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cru62
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Joined: December 31, 2002
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Location: Margaritaville.....24/7
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 Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:17 pm Post subject: Stale Air Heater Box Rebuild |
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Anyone ever tried to split the actual heater box part of a stale air HE? I'm afraid that the tabs that are bent over to secure the halves will just snap off. I have some serious dents that I want to pound out first.
Also, is there a type of powder coat that can be used on heater boxes? I guess I could just have them blasted and coated without taking them apart. But it would be easier to fix the dents if they were apart.
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"My biggest worry is that when I die, my wife will sell all my parts for what I told her I paid for them"-Jon
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
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67 Shane
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Joined: September 05, 2007
Posts: 1080
Location: Losing my mind in Charlotte, N.C.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:22 am Post subject: |
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Its only metal you can fix it if you screw up trying to open it. But instead of opening them what about a stud gun and slide hammer to try and pull them out some. Would be difficult to work em to perfection but could be done. Just an alternative thought.
As far as powder coating I know the guy we use has powdercoated exhaust and mufflers for us so I dont see why you cant do heater boxes. Go to you local powder coat guy and see if he has samples of high temp swatches laying out.
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67 Euro Type 1.
67 SO-42 Westfalia |
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cru62
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Joined: December 31, 2002
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Location: Margaritaville.....24/7
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 10:09 am Post subject: |
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I did not know that there are high-temp powder coatings. Shows you how long it has been since I had something done!
The dents aren't bad and I was just going to stud and pull them. But, I thought that since the boxes will come apart that maybe someone had a sure-fire method to do that with little damage. If not I'll leave them together.
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"My biggest worry is that when I die, my wife will sell all my parts for what I told her I paid for them"-Jon
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
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BarryL 
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Joined: November 01, 2004
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Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| In the Bentley it actually tells you to bend the little tangs apart to repair the flap in a clean-air heater. I'm betting after all the years since your stale-air surrounds were first bent into place a lot of H20 and oxygen have permeated the molecules of the virgin steel and produced a brittle outer casing of rust that might just give way. I've seen some for sale but there are three versions, at least. |
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cru62
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Joined: December 31, 2002
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Location: Margaritaville.....24/7
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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Well, luckily (?) they were liberally coated with solidified oil, so there isn't much rust. But it seems that every time I bent something back to disassemble it for one reason or another, the tab snaps off. Hard to believe it could work-harden after one bend. Maybe they aren't meant to go but once.
As an aside, these boxes were layered with solidified oil. I read some where on this site years ago that a concentrated solution of lye and water was a good degreaser and paint remover. I put two cans of Drano in a ten gallon bucket of water and soaked the boxes for a day. They came out clean of most of the gunk. If I leave them in longer the paint just sloughs off. Just don't get it in your eyes or on your skin!
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Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
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