Hole behind fresh air vent box.

C

cadreamn67

Platinum Forum Member
Messages
608
I am in the process of repairing the broken vent door in the passenger side fresh air vent box. (Driver's side is still okay so not fixing what is not broken...)

After removing the passenger side box, I notice there is a 5/8 inch or so hole directly behind the box in the box section of metal that runs across the car under the dash area. The hole is not plugged and it does not look like any sort of plug was ever in it. Due to its position behind the vent box, you cannot see it if just looking under the dash.

Please note that this is not the smaller hole for the windshield washer fluid tube that can be seen with the box in place.

Does anyone know if this hole is supposed to be plugged? Or is it some sort of "vent" to cabin air for that box section of metal that should be left open?

Thanks, Gene
 
Hi Gene,
I presume your car is a Mk1a.

Mine is a mk1 and doesn't have the additional hole yours does for the windscreen washer tube so I would say that this hole and it's twin on the other side were made redundant by the modification to add the fresh air vents because it made them inacessible and the new holes were drilled and used instead. (hope that makes sense. It is late here.)

Comsidering that the MK1a was a cost saving exercise, they would not have bunged them up so they could save a Shilling or two.

HTH. :)
 
Yes, my car is indeed a Mark IA, should have mentioned that.

I am less familiar with the Mark I. If I understand correctly, are you saying
that the large hole in question is where the washer tube runs through on the Mark I? Then when the vent boxes were installed the hole was just abandoned and a new washer tube hole drilled higher and more inboard? I could see that happening!

I really appreciate your thoughts this late in your day, please confirm/correct my understanding at your convenience.:)

Best regards, Gene
 
box

guys,
take a look at an alpine. if the fire wall had not been cut to fit the tiger trans tunnel you would find two holes in the fire wall. never measured the distance but the holes set about two inches apart. the photo appears to be one of these two holes. haven't been under the dash for a couple years. the speedometer cable goes thru one hole, the oil pressure line goes thru the other hole. you will also find four triangle braces under the alpine bulkhead instead of the two on the tiger. the other two braces could not be used due to cutting the bulkhead for the tunnel. the washer fluid line on an alpine goes thru a hole behind where the booster sets on a tiger. the alpine washer bottle sets on the inner fender where the tiger booster sets.
 
Last edited:
box

there is a photo of the right hand side of the engine compartment of one of our cars on page 20 of my photobucket. you can see the speedo cable going thru the fire wall and if you zoom in you can barely see the black oil pressure line between the coil wire and the bulk head brace. http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/tt142/65beam/
 
I can't say that the layout of my car is difinitive because it could have been played with over the years but on my car the windscreen washer tube goes through the hole on the (your) passenger side and out of the small hole at the top of the engine bay bulhead and the heater valve cable does the same thing on (your) drivers side.

The oil pressure tube goes through one of the 2 grommets directly above the steering column grommet on the (your) drivers side.

Hopefully someone with a wealth of experience like Randy wil be along with more info.
 
box

tiger260,
what you're saying could be right on your car, but since the alpine bodies were modified to become tigers with V8's instead of 4 cylinders you will find differences. the green car has everything run the way it was when dad brought it home from the dealer. on series 4 alpines such as the green car, the washer bottle was on the right. on the blue car on page 20 you will see the series 5 washer bag is on the left inner fender well. the bag in the photo has faded over the years since I bought it from doug but it is correct and in the right place. the oil pressure lines, the choke cable, heater cables, etc are correct for both alpines and also the red Harrington shown. back in the days when the cars were new and you needed body panels you received alpine panels and you made the mods if needed for a tiger. that would mean there were some things in original factory installed panels for use on alpines but had no use on tigers. this hole is probably one of those things that there was no need for when converted to a tiger.
 
Not Here

Warren said:
Not again...
Click to expand...

Original body bulkhead of Tiger serial # xxxxxx004 does not have that hole behind the fresh air boxes on either side. So, I'm in agreement with the factory guyz did whatever they felt like at the moment.
 
There is a "hole" lot of info in this thread.... :) Sorry, I just had to say that. I looked at my MkI but cannot see that hole from the underside, I believe you said it was not visible unless the heater vents were removed.
 
cobrakidz said:
There is a "hole" lot of info in this thread.... :) Sorry, I just had to say that. I looked at my MkI but cannot see that hole from the underside, I believe you said it was not visible unless the heater vents were removed.
Click to expand...

With your car being a Mk1, they should be visible.

By the way, grab your coat on your way out. :)
 
tiger260 said:
I can't say that the layout of my car is difinitive because it could have been played with over the years but on my car the windscreen washer tube goes through the hole on the (your) passenger side and out of the small hole at the top of the engine bay bulhead and the heater valve cable does the same thing on (your) drivers side.

The oil pressure tube goes through one of the 2 grommets directly above the steering column grommet on the (your) drivers side.

Hopefully someone with a wealth of experience like Randy wil be along with more info.
Click to expand...

Many thanks to everyone for responding, especially those with Mark I's that had a look at their own cars.

Tiger260, I especially like your observations and am going with the idea this hole in question was for the washer tube in earlier models. I have new info that somewhat correlates with what you are saying.

Earlier today, I was looking in this part of the underdash area and what did I see? About 1 foor from the hole in question was a rather aged grommet for a 5/8 inch hole just sitting forlornly around the tubing with no place to go.

I am guessing during assembly the worker either put the wrong grommet on the tubing or was given am assembly for an earlier car. When he got to installing things he realized the grommet was wrong, said screw it, just stuck the tubing through the correct hole without any grommet and moved on. While the pic I posted shows a grommet around the tubing in the small hole, that is something I just added myself. When the dash was originally removed, the tubing was just through the correct hole without any grommet.

So, to my satisfaction, mystery solved. The 5/8 inch hole gets plugged and I too will move on.:D

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Gene
 
0neoffive said:
Original body bulkhead of Tiger serial # xxxxxx004 does not have that hole behind the fresh air boxes on either side. So, I'm in agreement with the factory guyz did whatever they felt like at the moment.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, how do the windsreen washer hose and heater valve cable make their way into the engine bay on 004?
 
more holes

tiger260 said:
Just out of curiosity, how do the windsreen washer hose and heater valve cable make their way into the engine bay on 004?
Click to expand...

Little #004 and several others around the shops have alternate & dedicated smaller apertures with locations more convenient to their function. No pics at the moment for ya. Feeding that darned washer hose is still a PITA, however. I would like to hear/see how the factory guys quickly handled that one on the assembly line . . . . .
 
box

getting the washer tubing thru the firewall is rather simple. push a small rod in the tubing and shove it thru the body. remove the rod and you're done.
 
concur with install, only coathanger

ran coathanger in from bay, press tube onto end, pull through.

have picture but cant find it.

Derek
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top