At 11:38 AM 8/1/98 EDT, Isensee@aol.com wrote:
>I noticed there is a gap in the AC/heater ducts under the dash on my
>Bricklin. It is where the duct containing the blower meets the duct
>that runs over to the driver's side. There is about a 1" gap so that
>much of the air from the blower escapes under the dash. The previous
>owner tried to seal it up with duct tape, but it is difficult to reach
>the top side of the duct to seal it very well.
>
Scott, this is a common problem with the Bricklin. For some reason,
they didn't align the heater and the AC boxes very well. In fact, they
don't line up.
>Is there a piece missing which should connect these two ducts? is
>there a way to adjust the duct position so that they meet? If not, is
>there a better way to seal these two ducts together?
Unfortunately, there is not a piece missing. I've discussed this with
Terry on several occassions. Basically there are 2 solutions, the
right one and the easy one!
The real solution is to try to align the 2 boxes better by repositioning
the mounting holes in the firewall so the AC box is moved closer to and
aligns with the Heater box. Unfortunately to do this, you should pull
the dash. It might also help if the engine is NOT in the car so you have
easy access to both sides of the firwall. What a pain.
The easy solution is exactly what you said the previous owner did. I'd
suggest using a piece of cardboard, or preferably aluminumn flashing to
make some flat panels that will fit over the gaps on all 4 sides of the
duct. Then wrap them with duct tape.
While this seems pretty crude, my 84 Accord (and most cars) do have a small
gap, say less than 1/4" between the 2 boxes. On the Accord there is a
metal clamp that goes all the way around the junction. It has a foam
rubber strip glued to the inside of the clamp to make a better seal.
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair@exis.net
Va. Beach, Va Phone: (757) 495-8229
48 TR1800 65 Morgan 4/4 Series V
71 Saab Sonett III 75 Bricklin SV1 77 Spitfire
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