As you can see, the heater/air...
As you can see, the heater/air control from our Shark project car has seen better days. Aside from the cosmetic blemishes, the left and right control wheels stick and don't close their respective switches completely.
One of the interior pieces of a Shark that is particularly susceptible to looking "ratty" through age, use and normal wear-and-tear is the heater/air control assembly found in the shifting console. Surprisingly, this particular component is often overlooked when doing an interior restoration or refurbishment, and leaving it in its stock condition can seriously detract from an otherwise pristine interior re-do.
Refurbishing isn't difficult to do, thanks to a heater/air control refacing kit available from Corvette Central. Only simple tools are required and the refurb takes well under three hours total, including removing the control unit from the car, refurbishing it and reinstalling it.
Here are the components you'll...
Here are the components you'll receive with the heater/air control refacing kit from Corvette Central.
You'll have to remove the...
You'll have to remove the fan motor control switch before you can remove the upper control unit screws. A nut driver or socket does the trick for these as well. When the switch is out of the way, remove the remaining upper two control unit mounting screws.
The actuator switch control...
The actuator switch control wheels are held on by friction clips. Use a pair of side-cutters, needle-nosed pliers, or dykes to remove the clips from both wheels.
The left and right sides containing...
The left and right sides containing the actuator switches are attached to the central control unit by hex-head screws. Start the disassembly by removing the two screws on the underside of the unit at the bottom using a 1/4-inch nut driver or socket.
Here's what you'll have with...
Here's what you'll have with the switch and one of the switch actuator sides removed. Proceed to remove the other actuator side as well.
With the wheel removed from...
With the wheel removed from the actuator switch side assembly, you can see the basic rack-and-pinion simplicity of the unit. The gear on the wheel moves the geared track of the switch forward or back which, in turn, opens or closes the appropriate vacuum connection.
The first thing you'll have to do is remove the heater/air control unit from the car, which is accomplished by removing the shifter knob and reverse lock-out lever (if it's a stick), then removing the shifter console plate which is secured by four Phillips screws, one in each corner. Lift the shifter plate upward and disconnect the bulb connector and the cigarette lighter connector. Next, remove the two Phillips screws that retain the heater/air control unit, unplug the vacuum connector after removing its securing screw, disconnect the heater/air actuator cable, and disconnect the fan control harness from the fan control switch; at this point, you can remove the heater/air control unit from the console. From that point, here's what it takes to make your Shark's heater/air control look and work like new again.
Now all that's left to do is to re-install the control unit in the car, reversing the steps used to remove it. Plug the fan control connector back on the fan switch, reattach the heater/air control actuator cable, plug the vacuum connector back in, and secure it with its screw. Next, plug the bulb socket and cigarette lighter connectors back on the control unit, and then secure the unit to the frame with the two Phillips screws you removed. Replace the shifter plate and secure it with the four Phillips screws, replace the reverse lock-out lever, and put the shifter knob back on. That's all there is to it.
| DIFFICULTY INDEX ::: NN |
| ANYONES PROJECT | no tools required |
N |
| BEGINNER | basic tools |
NN |
| EXPERIENCED | special tools |
NNN |
| ACCOMPLISHED | special tools and outside help |
NNNN |
| PROFESSIONALS ONLY | send this work out |
NNNNN |
Our switch assemblies worked...
Our switch assemblies worked just fine without any binding, but they did have a 33-year buildup of grime and muck that I opted to clean off. A few spritzes of WD-40 and a cotton swab do a great job of removing caked-on grease and grime.
Put one of the wheels in the...
Put one of the wheels in the new control assembly and rotate the wheel to move the red pointer all the way up to the top until it will go no further. Put the wheel on the opposite side and rotate that pointer all the way up as well.
When both sides are back on...
When both sides are back on the control unit, reattach the fan control switch as well.
Fit one of the new wheels...
Fit one of the new wheels on the switch assembly and rotate the wheel so the switch track moves as far forward as possible, then remove the wheel from the assembly. Repeat this procedure with the opposite switch assembly.
With the control wheels in...
With the control wheels in place, the actuator switch sides can be reattached to the central control with the hex-head screws removed earlier.
Now it's time to make a final...
Now it's time to make a final check. Rotate both wheels all the way back and then back up again, watching the red pointers to make sure they move consistently during the entire length of travel. You shouldn't feel any binding or pulling and you shouldn't see any uneven movement of the pointers if everything is assembled and working properly at this point.
If everything checks out OK,...
If everything checks out OK, place one of the new friction clips on the shaft of the wheel protruding through the side of the control actuator switch.
Place a nut driver or socket...
Place a nut driver or socket over the friction clip and give it a sharp blow with the heel of your hand to seat and secure the clip on the control wheel shaft. Repeat the process for the other control wheel as well.
Here's the refaced heater/air...
Here's the refaced heater/air control unit on the left with the old original unit on the right. Quite a difference, isn't it?