Model 36 heater

[Young Ed]

I've got 2 of these that I'm working on with the plan being to restore one and install it in my 46 pickup. The #36 is also the factory heater for my truck. In looking in the parts book for both the p15s and my truck is shows a heater to firewall spacer. What does this do? I believe its missing from both my heaters. Do I really need it?? Anyone have one laying about?

[David Maxwell]

I made the mistake of installing mine without it first. Your heater will not seat well against the firewall and will not tighten properly or be at the correct angle.

[greg g]

They make up for the difference between the straight back of the heater and the angle of the foot well. They can probably be duplicated with a wooden wedge with a proper sized hole for the conectors which pass through the firewall.

[Young Ed]

Hmm the firewall in a truck is pretty flat and vertical. The truck parts manual does still mention them. Do you either of you happen to have a picture of them? Also the one heater I removed from a 53-54 IHC pickup. It does have some cupped washer lookin things behind the bolts but they dont look to me to be factory made.

[Young Ed]

Ok I started taking the 1 heater apart. Left the other as a control Here is the back of the second one that shows what may be the proper angled spacers. The truck guys confirm that I need these too. They look a little beat up but I think they will be ok if they are the right ones. Then one pic of a repainted piece. All pieces but the fan shroud are repainted in that gray.

[David Maxwell]

...of the firewall. The spacer you need looks like the end of a shoe box cut at an angle (best description I could come up with on short notice). I'll try and create an image for you.

[BobT-47P15]

David, don't those inside spacers fit into slots in the inside firewall insulation piece?

I'm thinking they are rectangular, kind of a square cornered C shaped item.

Once you know what they look like and the size, Ed, you might be able to invent some.

[Young Ed]

I'm thinking I'll be able to make them out of wood or something once I get an idea of what it or they look like. The heater resto is coming along nicely. The outside is repainted and the heater core held water for 24hours. Only thing left that needs attention is the fan motor.

[Young Ed]

Ok good and bad news. Hooked the fan motor up to the 6v battery charger. Seems to spin good. Tried to take the defroster setup off the other heater and its rusty inside and the little door at the bottom broke

[47heaven]

I have the same heater on my P15. I believe it's the original one that came with the car. Anyway, it was the first thing I took apart and restored. Since I was going to 12v, I bought a 12v motor for it at Napa. Then, I flushed the radiator core inside (the rusty water never seem to end coming out) and painted it with black tempered paint. Then, I painted the casing with that gray hammer finish. Originaly, it was sort of a light hammered brown, but I knew that wasn't going to look good with gray interior and a gray dashboard. The stainless strap that goes around it and seals the two housing pieces in place is broke at one end, so I couldn't tighten it real well. I also detailed the stainless pieces where there was paint and lettering with a color that was a dead-on match up to the original called Italian Red. It has a little orange tinge to it. That took time. Needless to say, now that I have 12v, that heater really throws out some good heat...and at three speeds! It's a good unit. Now, I have to get a water shut-off valve to install on the engine head so that I don't have extra heat going through there in the summer months.

[David Maxwell]

in the strap at the rear corner where mine broke. I then took a piece of wire and ran it through the hole and into the screw hole on the fan housing. I twisted the wire tight and you can't even tell anything was ever wrong. Hope that can work for you on yours.

I have the same heater on my P15. I believe it's the original one that came with the car. Anyway' date=' it was the first thing I took apart and restored. Since I was going to 12v, I bought a 12v motor for it at Napa. Then, I flushed the radiator core inside (the rusty water never seem to end coming out) and painted it with black tempered paint. Then, I painted the casing with that gray hammer finish. Originaly, it was sort of a light hammered brown, but I knew that wasn't going to look good with gray interior and a gray dashboard. The stainless strap that goes around it and seals the two housing pieces in place is broke at one end, so I couldn't tighten it real well. I also detailed the stainless pieces where there was paint and lettering with a color that was a dead-on match up to the original called Italian Red. It has a little orange tinge to it. That took time. Needless to say, now that I have 12v, that heater really throws out some good heat...and at three speeds! It's a good unit. Now, I have to get a water shut-off valve to install on the engine head so that I don't have extra heat going through there in the summer months.[/quote']

[47heaven]

in the strap at the rear corner where mine broke. I then took a piece of wire and ran it through the hole and into the screw hole on the fan housing. I twisted the wire tight and you can't even tell anything was ever wrong. Hope that can work for you on yours.

Actually, David, the part with the hole broke off just about where it curves around to the back. So there really isn't a way to screw or wire it in. That's where I'm screwed...pardon the pun.

[Young Ed]

Did you happen to take pictures of the back of your heater when it was apart?

[Young Ed]

Anyone know if a model 31 is the same basic heater? The details look different but it looks like the defroster parts would work. Its just got washers to go on the inside of the firewall though.