At last year's Hershey swap meet, I picked up a decent looking '46 Ford heater.. supposedly a take-off from an original car being streetrodded. It had been sitting in my garage loft since then, patiently waiting its turn. Well, that turn was last night. After getting it down from the loft (that was a project in itself), I stripped the lead wires and touched them to a car battery in every conceivable combination until I found one that made the fan spin. Good.. things check out OK so far... Second check, I brought it down to the ba*****t and filled it with water. No leaks overnight; water level is in the same spot as when I filled it. So the fan turns and it doesn't leak. Sounds like a winner and a good canditate for my project pickup. Before I go putting it in there, I've got a few questions... 1. Does anyone sell replacement heater cores for a '46 Ford heater? Supposing it does go bad, I'd like to have options. 2. How is this thing supposed to be wired? Last night I got the fan to spin by running the two yellow wires to ground and the red and green ones to positive. No other combination seemed to do anything. 3. Any clean ideas on how to regulate the heat? There's no control valve built in. I'd like to avoid one of those ugly inline vacuum operated ones. I've thought about an inline 1/4-turn ball valve, but that seems to have pretty limited functionality. Maybe someone with more experience has a better idea? Thanks! Ed
Burger - hey man. I just had a radiator shop rebuild my heater core for my 46 ford heater. It wasn't that cheap, but it worked. Then the fan is 6 volt, my fan has a resistor and the original switch running on 12 volt. As far as regulating the heat - turn the fan on low or high, then open and close the doors on the front as necessary - ! ha. I disconnected mine last summer.
You probably have the kind with rectangular box and three doors... I burned out about half my brain cells in college figgerin out that wiring setup... Here's howitworks, roughly, muddled by many years: 4 wires come out of the motor, worked by a special switch below dash. Switch has 5 clicks, high and low forward, same in reverse, and off in center. One direction puts most output through doors, other direction sends most to windshield defrosters. two wires run motor one way, two the other. The two speeds are handled by a resistor setup in the switch. Play with it til you locate two pairs that make it go. I likely have a spare switch around here.
Ed, to regulate heat, you can use an aftermarket (or original, for that matter) heater control valve with a cable control (use an old one for vintage looks). you don't have to put it in the engine compartment, hook it up close to the box, under the dash. BTW, we probably have a few controls, maybe with the valve, in the shop.
It would also be easy to run the tubes down using copper plumbing and have the valve handle lurking under the heater through the toe board.
Bruce, Ahh! It kinda makes sense now. I was able to make the motor change directions by switching the wires from negative to positive and vice-versa. It kinda works like a power window motor then. The green and red wires are probably seperate power wires.. so if I touched just one or the other (with the yellow ones grounded) the fan would probably turn at half speed. Do the four wires come directly out of the motor or is there some additional circuitry? Interesting..... Now I've gotta get one of those switches! Any idea if Chevy used the same wiring? I can get a replacement switch for my truck easy enough (I have no scruples about mixing Ford and Chevy stuff!!!). Thanks, Ed PS- Tudor... how pricey was pricey if you don't mind my asking?
And on the cable idea--you need a bracket below the dash with the switch and the cable for the defroster throttles anyway...just add a third hole for the shutoff cable. By the way, '46-48 ones have the cable for defrost. 1941 looks the same but has a tiny knob at top left of box that hooks directly to defrost shutters.
You know, I thought of the same thing after I posted my first message... well, not about using a cable controlled valve, but splicing the existing vacuum operated one into the plumbing inside the firewall. The cable controlled valve sounds even better because it's simple and mechanical and well.. I'm simple and mechanical. I'll bring it by the shop on Saturday. Ed
My 2 cents; I would diss***emble it for cleaning and repainting, take the core to radiator shop and have it tanked. Any leaks that might be plugged with old s***/stop leak, would then be exposed. Then either repair or replace. My radiator guy (I'm sure most can) can find a replacement (that will fit any existing situation) from his catalog. On my '29 chevy one he re-located one of the tubes. Napa sells manual control valves, that you can regulate the flow of water,consequently regulating the heat. I rigged up a linkage thru the firewall and the dash with a turn knob. The valve can be mounted on either side of the firewall. I don't have a picture, but If you want send me your email and I'll take a couple of pictures.
Bruce, I definitely have a '46-'48 unit then. The heater came with the dash bracket and defroster control knob/cable... just no fan switch. Thanks, Ed
b29, Thanks for the NAPA tip. I'll stop there on my way home from work and check one out. I need to check out thier fuel filters anyway. Thanks, Ed PS- The unit is pretty clean... just a couple of storage scratches, so there's no need to clean/repaint. I'll probably just run it and see what happens. It certainly looks easy enough to service in-vehicle (unlike anything newer!). PPS- Why the "B" in b29chevy? Is that a model? A reference to a Boeing B-29 Superfortress?
ed... I did exactly this on the 46 ford that I had.. a little house plumbing under the dash allowed the heaterlines to run out under the p***anger side fender and up to the front of the inner fender.. it was clean looking.. as for the heater control valve.. I would go with the cable operated and put it in a location that is easy to get at.. however I run the 40 all summer with water circulating through the heater.. and it doesnt seem to matter much.. as for the heater control switch.. the one I have came from napa.. and was (is) designed to regulate voltage from 12 to 6 v.. good luck when do you think the truck will be back on the road? jeff
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