How to clean out air system?

[dmw319]

Everytime I turn on my air in my truck (70 c10) I get a little blast of broken up leaf particles that comes up from the defrost and they fall everywhere inside the cab. Where are they coming from? I know there is no cabin filter in these trucks.. but how do I clean the system out? Thanks!

[R.L.]

Around here on the central Gulf coast we have live oaks and those leaves get in everywhere. The cowling vents in front of your windshield is where they get in, then they move outboard and down the inside of your fender to the inside vent. When you open it old leaf pieces blow in on you. I suggest removing your cowl take a air hose and with your vents open blow what you can out then try with them closed; that duct continues trough out the bottom of your truck. You'll need to remove the fender to do a better job. Do both sides and if air doesn't do it try it with your water hose, rain goes down it all the time.
I installed a screen under my cowling to try to keep the majority of those leaves out.

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by R.L.

Around here on the central Gulf coast we have live oaks and those leaves get in everywhere. The cowling vents in front of your windshield is where they get in, then they move outboard and down the inside of your fender to the inside vent. When you open it old leaf pieces blow in on you. I suggest removing your cowl take a air hose and with your vents open blow what you can out then try with them closed; that duct continues trough out the bottom of your truck. You'll need to remove the fender to do a better job. Do both sides and if air doesn't do it try it with your water hose, rain goes down it all the time.
I installed a screen under my cowling to try to keep the majority of those leaves out.

yeah the PO installed a similar screen, and I keep my car in the garage so I rarely have leaves get down in there. But there is still some farther than what I can see. I guess I just have to start taking it apart a little to get to the leaves...

[Sammy]

Sounds like over the years you have accumulated leaves in the chamber behind your heater blower. Not likely you will have an easy fix getting access to the areas without getting deep. Anyone who has done some serious work on their cab has had that area needing attention. The screen idea will help prevent more unwanted guests but you really need to look seriously at getting deep into the area of where all the junk as accumulated over the past 50 years. Look at my pic in the far left where the fan blower n heater would be mounted. Most likely your debris is inside that area and is the culprit.

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by Sammy

Sounds like over the years you have accumulated leaves in the chamber behind your heater blower. Not likely you will have an easy fix getting access to the areas without getting deep. Anyone who has done some serious work on their cab has had that area needing attention. The screen idea will help prevent more unwanted guests but you really need to look seriously at getting deep into the area of where all the junk as accumulated over the past 50 years. Look at my pic in the far left where the fan blower n heater would be mounted. Most likely your debris is inside that area and is the culprit.

oh man! well if that is the case i can just deal with it. it's not too bad, just kind of a nuisance. it makes other people laugh when i turn the air on though. haha!

[LockDoc]

-
Remove the fresh air doors in the kick panels and vacuum and blow the debris out. That won't get all of it but it may help.

LockDoc

[michael bustamante]

yup i took off the vent doors in the kick panals and blew air in there ffrom the compressor then got the wet dry vac and sucked out everything i could. it takes about 5 tries on each side to get most of it

[1968aj]

I use a leaf blower

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
Remove the fresh air doors in the kick panels and vacuum and blow the debris out. That won't get all of it but it may help.

LockDoc

Originally Posted by michael bustamante

yup i took off the vent doors in the kick panals and blew air in there ffrom the compressor then got the wet dry vac and sucked out everything i could. it takes about 5 tries on each side to get most of it

so blow it from inside the cab and it will come out by the cowl on the outside of the truck? so i guess id have to remove that mesh the PO put there temporarily?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I've always just opened up both vents and got 'er up to 75 on the highway. I would recommend having the windows down...

[Andy4639]

I always took the fan motor out. 4 screws and open the truck up and blow through the motor opening. Then vacum out anything I can get to. pretty simple process. Jesse way works pretty good to but I would suggest googles when you do it!

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

I always took the fan motor out. 4 screws and open the truck up and blow through the motor opening. Then vacum out anything I can get to. pretty simple process. Jesse way works pretty good to but I would suggest googles when you do it!

where is the fan motor and how hard is it to access?

i will be sure to where my "googles"

[67ChevyRedneck]

Look under the hood. On the black box on the PS, the box is fiberglass with a metal circular motor hanging out of it... that's it...

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Look under the hood. On the black box on the PS, the box is fiberglass with a metal circular motor hanging out of it... that's it...

thanks!

[michael bustamante]

when you vacuum, try to get a smaller diameter hose so you can shove it in the vent hole. blow from the cowl, heater motor opening and the kick panal holes themselves. its gonna take a few tries to get most of it out.
ive heard of people flushing them out with a hose too