Heater control bezel

[hottigr]

The heater control bezel was chromed by the p.o. and reinstalled upside down. I would like to put on the applique for the bezel, but I would have to remove it and flip it over to make it work.

It appears this piece is held on by a stud that is probably welded to the back side of the bezel. I've done a lot of work under the dash, but this looks like a pain in the rear to access from anywhere, especially with a radio installed.

So, is it possible to reach this from underneath, or do you have to remove the dash to get to it?

Kirk

 

[P. Scofield]

I would think you could reach those three little bolts holding it to the dash, one center, one on each outside edge (5/16" or 1/4"), can't remember what size those are.
It would be difficult with a radio in, but the radio would be a firmly quick removal, at least enough to set it aside.

Speaking of those bezels. Who is selling the letters for those? I need to re-finish one.

Paul

 

[XTIGERX]

My bezel was installed upside down as well. After looking underneath it looked like a simple matter to R&R but then realized there was more disassembly required to remove the bezel.

Don't you need to take the control levers off as well to remove the bezel? I figured that was a job easier done with the whole control assy pulled out of the car. I guess the little black knobs can be removed but how is that done and then will they be falling off all the time?

So my bezel got lettered with bezel installed upside down. Not as much room for letters but they do fit.

I'd be glad if someone told me I was wrong about having to remove the control levers and I'll flip my bezel around and order another set of letters.

 

[P. Scofield]

Yes, you will be glad to know you are wrong. The controls cannot be pulled through the front. Knobs have to come off, and bezel pulled forward.

Paul

My bezel was installed upside down as well. After looking underneath it looked like a simple matter to R&R but then realized there was more disassembly required to remove the bezel.

Don't you need to take the control levers off as well to remove the bezel? I figured that was a job easier done with the whole control assy pulled out of the car. I guess the little black knobs can be removed but how is that done and then will they be falling off all the time?

So my bezel got lettered with bezel installed upside down. Not as much room for letters but they do fit.

I'd be glad if someone told me I was wrong about having to remove the control levers and I'll flip my bezel around and order another set of letters.

 

[big_mike_85614]

I would think you could reach those three little bolts holding it to the dash, one center, one on each outside edge (5/16" or 1/4"), can't remember what size those are.
It would be difficult with a radio in, but the radio would be a firmly quick removal, at least enough to set it aside.

Speaking of those bezels. Who is selling the letters for those? I need to re-finish one.

Paul

Search for Guesties Garage on Ebay and you will find a decal kit.

Mike

 

[Warren]

Letters

http://www.breuhan.com/Sunbeam.html

While I have only used his small Letraset vinyl cling set ups . I have heard good things about his other products. I understand he has sold his Tiger but he still seems to be providing a good service to the marque.

 

[hottigr]

I would think you could reach those three little bolts holding it to the dash, one center, one on each outside edge (5/16" or 1/4"), can't remember what size those are.
It would be difficult with a radio in, but the radio would be a firmly quick removal, at least enough to set it aside.

Speaking of those bezels. Who is selling the letters for those? I need to re-finish one.

Paul

Paul, thanks for the reply...next time I'm not feeling too arthritic I'll probably wiggle under there and see what I can reach, see, feel.

 

[hottigr]

Justin- I had the wrong glasses on to see clearly enough, but, the little black knobs on the heater controls appear to have small set screws on the bottom side- at least there were holes for small set screws- I couldn't see if mine had the screws or not...shouldn't be a concern to remove those little black knobs.

 

[XTIGERX]

Flipping bezel may not be as simple as suggested

Justin- I had the wrong glasses on to see clearly enough, but, the little black knobs on the heater controls appear to have small set screws on the bottom side- at least there were holes for small set screws- I couldn't see if mine had the screws or not...shouldn't be a concern to remove those little black knobs.

Thanks for the info. I can't see stuff like that either without glasses.

As I mentioned previously while I was under the dash installing a new cubby box I had checked out how the bezel was attached and looked at those knobs but couldn't determine what held them on.

I checked them out again today and couldn't see any set screws on the bottom . . . of course not because the whole unit is in upside-down and the set screws are now on the top which shouldn't be a problem.

Now I have 2 concerns. 1) Can I take the bezel off without damaging the dash? and I know that once I rotate bezel 180 it will never line back up as / where it was positioned before. 2) Once I rotate bezel will it still function the same as originally designed with "cold" and "off" to the left as it is labeled in previously attached pic? Is it even functioning now as labeled? I've only used the controls once or twice before labeling and didn't really pay attention as to how it was working or not.

I'm guessing that if bezel is rotated the new labels would have to flipped right to left as well with "cold" and "off" now to the right which wouldn't be "proper" to discerning eyes.

I can't imagine the controls could be made to function correctly on the other end and I very much doubt previous installer went to the effort to make it function properly. At that point might as well remove the whole unit and reinstall correctly.

 

[hottigr]

Hmmm....

Well, I've had a little better look at those heater control black knobs, and now I'm not so sure there is a set screw in there...looks to be some kind of detent, although I don't know how that would work with hard plastic knobs.

Surely, one of the restorers of the breed will know how to get those knobs off- I can tell you, they resist being pulled on!

 

[hottigr]

Done!

Well, I bit the bullet and made a serious attempt to remove those little black heater control knobs...SCARY!

I couldn't see any reason they shouldn't come off, so I took a small hub puller to grab the back sides of the knob evenly- WARNING- DO NOT USE THE HUB PULLER AS INTENDED- the center of the puller that you would normally screw down to force off the pulley is backed completely out, not touching the knob at all! With even pressure grabbing the back sides of the knob, I started to pull towards me until the knobs popped off, each of them taking some force before they budge. This was a risk, as these plastic knobs are almost 50 years old, and no telling how brittle they might be. Mine survived the ordeal, but that is no guarantee yours will.

After removing the knobs, I could then see Rootes method of keeping them in place. I was right, there is a detent under that little hole to keep them in place. What I couldn't see was the tongue and groove design holding everything together. The knobs have a rail that fits in a chrome channel in the control arm of the heater controls. I put a little grease on things before re-assembling, and it was still a tight fit.

Good luck with yours, Justin!

 

[XTIGERX]

Well, I bit the bullet and made a serious attempt to remove those little black heater control knobs...SCARY!

Thanks hottigr, just now read your post, don't know how I missed it. I made one attempt to look at those recesses on the knobs, my recesses are on top because the bezel is in upside down, but couldn't get in there to see. I couldn't imagine a set screw being used in that bakelite material. Sounds like not a good idea to try and twist them off either with the T&G method of attachment you describe.

Actually my bezel isn't upside down the whole control unit is and I'm not sure now if I want to bother flipping the unit over as I know it will wind up being more than a simple little job. The flipped unit does explain why my overheating problem went away though.

Several years ago I relocated the heater control valve to the heater core area. In the process I had the core flushed as it appeared to be packed solid. After the relocate and flush and everything put back together again the overheating went away. I was very pleased with the miracle but it left me scratching my head. Why would flushing the core do anything? I did put in all new heater hoses but nothing was going through them when the unit was off.

Well, off is the key. With the control unit flipped, off is now on and I'm getting just that extra little bit of flow and cooling we all know about using the heater core during times of "overheating anxiety" in slow moving bumper to bumper traffic. I hear the new anxiety for electric car owners is "charge anxiety" hoping they'll get to a charger before the car quits on them. Always something to worry about.