heater control repair non ac - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

1969burb · 12-11-2005, 11:00 PM

I pulled my control apart to see why the levers were loose, and found all four rivets? that hold the main support body for the cables were pulled away from the face plate. I did not have a support on the rear of the control, but i am assuming there was something there from the factory. Does anyone know of a way to resecure this without drilling holes through the faceplate for new rivets or nuts/bolts? I don't know if this type of metal would take welding of any kind. I found a couple of these controls in trucks at a local wrecking yard and they all had the nut/bolt repair already done to them. I'm sure it works just fine, just ugly to look at. So i'm obviously not the first one to have this problem. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks, steve

Robert1970C20rstbukt · 12-11-2005, 11:14 PM

I've tried almost everything I could think of, but I ended up drilling holes and using small machine bolts and nuts on the one in my truck. It works good and doesn't look too bad and it's a lot cheaper than having to buy a new assembly. Just my .02.

krue · 12-11-2005, 11:59 PM

You can't really do anything with the pot metal the originals are made of in my experience. I may be wrong tho, I hope so cuz I got the same problem ya'll do.

jhow66 · 12-12-2005, 12:03 AM

Get some small "button" head bolts in stainless. Polish and they will blend right in-will look nice as they use a allen wrech.

**tnblazerk5** · 12-12-2005, 12:11 AM

isnt there a repair kit for that ? i seen sum kinda repair kit a Tims Christians shop but i dont remember what all was in it ? i know there was arms and a new face plate but cant remmeber what else was in there

1969burb · 12-12-2005, 12:47 AM

all of the kits i have seen have levers and new sticker/trim for the front of the panel, nothing to make the repair i need. I might try to use rivets through the face since the heads would be fairly shallow, then use something to space up and apply the new trim from one of these kits.

jhwkns · 12-12-2005, 01:55 AM

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=179952

I drilled,and tapped mine from the back side. I cut the screws flush. The new face sticker covered everything.

krue · 12-12-2005, 02:55 AM

Cool.

Tx Firefighter · 12-12-2005, 06:03 AM

Countersunk rivets, then the new face plate over them.

Use an AN426AD4 rivet

muddpile · 12-12-2005, 07:59 PM

So, are those repair kits mentioned in the other thread worth getting? I have one broken lever, and the background is dirty, but the bezel is fine and everything seems tight.

pebbleboy · 12-12-2005, 08:43 PM

Mine did that same thing right before the first snowfall

I just drilled holes in mine and pop rivited it back together. It looks ok

But works great

jhwkns · 12-12-2005, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muddpile

So, are those repair kits mentioned in the other thread worth getting? I have one broken lever, and the background is dirty, but the bezel is fine and everything seems tight.

I thought the kit was overpriced, but the results are nice..

Solver · 12-12-2005, 11:03 PM

I have had the same problem a couple of times.
Most of the time the back of the original rivet is still there just the flange is gone. I use a really large drop of JB Weld on the back side of the rivet and alittle extra around the area. it"s kind of like rebuilding the back of the original rivet. So far It has worked well for me and I have done 2 or 3 like this.
Might give that a try before drilling the face!!

1969burb · 12-12-2005, 11:11 PM

this is why this board is so great! ideas abound! thanks for all the replies. was there some kind of factory support for the rear of the control?

CG · 12-13-2005, 01:43 AM

ive gone the jb weld route also and it worked fine. while you have it all apart its a good time to lube those cables and pivots.

soundspecilist · 12-13-2005, 05:07 PM

I have been through this several times also. I just bought a whole new unit from Early Classic (GREAT resource for everything!). What I found is the cable that goes to the center lever is under so much tension that it is constantly pulling on the unit, eventually causing the rivets to pull loose. What I did on this new unit is I left the center cable disconnected and it hasn't given me a problem. The other end of the cable is right below the heater unit, easily accessible. So I use the top lever for Defroster/Heater vent split, and the bottom one to control the amount of heat. The center one is just for the fan speed. When the 2 working levers are closed (to the left), there is little or no heat that comes out of it. Once summer arrives, just reach down and flip the door closed that the center one controls to shut off 100% of the heat. Sounds Mickey Moused, but it beats tearing up a $120 heater unit.

12-11-2005, 11:00 PM	#1
1969burb Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: olympia wa Posts: 33	heater control repair non ac I pulled my control apart to see why the levers were loose, and found all four rivets? that hold the main support body for the cables were pulled away from the face plate. I did not have a support on the rear of the control, but i am assuming there was something there from the factory. Does anyone know of a way to resecure this without drilling holes through the faceplate for new rivets or nuts/bolts? I don't know if this type of metal would take welding of any kind. I found a couple of these controls in trucks at a local wrecking yard and they all had the nut/bolt repair already done to them. I'm sure it works just fine, just ugly to look at. So i'm obviously not the first one to have this problem. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks, steve

12-11-2005, 11:14 PM	#2
Robert1970C20rstbukt Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Beeville, Texas Posts: 1,943	Re: heater control repair non ac I've tried almost everything I could think of, but I ended up drilling holes and using small machine bolts and nuts on the one in my truck. It works good and doesn't look too bad and it's a lot cheaper than having to buy a new assembly. Just my .02. __________________ RJD 1984 Chevrolet C30 welding truck 454/SM465 1977 GMC C15 pickup 350/TH350 1970 Chevrolet C20 pickup 350/TH400 1970 Chevrolet K20 Suburban 454/TH350 1969 GMC 8500 478M V6/5 spd winch truck

12-11-2005, 11:59 PM	#3
krue Designated A-hole! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: South Mississippi Posts: 36,450	Re: heater control repair non ac You can't really do anything with the pot metal the originals are made of in my experience. I may be wrong tho, I hope so cuz I got the same problem ya'll do. __________________ "If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is!" Being stupid ain't illegal. We're Still Debt Free Except for the House!!! www.daveramsey.com 70 GMC SWB Stepside project "Green Booger" soon to be 6.0l/4l80e 93 S-10 "Poppaw's Truck"

12-12-2005, 12:03 AM	#4
jhow66 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Knoxville Tenn. Posts: 3,058	Re: heater control repair non ac Get some small "button" head bolts in stainless. Polish and they will blend right in-will look nice as they use a allen wrech. __________________ 56 Chevy Bel-Air 2dr. HT (purchased new) 71 Chevy Cheyenne SWB PU (502HO) 65 GMC short bed step--work in progress and my gofer

12-12-2005, 12:11 AM	#5
tnblazerk5 User #12137 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: kingsport,upper east tenn Posts: 11,598	Re: heater control repair non ac isnt there a repair kit for that ? i seen sum kinda repair kit a Tims Christians shop but i dont remember what all was in it ? i know there was arms and a new face plate but cant remmeber what else was in there

12-12-2005, 12:47 AM	#6
1969burb Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: olympia wa Posts: 33	Re: heater control repair non ac all of the kits i have seen have levers and new sticker/trim for the front of the panel, nothing to make the repair i need. I might try to use rivets through the face since the heads would be fairly shallow, then use something to space up and apply the new trim from one of these kits.

12-12-2005, 01:55 AM	#7
jhwkns Registered Cruiser Join Date: May 2002 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 2,230	Re: heater control repair non ac http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=179952 I drilled,and tapped mine from the back side. I cut the screws flush. The new face sticker covered everything. __________________ I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

12-12-2005, 02:55 AM	#8
krue Designated A-hole! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: South Mississippi Posts: 36,450	Re: heater control repair non ac Cool. __________________ "If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is!" Being stupid ain't illegal. We're Still Debt Free Except for the House!!! www.daveramsey.com 70 GMC SWB Stepside project "Green Booger" soon to be 6.0l/4l80e 93 S-10 "Poppaw's Truck"

12-12-2005, 06:03 AM	#9
Tx Firefighter Watch out for your cornhole ! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Azle, Texas Posts: 14,162	Re: heater control repair non ac Countersunk rivets, then the new face plate over them. Use an AN426AD4 rivet __________________ I'm on the Instagram- @Gearhead_Kevin

12-12-2005, 07:59 PM	#10
muddpile Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 1,371	Re: heater control repair non ac So, are those repair kits mentioned in the other thread worth getting? I have one broken lever, and the background is dirty, but the bezel is fine and everything seems tight. __________________ 1964 Chevy Short Fleet: Tornado 1972 Chevy C10: Fast Orange Secondaries Wide Open

12-12-2005, 11:03 PM	#13
Solver Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Storm Lake, Ia Posts: 1,449	Re: heater control repair non ac I have had the same problem a couple of times. Most of the time the back of the original rivet is still there just the flange is gone. I use a really large drop of JB Weld on the back side of the rivet and alittle extra around the area. it"s kind of like rebuilding the back of the original rivet. So far It has worked well for me and I have done 2 or 3 like this. Might give that a try before drilling the face!! __________________ 1972 Cheyenne Super 20 LWB-Blue 1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB-Black 1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB-Red 1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB-green 1972 GMC 4x4 LWB-White 1971 Cheyenne 10 LWB-Ochre 1971 Cheyenne 20 Longhorn-Copper 1971 Cheyenne 20 Longhorn-Black 1969 Custom 10 LWB-lt blue 1968 GMC 3/4 ton-green 1968 1/2 ton swb stepside-silver 1967 Chevrolet CST 10 LWB-green 1967 Chevrolet custom 20 LWB-Maroon

12-12-2005, 11:11 PM	#14
1969burb Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: olympia wa Posts: 33	Re: heater control repair non ac this is why this board is so great! ideas abound! thanks for all the replies. was there some kind of factory support for the rear of the control?

12-13-2005, 01:43 AM	#15
CG BlahBlahBlah Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wa. Posts: 19,985	Re: heater control repair non ac ive gone the jb weld route also and it worked fine. while you have it all apart its a good time to lube those cables and pivots.

12-13-2005, 05:07 PM	#16
soundspecilist Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 15	Re: heater control repair non ac I have been through this several times also. I just bought a whole new unit from Early Classic (GREAT resource for everything!). What I found is the cable that goes to the center lever is under so much tension that it is constantly pulling on the unit, eventually causing the rivets to pull loose. What I did on this new unit is I left the center cable disconnected and it hasn't given me a problem. The other end of the cable is right below the heater unit, easily accessible. So I use the top lever for Defroster/Heater vent split, and the bottom one to control the amount of heat. The center one is just for the fan speed. When the 2 working levers are closed (to the left), there is little or no heat that comes out of it. Once summer arrives, just reach down and flip the door closed that the center one controls to shut off 100% of the heat. Sounds Mickey Moused, but it beats tearing up a $120 heater unit. __________________ '69 GMC C3500 1-Ton, Longhorn, SM465, built 350,



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