AC-Heater Box Evap Drain Nipple Repair ??

[stangs-R-me 120]

Did a search 1st but came up with nothing.

 

The molded-in fiberglass nipple is broke off of the bottom of my evap case. It was that way when I got the car in the early 80's and I had fixed it back when I did the heater core but my fix did not hold. I've also got a complete 2nd AC/Heater box assembly and this same nipple is broke off of it.

 

As this apparently is a common problem on these, I'm hoping someone has come up with a permanent fix.

 

My 25-30 year old heater core has sprung a leak so I'd like to permanently fix this drain nipple while I've got it out !!

 

Doug

[rmarks 20]

I bought a rebuilt case half from Classic Auto Air for the same reason...that's one option.

[stangs-R-me 120]

Did not know that was an option ... I'll have to check into that for sure, thanks !!

 

Doug

[jag 10]

You can use bulk head nipples if your case is out of the car. I would put the nipple in from the inside and epoxy the inside nipple surface to the case(make it water tight...the outside will get a threaded nut to hold the nipple). You just need to get a nipple of the correct size to take the rubber drain hole. If it is still in you car, this will not be a workable solution.

JAG

[jag 10]

I have this very problem and I did think about the above option I posted and I know it will work well. The other idea is to solve the problem when in the car. I have thought about this approach and please weigh in on the viability. Get a tube of correct diameter. Cross drill holes on one end, alternating in heights. This is to get the water out of the case when the tubes sticks through the wall. You then will have to fiber glass or epoxy the tube to the outside of the case. I think this will also work......comments

[stangs-R-me 120]

I've sent a request to Classic Auto Air to see what they'll charge but will likely fix it myself.

 

Jag I understand what you're thinking ... here's my vision at the moment:

I was thinking a short piece of thin-wall brass or copper tubing that fits though the existing fiberglass nipple. Then add a flared flange to the end of this tube to register on the inside of the case. The flared portion would be hammer formed so it lays flat with the inside the case then Epoxy / JB-weld this all together to make it more solid / better than new.

 

I've seen flanged tube ends like what I'm thinking before, just can't remember where or what it was used for.

 

Doug

[LindenBruce 27]

Check out my album. I have some pics of a repair I did on my housing while it was out of the car. You will need a piece or brass tubing, I think 1/4" maybe 3/8", several taper punches and a little patience to mold the tube to your break. Then use epoxy and tape and slowly build it up to the right size gluing the broken piece in around the brass tubing. Bruce

[rockhouse66 22]

I don't know what this nipple looks like on a '69 box, but I repaired the one on my '66. I inserted a thin wall brass tube into the hole in the box and epoxied it to the case. I bought a PVC plumbing fitting that was the right ID to slip over the brass nipple and the right OD to fit the drain hose. I glued the PVC fitting over the brass nipple and cut it to length. You could try to pretty it up with some paint but the hose covers the repair so it isn't necessary.

 

 

 

[stangs-R-me 120]

Well, I finally yanked out my original Evaporator Case from the car last weekend and it ended up being in far worse shape than the spare one I have, so the "spare" got fixed instead.

 

To fix the drain nipple, I got a 1/2" brass "soft tube support" ferrule from the hardware store. O.D. is 0.368" I.D. is 0.320" and it is 0.72" long with the one end flanged. Dropped it in the case bottom and the flange portion mated to the case perfectly. Roughed up the o.d. of ferrule and the i.d. of the broken off nipple and used 2-part epoxy. Once set up, I then added a couple more coats to reinforce.

 

The riveted-on lower case firewall bracket was completely broken off (see last pic) of this case. However, the one from my original case was completely missing, as was the metal bracket that is the 2nd firewall mounting point on the upper half of the case. So, the Exap case in my car was held in only by the one upper screw behind the cowl air inlet and the heater & A/C tubes going through the firewall !!

 

So I re-attached the bracket with the 2-part epoxy as well but also used some fiberglass mesh to reinforce it.

 

I think both repairs are probably stronger than new.

 

If I did not have this "spare case", I would have never known my case was missing the two firewall attachment brackets !!

 

Doug

[stangs-R-me 120]

Here is a pic of my original Evap/Heater case ...

 

When I had replaced the heater core in 1984, I did the best a 21 year old could do to fix it and make it useable. Lots of silicone and notice the piece of cork added to fill the gap where a chunk of the case was missing next to the exaporator tubes !!

 

I think the fiberglass repair where the one bracket belongs (and is missing) was done during previous service at which time the upper bracket went missing too ... quite the butcher job !!

 

Doug

[LindenBruce 27]

Well, I finally yanked out my original Evaporator Case from the car last weekend and it ended up being in far worse shape than the spare one I have, so the "spare" got fixed instead.

 

To fix the drain nipple, I got a 1/2" brass "soft tube support" ferrule from the hardware store. O.D. is 0.368" I.D. is 0.320" and it is 0.72" long with the one end flanged. Dropped it in the case bottom and the flange portion mated to the case perfectly. Roughed up the o.d. of ferrule and the i.d. of the broken off nipple and used 2-part epoxy. Once set up, I then added a couple more coats to reinforce.

 

The riveted-on lower case firewall bracket was completely broken off (see last pic) of this case. However, the one from my original case was completely missing, as was the metal bracket that is the 2nd firewall mounting point on the upper half of the case. So, the Exap case in my car was held in only by the one upper screw behind the cowl air inlet and the heater & A/C tubes going through the firewall !!

 

So I re-attached the bracket with the 2-part epoxy as well but also used some fiberglass mesh to reinforce it.

 

I think both repairs are probably stronger than new.

 

If I did not have this "spare case", I would have never known my case was missing the two firewall attachment brackets !!

 

Doug

 

Hey, nice job Doug. Now for the fun part of reinstalling the beast!! Bruce

[stangs-R-me 120]

I've removed all the old gasketing (or what was left of it) and wire-wheeled all the doors & rods. Hopefully it is warm enough (focast says partly cloudy / high of 61) to go outside and paint all this bare steel today. If SUN is out, it should dry well enough that I can put all the new door gaskets on maybe later today.

 

 

Question #1 ... should I use "Spray Adhesive", "Super W/S Adhesive", or something else to apply all this gasketing ??

 

 

Question #2 ... the "spare" evap core is nicer than my original (the expansion valve side tube is twisted, more butcher work I assume), so I'd like to use this "spare" instead. It however has not been "sealed" for the past 24 years while in storage. Blew it out with compressed air and nothing came out, but should I have this cleaned out / flushed befor I use ??

 

Doug

[LindenBruce 27]

#1- I used spray adhesive. It's easier to work with just make sure of your backstop when spraying. You don't want to get it on anything else.

 

#2 - I would flush it out and have it pressure tested. If it's bad, now is the time to change it. Bruce

[JayEstes 172]

Even though this thread is "old news" i'm going to "resurrect it" add to the story here on fixing the broken nipple. the PO on my car took a piece of 0.5in ID copper tubing and split one end into 3 pieces and flared the three ends of the pipe, and bent them to lay flat on the case. Siliconed them up and then put a wood screw thru each flare into the fiberglass case. worked fairly well. I'm going thru this case now, and I removed the wood screws and used 2 part JB weld to completely fuse it to the case and make it water tight. I also used a 1.5in drill to clean the inside of the copper drain pipe, and then painted it. Looks and works great.

 

Now, until reading this thread, I didn't realize that corner of my case used to have a firewall mounting bracket on that corner near this drain though.... I repaired that also using JB weld, but I don't have any mounting bracket. Any suggestions on what kind of adapter bracket I can make to mount my box to the firewall now?

 

Thanks!

 

Jay

Edited July 8, 2013 by JayEstes