Heater Controls

[65CJ5]

Anyone out there have a working vacuum control motor for an original heater, or know where to get one? That's the silver UFO shaped disc thing on the heater ducting when the heater is controlled by the pushbutton controls.

Or, anyone have the cable operated setup they might want to get rid of? That one used 3 cable controls instead of the pushbutton vac-operated setup. I might convert mine so I don't have this problem again.

Thanks

Stan

[Hippo393]

I think I know what you're referring to. I have a spare heater plenium with one working UFO (the other UFO has an identified air leak). I can unbolt the goodie and send it to you.

[Patrick]

My Dad used the original plenum, but nixed the vacuum, and installed cables. The cool part is you have infinite control, some defrost, some floor, all of one or the other, etc.

[JeepsOLot]

Does anyone know how all that hooks up, the vaccum setup, that is. I'm trying to find out what all I need and where everything hooks up. Thanks!!

[Hippo393]

Sure Jeeps0Lot!

You need the controls with the 3 buttons; Heater plenium w/ 2 working vacuum motors (UFOs, lol); and 3 rubber vacuum lines. 2 of the 3 vacuum lines connect from the side of the controls to the 2 UFOs, and the third line connects the third control port to a vacuum nipple on your intake manifold (goes thru firewall). From there, figgering out which line connects to which port on the controls is as simple as trial-and-error. HTH. :)

[JeepsOLot]

Thanks, Hippo, got me going to the Jeep right now to look, LOL! Thanks alot, take care!

[65CJ5]

I think I know what you're referring to. I have a spare heater plenium with one working UFO (the other UFO has an identified air leak). I can unbolt the goodie and send it to you.
That would be great. The one I need is the one that controls the main heat damper, not the defrost. I can't remember if they are the same or not. If the UFOs are the same, and/or the one you have that works is the one for the main heat then yes, I need one asap!

Thanks

Stan

[65CJ5]

My Dad used the original plenum, but nixed the vacuum, and installed cables. The cool part is you have infinite control, some defrost, some floor, all of one or the other, etc.
I was thinking that as well. I could actually fab something together for that I think, but it would be faster for me to keep what I have for now if I can just replace the vacuum motor (UFO). I'm tired of being cold again! And as I get older, I get colder. And I start rhyming too. :roll:

Stan

[Patrick]

It's not that cold in Albuquerque. Your at least 10* warmer than me ;)

[65CJ5]

Does anyone know how all that hooks up, the vaccum setup, that is. I'm trying to find out what all I need and where everything hooks up. Thanks!!
Page 3-6 fig. 3.8 in the Haynes 49-86 manual is exactly what you want. It's that actual system in a pictorial view that will show you how it all goes together.

Stan

[65CJ5]

It's not that cold in Albuquerque. Your at least 10* warmer than me ;)
But you have to factor in the old age variable and when you do that, I'm actually *colder* than you! Ergo:

Where t = temperature and a = age > 30, we have x = t - a*10 which gives us x which is cold and I want a new UFO!

;)

Stan

[65CJ5]

All,

I finally got the little "UFO" (vacuum motor) Hippo393 was kind enough to send out to me installed and thought I'd post a followup. He sent that unit to me quite some time ago and I only now got to it (and thanks again for sending that thing to me!).

I had to pull the main heater ducting out. Turned out it wasn't quite as big a job as I remembered it. Got that out and replaced the main vacuum motor (a.k.a. vacuum actuator that looks like a little silver UFO mounted on its side) with that used one.

I didn't think it would work but sure enough, I put that one on and applied vacuum to the tube. Not only did it pull the damper mechanism in but it held it in place and didn't lose the vacuum. I put some oil on all the damper pivot points and that helped some too so that it's not as hard for the vacuum motor to open and close the dampers. So (for now at least) it's working like new again. No telling how long the "new" vacuum motor will last as it's got to be nearly as old as Binky. But at least it's working now. The main damper has to open for either heat or defrosting so it's critical that it work.

Stan

[Hippo393]

Glad to hear that the "close encounter" with the UFO worked for you! :P

[schardein]

Good thread, glad to see you got your UFO. I am in the middle of a heater restoration now, actually it has been apart sitting on a bench for 6 months if you call that "in the middle of" :roll: .

I also have had good luck lubricating the hinges on the "doors" in the heater plenum. It makes a difference.

IIRC the UFO's are the same, just one had an "extension" on the operating arm. Stan, can you verify?

Kinda on the same subject (Maybe I need to start a thread ;) ), Has anyone thought of refinishing the little 3 button heater control panel? I was thinking disassemble, clean, repaint, the big thing is the lettering, I wonder if dry transfers would work, and if someone makes them in the same style and size? Mine is in rough shape (hence all this) and I wonder how the writing was originally applied? Stencil?

[James P. Enderwies]

Thought I'd chime in here. In my Live Steam Loco hobby, we use the UFO vacuum motor to accuate the brakes on our riding cars. Simple "Ford" UFO, apply vac. and it pulls. They are easilly obtainable and have a little "L" bracked spot welded on the back than can be attached anywhere. I "think" they are the same as on our heaters. But, they might be a bit smaller.

I'll contact a person in my club that knows them and what the part # is. Also, I'll check on mine to see if it is the same mounting bracked.

Schardein, can you shoot me a pic of the motor since you have it out?

I'll post the results on this thread.

[65CJ5]

> Good thread, glad to see you got your UFO. I am in the middle of a
> heater restoration now, actually it has been apart sitting on a bench
> for 6 months if you call that "in the middle of" .

I decided I'd rather sweat through this repair now than freeze through it later! Didn't make any sense to wait until it got really cold to do this one.

> I also have had good luck lubricating the hinges on the "doors" in the
> heater plenum. It makes a difference.

Yep.

> IIRC the UFO's are the same, just one had an "extension" on the
> operating arm. Stan, can you verify?

I was just looking at them this morning and you'd think I could remember better but yes, I *think* they were the same. You can see some pics of the one I took out this morning here:

http://www.nmia.com/~kittycat/ebay/vac_motor_1.jpg
http://www.nmia.com/~kittycat/ebay/vac_motor_2.jpg

> Kinda on the same subject (Maybe I need to start a thread ), Has
> anyone thought of refinishing the little 3 button heater control panel? I
> was thinking disassemble, clean,

I had to do that to mine, it looked like it had mud all caked around the mechanism. Took quite awhile to clean it but it worked afterwards!

> repaint, the big thing is the lettering, I
> wonder if dry transfers would work, and if someone makes them in
> the same style and size?

Dry transfers might work, but they are tough to do and still have them look nice. I used to use something called Letraset that I got from the art supply store. I don't know if they even make that stuff anymore now what with computers and all.

> Mine is in rough shape (hence all this) and I
> wonder how the writing was originally applied? Stencil?

I think it was probably a silk screen or some other printing process. They do not look stenciled to me although that's an option. With enough care that might work though.

Stan

[65CJ5]

Thought I'd chime in here. In my Live Steam Loco hobby, we use the UFO vacuum motor to accuate the brakes on our riding cars. Simple "Ford" UFO, apply vac. and it pulls. They are easilly obtainable and have a little "L" bracked spot welded on the back than can be attached anywhere. I "think" they are the same as on our heaters. But, they might be a bit smaller.

I'll contact a person in my club that knows them and what the part # is. Also, I'll check on mine to see if it is the same mounting bracked.

Schardein, can you shoot me a pic of the motor since you have it out?

I'll post the results on this thread.

I took some pics of the one I removed:

http://www.nmia.com/~kittycat/ebay/vac_motor_1.jpg
http://www.nmia.com/~kittycat/ebay/vac_motor_2.jpg

That would be great if you could compare that old one to what you can get now. Be nice if new ones could be used to replace these old ones. The 2 little screw studs are somewhat critical in terms of mounting these though. Not sure how you'd make an "L" bracket work...

Stan

[James P. Enderwies]

Stan: Already e-mailed my friend in LA to see what the part # is of that Ford Vac. motor. I think their smaller, but can be easilly adapted to our application. May take a bit of "minor" fabrication, but should be no big deal. I think they are a standard Ford Dist. vac. adv.--not sure though.

Will let all know and will post here.

[schardein]

James, I have the pics ready but I can't figure out how to add them to the email. I think I need your email address instead of using the email icon on this page?
I sent a test email thinking I might get your address that way, just so you know when you see it...

[Hippo393]

schardein, glad to see you back around these here parts and not living in a bunker in Iraq. :beer: :flag:

I've rebuilt a few heater-controls in the last 2 years, but never with new lettering on the outside. I know what you mean though. There's got to be a way to do it via 'puter with a good pic of one. If not, used good-shape ones often surface on the E to the Bay.

[James P. Enderwies]

As far as lettering goes, I was thinking of something we used in cartography years ago. It's called PressType. Don't know if they still make it, but used to get it at drafting supply stores and art supply places. You can get all types and sizes of letters. It can be coated to seal it.

Just a thought.

[James P. Enderwies]

OK, juys, here it is. It's part # vc62, or VC12 (Ford part #). It's for a '52 Ford PU vac. advance. It seems to be used for years. The fabricators that make our Loco trucks just order them from the local FLAPS by the dozen. There not expensive, but don't know the exact price.

HTH.

[65CJ5]

OK, juys, here it is. It's part # vc62, or VC12 (Ford part #). It's for a '52 Ford PU vac. advance. It seems to be used for years. The fabricators that make our Loco trucks just order them from the local FLAPS by the dozen. There not expensive, but don't know the exact price.

HTH.
James, thanks for tracking that down. I went to napaonline and entered VC12 into the "Non-NAPA Part No." field and got several hits:

NAPA Numbers:

Echlin Ignition Vacuum Advance Control
ECHVC915 VC12 $ 15.69
Echlin Ignition Vacuum Advance Control
Usually ships within 3 to 5 days.
ECHVC2025 VC12 $ 29.99
Echlin Ignition Vacuum Advance Control
Usually ships within 3 to 5 days.
ECHVC143 VC12 $ 37.49None of them are an exact match, looks like:

Item#: ECHVC2025
Price: $ 29.99

Comes closest. Not sure how you'd mount it though. Almost have to get one and try it. I will try to get my old one in to NAPA and see if by some chance they can actually match it up to a more or less exact replacement. If not, we might be able to get the ford unit to work.

Stan

[James P. Enderwies]

Stan: Choices huh? Yes I think you'd have to do a bit of fab work. The bracket on the back is sort of an "L" bracket. I wish I had one here to play with because I think you could make it work. The last I heard about the cost was 6-10 bucks, but maybe that's a volume buy.

If you have a Napa with good counter parts men, they just may be able to find something that would work with a minumum of fuss.

[vanguard]

Be sure to give them your AAA card, if you have them. Discounts :twisted: