Does ANYONE have experience of removing an early heater?

[Johnwindwood]

Guys

Our car has non-functioning heater fans-it's an early car with a fan at each end of the unit. I'm aware that the whole thing needs to come out to change fans and that the dash needs to come out first.
Has anyone ever done this? I could do with an idea of any pitfalls etc........

Cheers

[majcd213]

Sorry... One of the few jobs I haven't had to do but if you do it then a blow by blow account would be really welcome. I know Edd removed an Esprit dash on wheeler dealers and it was a nightmare. I think there is also a blog (stoneyexcel?) where the dash was taken out but both I think are later style. Might be worth splicing in some multi plugs as it comes apart to make reassembly easier? Please let me know how you get on. Where are you... A joint effort might be worthwhile?
Cheers
Mike

[majcd213]

I do have a description of removing the dashpod and the centre fascia panel in my blog... But those are the easy bits!!
Go to https://majcd213.blogspot.com and use the search function. If that doesn't work Google:
majcd213 lotus excel

[majcd213]

Hi again. Have you tackled this yet? Eager for a progress report!
Mike

[Johnwindwood]

Hi Mike. No, not had chance as have been sorting window frame problems and now have a new headlining kit to fit. I think I may have to get it in the garage during autumn and tackle it then. I might just be putting it off a bit, because it looks like a swine of a job........

[richardw]

Hi John,

I've recently needed to attend to the heater on my Elite S2, which I believe has the same heater as the 84 Excel. As it wasn't functioning properly and the fans were squealing I figured it would be a major dash out job to overhaul it. However once I got close to it, by removing the glovebox and instrument binnacles, I managed to gain access to the motor housings on each side of the unit. By inserting the extension nozzle of an aerosol lubricant through the motor wiring holes, I managed to fix the squealing. You have to be a bit careful not to squirt it into the motor itself - I think it sits inside the fan so the bearing in question is at the bottom anyway. Regarding the heater operation, it turned out the vacuum pipes were both incorrectly and not connected. It's quite a simple arrangement - the inlet pipe goes into a T piece, each pipe from the T piece goes into a control valve, and thence there is a pipe from each control valve to the two vacuum motors that operate the heater distribution flaps. Once connected up correctly, the heater functioned perfectly. Standard Mini/Allegro vacuum advance piping!

I'd recommend trying to get the motors going using lubricant first as the drivers side motor looks difficult to remove - I think it might be necessary to remove the pedal box, but I never got far enough to tell. You should at least be able to remove the passenger side fan casing fairly easily.

Good luck and I hope you find a relatively simple solution

Richard

[majcd213]

Hi John... Ive just been struggling with my headlining too. I didnt have a kit tho just 5m of fabric and some glue. I'll put it on my blog. As most of my jobs its not perfect but an improvement. Is your kit pre-cut??
Cheers
Mike

[Johnwindwood]

Hi John,

I've recently needed to attend to the heater on my Elite S2, which I believe has the same heater as the 84 Excel. As it wasn't functioning properly and the fans were squealing I figured it would be a major dash out job to overhaul it. However once I got close to it, by removing the glovebox and instrument binnacles, I managed to gain access to the motor housings on each side of the unit. By inserting the extension nozzle of an aerosol lubricant through the motor wiring holes, I managed to fix the squealing. You have to be a bit careful not to squirt it into the motor itself - I think it sits inside the fan so the bearing in question is at the bottom anyway. Regarding the heater operation, it turned out the vacuum pipes were both incorrectly and not connected. It's quite a simple arrangement - the inlet pipe goes into a T piece, each pipe from the T piece goes into a control valve, and thence there is a pipe from each control valve to the two vacuum motors that operate the heater distribution flaps. Once connected up correctly, the heater functioned perfectly. Standard Mini/Allegro vacuum advance piping!

I'd recommend trying to get the motors going using lubricant first as the drivers side motor looks difficult to remove - I think it might be necessary to remove the pedal box, but I never got far enough to tell. You should at least be able to remove the passenger side fan casing fairly easily.

Good luck and I hope you find a relatively simple solution

Richard

Unfortunately, my drivers fan is seized I believe-if I use the fan at all I get a terrible burning smell, so I think it will need more than lubrication unfortunately. I have spare fans and as you say, the pipework will be easy but I don't expect access to be good........

[Johnwindwood]

Hi John... Ive just been struggling with my headlining too. I didnt have a kit tho just 5m of fabric and some glue. I'll put it on my blog. As most of my jobs its not perfect but an improvement. Is your kit pre-cut??
Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike

I took the easy way out and bought a Lotusbits kit which is all the panel supplied ready trimmed-the only bits I need to stick are the main roof sections. Even the visors are retrimmed and fitted. The price is not for the squeamish though......

[richardw]

Unfortunately, my drivers fan is seized I believe-if I use the fan at all I get a terrible burning smell, so I think it will need more than lubrication unfortunately. I have spare fans and as you say, the pipework will be easy but I don't expect access to be good........

If you can smell burning, there's a current path in the motor so the problem is likely to be be in the bearing - probably the bottom one supporting the fan itself as that's where any moisture would collect. It would be worth squirting some penetrating oil in at first and trying to get access to turn the fan with a screwdriver - you may be able to loosen the cover sufficiently to do this, or even drill a hole in the casing which you can later seal with a grommet. This should hopefully loosen it sufficiently to allow the motor to turn on its own.

[bash]

mike, with regard to the headlining the rear rail is the only difficult bit

Done a couple of these now so Ive got it off to a tee, perhaps I should offer a service to you all, but, to answer the question the big flat panels can be a pain to do but you dont need the panel method. Take the front seats out. Mask off the rear window first with tape, cut your material oversize by at least 3" all around. Use the high temperature spray adhesive from wollies as it doesnt come off again when its hot and is easy to work. Get a workbench set up at the side of the car, a wallpaper table is ideal and get another pair of hands if possible. You need to stick the big bit up first, spray all the roof in a cobweb design twice, one at right angles to the other including a good covering on the forward face of the rear rail, dont try and do the bit directly next to the window. Spray all your material the same as the roof and then wait a couple of minites for it to be almost touch dry. This is where the other pair of hands comes in, if any of the material touches any other bit of material not only will it really really stick but it will leave a mark even if you get it separated... a new bit will be required in other words. Drape half of the material ( one side of the car ) over your arms and pass it in to the other person inside the car at the opposite side who will take it off you in a similar fashion. Get inside yourself and stick the centre of the material on front to rear. It helps if you put a mark on the centreline of the roof front and rear and the same with the material but dont use a big black mark because you will see it through light coloured material. gently, with the back of a clean hand work the material onto the big bit of the roof without any creases. When thats on stick it to the front edge of the rear rail and then the flat part of the rear rail. Get some very sharp sissors and a spreader similar to whats used for spreading filler. What you need to do is to have about 6 to 8 mm of material to stick into the gap between the header rail and the window plus what is needed to wrap around the fibreglass roof, get this wrong and its start again. Cut the material and push it into the gap with the edge of the spreader, it seems to be easier to do this starting at one end. The glue thats already on the material will stop it falling out of the gap. Then trim the rest of the excess material off around the roof. This all needs to be done in one go straight after each other so get organised before you attempt it.
Thats easy enough int it, have you done the sun visors yet cos thats really fun.

Bash

Having said that I you need to do a bit of sewing to do the sunvisors

[Johnwindwood]

Unfortunately, my drivers fan is seized I believe-if I use the fan at all I get a terrible burning smell, so I think it will need more than lubrication unfortunately. I have spare fans and as you say, the pipework will be easy but I don't expect access to be good........

If you can smell burning, there's a current path in the motor so the problem is likely to be be in the bearing - probably the bottom one supporting the fan itself as that's where any moisture would collect. It would be worth squirting some penetrating oil in at first and trying to get access to turn the fan with a screwdriver - you may be able to loosen the cover sufficiently to do this, or even drill a hole in the casing which you can later seal with a grommet. This should hopefully loosen it sufficiently to allow the motor to turn on its own.

Thanks for that Richard-I'll certainly give it a go before taking everything out!

[majcd213]

Hi John/Bash,

Thanks both for the info- I gave up trying to do the visors- I knew I wouldn't be able to do it. I wonder if I can get just their covers from Steve? Anyway I managed in the end- sadly working alone so had to improvise a bit in technique. I think in a few years you will find the phrase "Not perfect but improved" engraved on my tombstone but I was pretty pleased with the overall effect and the car is a much pleasanter place to be now!

If you are interested then you can see my struggles at https://majcd213.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09 ... -part.html which details the stripping out and the following post which covers the retrimming. Not a job I want to do again in a hurry!!

I basically cut what I needed for each part and was pretty wasteful with the fabric- 5m was only just enough, and I got through 2 cans of heat-resistant spray adhesive- could have used a third really!
Cheers

Mike

[bash]

Similar experiences I think, just over 2 tins of glue. The sunvisors can be done by anyone good with a needle.... or me, learnt how to do it although my finger ends sufferred and I did manage to sew a bit to my trouser leg at one point. It did promote a few comments when I mentioned that I had managed to sew a sunvisor to my trousers about whereabouts on my person the sun shone from.... hey ho

Bash

[majcd213]

Very droll!
Good one.