57 Defrost ducting missing

[hotrod66_57]

When i got my 57 the whole heating system was a mess. the ducting was just dryer ventilation tubing tip tied to the dash, nice, i know .

After some inspection and looking at my shop manual i realized that the piece of duct that vents the air up to the windshield when defrost is on is also gone. Actually all that's left are two metal brackets on the studs for each side with a little bit of cardboard looking stuff on the end. I'm assuming that this is what remains of my original ducts. Now the question is where can i find a set to put in there. Or has anyone figured out a way to make their own. the only parts vendor I've found that carries parts is Mac's auto parts (something like that) and they of course don't sell these particular parts.

Thanks in advance guys!

hotrod

[Old F1]

I have seen the metal duct part used on EBay and I’m sure that the other suppliers must make them, or find a parts truck, the hoses are available either from auto parts stores or as a reproduction part.

But I have been wrong before!

[angus]

Most junkyard trucks should have a set in reasonable shape. I'd think about coating the cardboard with resin or varnish to reinforce it, though.

[hotrod66_57]

I'll have to do some looking at the local junkyards. I haven't had to use them much yet so i'm not really sure what all they have. I'm assuming these should be interchangeable from 57 to 60 right? just like a lot of other things.

[Bob at warsaw]

Originally Posted by hotrod66_57

I'll have to do some looking at the local junkyards. I haven't had to use them much yet so i'm not really sure what all they have. I'm assuming these should be interchangeable from 57 to 60 right? just like a lot of other things.

I belive thats correct 57-60 and if you find wiper motor for a 57
please let me know
Thanks

[hotrod66_57]

Originally Posted by Bob at warsaw

...if you find wiper motor for a 57
please let me know
Thanks

No problem, I'll keep my eyes open. I haven't had much luck in the past finding this vintage in the salvage yards, but I do live in a new place now so the scene is bound to have changed. Any suggestions as to how i would go about making my own, or modifying the duct from something else?

[sandhillmike]

Every old set of the cardboard ducts I've run across turn to dust the first time you handle them. Making your own is probably the only solution.

[hotrod66_57]

crap, i was afraid of that. The remains that were left of mine sort of led me to think that would be the case. I wonder why no one seems to sell them? I haven't even seen that sort of part for later models either. I guess i'll be trying to do some fiberglass work? Maybe i can find a newer donor vehicle with similar sized ducts. Eventually I'll be grabbing a crown vic from the local police auction to use as my donor vehicle for the trucks drivetrain, and then some, so maybe there's some sort of adaptation i can make to it's defrost vent. Thanks for the input!

hotrod

[Old F1]

Set of mustang def vents and hoses etc. for $ 15.00;

New and used defroster ducts, Parts Accessories, Automotive on eBay.ca

[hotrod66_57]

sweet, it looks like the basic design of all the vents is the same. I shouldn't have trouble adapting something to work.

[Bob at warsaw]

Hot Rod would you have a picture of the heater?
Is it below the dash

[hotrod66_57]

Here's a picture of the heater core / motor assembly. The whole thing is disassembled right now while i sand blast stuff. It mounts to the firewall over by the passenger, above where their feet should be. Then there are two defrost ports on the top of the motor, one leading to the pass vent, the other to the driver. Here's a picture of my motor and a snapshot from the shop manual of the whole thing.





Here's the page from the manual:



(Sorry about the size, I need to figure out how to make that smaller)

I'm of course talking about the part labeled as just "defrosters" in the diagram.

does that give you what you needed Bob?

hotrod

[sandhillmike]

That is the optional "fresh air heater". the standard heater doesn't have the outside air connection.

[Kurt G.]

According to the pic the the hoses, registers and control cables are all you need. I bought my ducting at NAPA. Kind of expensive at like $4.00 a foot but it was rubber instead of cardboard. Kurt G. T-blocks rule.

[hotrod66_57]

I do have the fresh air portion as part of my truck, the would be the vents by each door that allow you to pull in just normal outside air by pulling the knobs on the dash. They work fine, the part I'm missing is what goes on the end of the two hoses that come out of the top of the heater, the actual defroster. It's the thing that looks like one of the attachments for a shop vac lol. The problem isn't that air doesn't blow out the defrost, it does, there's just nothing that directs it across the window. Everything else in the heater works, for the most part, and i'm probably not going to end up using this exact heater, but to get the defrost to be directed across the windshield I'll still need the defroster thinggy.