Heat selector
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 89
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From: Chatham, ON Canada
Heat selector
Evening all. Hopefully, this will be a quick fix. I've got an `85 F-150, and the heat works greats. But, it only pumps out the heat from the window defrost vents up on the dash, no matter where I set the vent switch. Some heat to the floor would be great on the cold mornings around here .... Here's my question - is the selector switch vacuum, electical, or mechanical ? I don't wanna start pulling the dash apart to fix it before I know what I'll need.
Thanks in advance folks ...
Jeff
Thanks in advance folks ...
Jeff
New User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9
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From: New London CT.
Hey there, I had an 85 f-350 and an 85 f-150 which were identical. When I did the heater core in the 350, it had a metal linkage which ran to a little flap inside the duct work. I'm guessing that your linkage came disconnected somewhere. Souldn't be too hard to do.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 339
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Your linkage to control your air flow is behind the glove box area. The mixing control for the hot/cold is on the outside just under the hood.
Just started working on my 86 F250 Last night. When I checked my linkages they were all hooked up. Problem for me was i had NO AIR FLOW, but the blower was running. As i dug further, mice had shredded most of the padding off the back of the floor mat, carried it into my heater box and Packed it solid, by the end of the night I had half a 5 gallon bucket full of this mess. Once I cleaned out and sucked it out with the shop vac, fired up the blower and what a difference. If you find mice remains use some rubber gloves they are dirty, and the diseases are rapid with their urine and crap!! Haha I am cautious with this, as the bacterial with these mice would cause my aunt respiratory issues.
I sprayed my dict work out with Lysol, what a project for me with the tear down, this truck had the dealer install AC, that was partially torn down, and I finished removal all the non essentials last night. Hope some of this helps you out.
Just started working on my 86 F250 Last night. When I checked my linkages they were all hooked up. Problem for me was i had NO AIR FLOW, but the blower was running. As i dug further, mice had shredded most of the padding off the back of the floor mat, carried it into my heater box and Packed it solid, by the end of the night I had half a 5 gallon bucket full of this mess. Once I cleaned out and sucked it out with the shop vac, fired up the blower and what a difference. If you find mice remains use some rubber gloves they are dirty, and the diseases are rapid with their urine and crap!! Haha I am cautious with this, as the bacterial with these mice would cause my aunt respiratory issues.
I sprayed my dict work out with Lysol, what a project for me with the tear down, this truck had the dealer install AC, that was partially torn down, and I finished removal all the non essentials last night. Hope some of this helps you out.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
Likes: 28
From: Northern California
We really need to know if you have A/C, a high output, or a standard heater.
A/C is pretty obvious...
High Output Heaters have "HIGH OUTPUT HEATER" printed on the outer heater housing under the hood.
And the standard heater has no markings...
Each one is made different with several different parts. Each one has different quirks, problems. etc...
Need to know what you have,
A/C is pretty obvious...
High Output Heaters have "HIGH OUTPUT HEATER" printed on the outer heater housing under the hood.
And the standard heater has no markings...
Each one is made different with several different parts. Each one has different quirks, problems. etc...
Need to know what you have,
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Chatham, ON Canada
Originally Posted by 81-F-150-Explorer
We really need to know if you have A/C, a high output, or a standard heater.
Thanks again guys, the help is greatly appreciated !!
Jeff
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Senior User
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i just fixed mine. i had the same problem for 2 years. come to find out there is a lil vac house under your hood by the blower box and ac box. around there will be a lil house that should hook up to the vac tree on the fire wall. i didnt have that tree so i put a vac tree on my intake and hooked up htat hosue and now i blow from the vents floor dash and all. so i would check that hose and there it a t valve that should be there also. the bottom of the tee goes to a vac surce and the two top out let goes to the heater vac line i was talking about. you only need one so cap the other side off.
let us know if this fix the problem
let us know if this fix the problem
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
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From: Northern California
Well that makes things harder.
Did he leave in the original a/c box and controls?
Or did he swap those for standard heater components as well?
The biggest causes for function door malfunction on trucks with A/C is the heater controls spring a vacuum leak and thus no vacuum to the function door and vac motor. A defective Vacuum motor, a problem under the hood with the vacuum lines as clunker86 described, or the plastic hinge on the function vent door inside the box broke, and the door is stuck closed or halfway between positions.
Biggest problems with the standard heater is a broken or out of adjustment function cable or plugged off phlenum tubes and fresh air vents.
If your truck is missing most of it's a/c components, it might be money ahead to swap out the rest of the stuff under the dash as well to a standard heater system if this wasnt already done etc...
Did he leave in the original a/c box and controls?
Or did he swap those for standard heater components as well?
The biggest causes for function door malfunction on trucks with A/C is the heater controls spring a vacuum leak and thus no vacuum to the function door and vac motor. A defective Vacuum motor, a problem under the hood with the vacuum lines as clunker86 described, or the plastic hinge on the function vent door inside the box broke, and the door is stuck closed or halfway between positions.
Biggest problems with the standard heater is a broken or out of adjustment function cable or plugged off phlenum tubes and fresh air vents.
If your truck is missing most of it's a/c components, it might be money ahead to swap out the rest of the stuff under the dash as well to a standard heater system if this wasnt already done etc...
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 89
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From: Chatham, ON Canada
Again guys, thanks. I'll try the vacuum lines, etc as Clunker suggested.
As for the A/C being removed, most of the components are still in the truck ... just that the A/C compressor and most of the hoses are gone.
I'll see what I can't figure out for now .... too damn cold right now to be spending hours outside. If it's more then a vacuum hose that needs to be re-attached, it'll wait until spring ... I'll just wear more socks
Jeff
As for the A/C being removed, most of the components are still in the truck ... just that the A/C compressor and most of the hoses are gone.
I'll see what I can't figure out for now .... too damn cold right now to be spending hours outside. If it's more then a vacuum hose that needs to be re-attached, it'll wait until spring ... I'll just wear more socks
Jeff
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
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you know this sound funny. but when i put my c6 4x4 back in my truck i didnt bolt down the boot and there alot of heat down there that comes in the truck. i know i was at one point going to get a heater that they use in 18 wheelers to put in my truck.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Chatham, ON Canada
Weeehooo ... there's heat in Canada.
Thanks again guys. I found the vacuum line that runs up near the blower motor .... found it just hanging there, go figure. From the looks of things, the previous owner had a mod go bad. After a little searching, I found a couple of vacuum fittings had been capped off, so I tied into one and POOF ... out came a nice dust cloud from both the floor and dash vents. Heat works wonderful now, and the truck actually seems to run a little nicer.
Again ... Thanks !!!
Jeff
Thanks again guys. I found the vacuum line that runs up near the blower motor .... found it just hanging there, go figure. From the looks of things, the previous owner had a mod go bad. After a little searching, I found a couple of vacuum fittings had been capped off, so I tied into one and POOF ... out came a nice dust cloud from both the floor and dash vents. Heat works wonderful now, and the truck actually seems to run a little nicer.
Again ... Thanks !!!
Jeff
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,137
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From: Asheville, NC
When I got my '83, the previous owner had connected the vacuum line for the heater/AC controls to the PCV valve hoseline with some tape! Now, its all better.
Used to wonder why the A/C would cut off when climbing a hill... With all the vacuum reservoirs reconnected, the old girl has good heating and cooling again.
Used to wonder why the A/C would cut off when climbing a hill... With all the vacuum reservoirs reconnected, the old girl has good heating and cooling again.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Chatham, ON Canada
Well, after getting the heater controls back in working order, I noticed that there are still quite a few vacuum connections that had been capped off by the previous owner. I'm guessing that there are some for emissions, likely a couple more for the A/C that USED to be there, and gawd only knows what else.
Regardless, I've once again got heat... and what seems to be not as much of a drain on the fuel tanks. I'm sure that nicer weather will bring more questions.
Again folks ... the help is greatly appreciated, as always.
Ciao ... Jeff
Regardless, I've once again got heat... and what seems to be not as much of a drain on the fuel tanks. I'm sure that nicer weather will bring more questions.
Again folks ... the help is greatly appreciated, as always.
Ciao ... Jeff