LocostUSA.com

Heater box fabrication update. First time I've built a heater box from scratch, the previous builds used off the self heaters. I had the plan for it in my head, did not draw anything on paper, just took measurements of the blower motor assembly.
Cut out the various pieces, tacked, then welded up the box. Then test fit it to the cut outs in the firewall. Next step is to weld it to the firewall (this will be a non removable heater box), then fab up a mount for the heater core on the inside of firewall and fab up a diffuser box on the inside of firewall for the DS, PS, and defogger. Some pics, don't mind how the heater core looks crooked on the firewall it will be mounted square to the world and even though there's only a small window for the core it sits a 1/4" away from the firewall so air will draw though the whole core (for what it's worth in an open cockpit 7) .

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Nice work.
I didn't realize just how much work that was until watching Project Binky & they built their own blower box.

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1975 MG Midget
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=24382
13B Powered Rotus Geauxkart
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20899

Heater box? What, no dual zone, climate controlled A/C with heated and cooled seats? Are you slowing down, Perry?

. . . . . ya, just kiddin'

Nice work on the box/blower.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Ha ha ha, yes Lonnie I may be regressing. I've even though about using an old round tobacco can, a roll of toilet paper, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Works great if you happen to be stuck in a snow drift and -30 and you ran out of gas, keeps the vehicle interior nice and toasty (window cracked opened a bit for sure).

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Perry, if you're stuck in a snow drift driving one of your Locost Super cars, then you're tougher than a $2 steak....

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"If it's broke, fix it. You can't make it more broke"

BMW 2002 donor, M10 motor, 4 spd trans, IRS, tube chassis.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20787

Hey JF! Nooo, never been stuck in the 7, actually never drove a 7 in the snow, 'cept in my yard, but now that you mention it, way back in the late 70's when I was a courtin', that was a move - get stuck in a snow drift, now what we gonna do? Have to keep warm, maybe snuggle, who knows what happens next? AAhhhh if I only knew then what I know now

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Fitted and welded blower box to firewall. Fabbed up the diffuser box and welded it to firewall. Couple 3 pics.

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

So, how's this heater deal working, Perry? Is the rectangular opening your intake, and the 3 tubes are the outflow?

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

That’ll work! Much better than a desk top cooling fan but way more complicated. It looks like the blower turns CW as viewed from the motor side based on the cage blade angle. The big hole in the motor needs blower output air pressure to cool the motor. A scroll shape boosts pressure with the output from the narrowest cross section. You can make assemble a scroll by using ½ inch long finger width flanges to pop, spot, or butt weld around the edges, then body seam sealer or mastic foil back roof flashing tape around the corners.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

That's correct Lonnie, I'll be mounting the heater core over the rectangular opening. I just finished welding the firewall to the scuttle and got it primed. Once painted I'll take a pic with everything assembled, will make more sense then.
I have the rubber piece that fits in the motor housing, will use it for cooling the motor.



Today I welded the firewall to the scuttle and primed the assembly, then spent a couple hours enjoying fabbing up the windshield washer 'squirter' on the lathe. If you squint and look closely you can see the 2 holes drilled using orifice drill bits. They're drilled at ~45 degrees (not precisely but freehand) upwards and sideways to the yet to be made windshield. The nut is 3/8 NC. It will be mounted center scuttle and spray both DS and PS wipers. I had to include a pic with this forums standard unit of reference - a sharpie

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Completed the heater fan/core installation. Some pics.





Then started fabbing up the front fender mounts. Made up a jig to hold tubes in proper location. Some pics.

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

That jig seems like a really good idea. I was just getting some work done on the fender mounts as well, and I just free-handed it which, of course, took some fiddling to get them more or less where I wanted them. Looks like you'll be ready for the road in no time.

Hey Jacob I hear you loud and clear about free-handing the mounts. Did it for 3 previous builds, but I'm getting lazy. It's easy to do 1 side, now duplicate that in mirror image - hence the jig
Don't know about it being ready for the road soon, in another month and a bit I'm pouring concrete for my "16' x 12' cistern building". Since we moved here in 1993 we've put up with a salt water/natural gas house water well. I have yet to touch anything on the well and am getting nervous. So we bit the bullet and are putting in a 2100 gal cistern and will be buying "city" water.
Guess what I'm blathering on about is that I'll be putting up an insulated building in the near future so the current build will come to a screeching halt, oh well, could be worse things to complain about

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Perry, I think you will like the cisterns, and you could even cut down on water deliveries if you captured rain water from the roof - but then again, you're in Alberta!

We used to struggle with water, with a dug well that ran dry and a drilled one that was salty. When we built an addition we put two, 3,000 gallon cisterns in the basement. We filled them with city water to start and since then relied totally on precipitation captured on the roof, but for one misadventure. During a dry summer we took the time to pump one cistern dry to clean it, then transfer water to the clean one to clean the other. We used a lot of water for washdown and then the inlaws arrived with three teenagers .... we discovered that our water usage jumped to 500 gallons a day! I don't know how the sceptic system coped.

But bottom line is that if I built another house we would install cisterns rather than drill (or dig) a well.

(Edit to add a couple of photos)

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

My only experience with cisterns was in the British Virgin Islands. As best I can recall it was kind of salty.

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Larry in Seattle