FAQ thread entry to this thread as a 2nd detailed thread.
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Wade
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:12 am    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Thanks all.

After re-reading my original post, there were a few items I found I left out or could expand on for people doing this job in the future.

1. For any originality junkies. I'm pretty darn sure my fresh air system had never been apart, so I'm pretty certain that the round clip that holds the end of the main rod in place was original. I'm not sure if they changed later but mine was different enough from the WW reproduction that I re-used mine. The repro has a bunch of small pie-cuts that grab the rod, whereas mine just had the two "grabbers".

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2. Similarly, as I mentioned in my original post, the knob on my air directional flaps (the two flaps, not the main front one) was the early version that doesn't have the plastic webbing strengthening it. Maybe this early version is a Wolfsburg thing? I don't know.

Here are some photos, first of mine, showing the original spring and fiber washer, and two others that I borrowed from the classifieds. (I hope that's OK). The first shows the same type of knob I have, with room for the full spring, and the second shows both types. The later type with the cross-webbing uses a spring washer instead of the large spring.

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3. If you replace your plastic locating pin, you don't need to bend any metal or anything if your spring is still OK. I just released the small c-clip from the rear of the pin and removed the pin, leaving the spring inside the metal "cage". I then slid the new pin in from the front and added a new clip. Saved me having to bend any metal.

4. When re-installing the main flap to the rod, tighten the two small screws that hold the flap to the rod, then move the flap around a few times and re-snug the screws down. I found that I was able to tighten the screws a bit more after moving the system around and getting it settled. I then cinched down the retaining nuts.

I think that's it. Sorry for all the text.

-Wade
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Two Glove Boxes
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 12:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Applause Applause Applause Very good work, I got the joy of learning how these work with restoring mine. Laughing Brick wall Very Happy
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Wade wrote:
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You might talk about the flat-on-one-side rod and how it sits in the flap clamps. A lot of times they get put in 180 degrees off as people think the setscrew sits against the flat part of the rod.
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Wade
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:28 am    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Good point. I don't have any photos but I'll try to explain.

The actuating rod for the main flap has two flat spots on it that mate up with the rectangular "bosses" on the flap itself. When re-installing, you want the flat spots on the rod to be facing forward in the bus such that they mate up with the flat surface of the flap boss. Then, the set screw on each boss comes in from the rear and gets screwed down to the rounded rear portion of the rod.

Many people instinctively think that the set screws get screwed down to the flat parts of the rod, which is incorrect and will position the actuating handle 180 degrees out from where it needs to be.

Cheers,
Wade.
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ted698
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PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2021 8:12 am    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Also just to add - the later type seal around the body - this was a '67 only thing - there was a small square profile metal frame added to the airbox to hold this seal, where you have glued it in, it means the flap gets forced against this seal adding to the sealing.

Another '67 only oddity Smile
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nlorntson
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2023 7:31 am    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

ted698 wrote:
Also just to add - the later type seal around the body - this was a '67 only thing - there was a small square profile metal frame added to the airbox to hold this seal, where you have glued it in, it means the flap gets forced against this seal adding to the sealing.

Another '67 only oddity Smile


Like this

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Who.Me? Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2023 1:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Fresh air box rebuild Reply with quote

Was this reinforcer used on all production years?

There isn't one on my truck. The original flap handle and bar were missing when I got it and the makeshift replacement had cut in to the sheet metal of the side of the air box.

The reinforcer would probably have prevented that damage.

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