Climate Control Repair??
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Central llinois
Climate Control Repair??
Hello, due to the 6 inches of snow we were blessed with 
in central IL today, I turned on the heater in the garage and decided to start working on my interior rebuild on the 69. I am replacing the carpet, and my goal is to get everything working in the car. Once thing that was not working was the hot/cold thumbwheel on the climate control. I pulled it out today and was able to get the wheel working, but it is in need of a new face plate and lens. So far I have only seen repair kits for sale with the thumbwheels, strings and all already assembled. Does anyone know if you can buy just the faceplate? Also, has anyone used the reface kit with the thumbwheels and everything that would care to share an opinion on its quality?
Thanks,
Jeremy
in central IL today, I turned on the heater in the garage and decided to start working on my interior rebuild on the 69. I am replacing the carpet, and my goal is to get everything working in the car. Once thing that was not working was the hot/cold thumbwheel on the climate control. I pulled it out today and was able to get the wheel working, but it is in need of a new face plate and lens. So far I have only seen repair kits for sale with the thumbwheels, strings and all already assembled. Does anyone know if you can buy just the faceplate? Also, has anyone used the reface kit with the thumbwheels and everything that would care to share an opinion on its quality?Thanks,
Jeremy
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,447
Likes: 3
From: Syracuse NY
You can get the lens, I don't think you can purchase just the faceplate.
I was able to restore mine with pretty good results.
Here's a link for the lens
http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...oducts_id=1985
I need to get one for my '68 too.
I was able to restore mine with pretty good results.
Here's a link for the lens
http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...oducts_id=1985
I need to get one for my '68 too.
Last edited by DZRick; Dec 27, 2009 at 01:16 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,447
Likes: 3
From: Syracuse NY
I just took these before and after pictures. It took about as long to upload the pictures as it did to redo the unpainted one. You can't really see the chrome edges in these shots but you can make it look nice with a little effort.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
It's not hard to restore the original. If you really need a new lens, you can probably buy a used unit on fleaBay for cheap (unrestored, of course) and scavenge the parts. No need to buy the $90 kits when a little paint and elbow grease can get the same results 
http://picasaweb.google.com/ras24c/A...y=96qagidbBL0#
http://picasaweb.google.com/ras24c/A...y=96qagidbBL0#
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,212
Likes: 4,301
From: Westminster Maryland
HiJeremy,
The new lens is available seperately from many vendors.
The bezel is easy to restore as DZ's pictures show.
Even the large thumb wheels, which fade to gray, can be restored with a little dusting of Krylon or SEM paint.
It's a nice little project that you see every time you sit in the car.
Regards,
Alan
The new lens is available seperately from many vendors.
The bezel is easy to restore as DZ's pictures show.
Even the large thumb wheels, which fade to gray, can be restored with a little dusting of Krylon or SEM paint.
It's a nice little project that you see every time you sit in the car.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Central llinois
Thank you all for your replies. I agree and would rather restore my original, but I think there is a tab broken off or something is missing on mine. Whatever is supposed to hold the housing with the thumbwheels and the light bulb isn't doing its job. It allows the housing to separate and this is what was jamming the right thumbwheel. I have attached a pic to try to show what I'm talking about. Maybe I'm not seeing a solution that someone else will.
Thanks again for all your help,
Jeremy
Sorry about the size of the pictures, I haven't figured out how to size them yet
Thanks again for all your help,
Jeremy
Sorry about the size of the pictures, I haven't figured out how to size them yet
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Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
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From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Jeremy - click on my link above and go to pic 17. You are missing the little bent piece that holds the face plate tight. I'm guessing it really wouldn't be an issue to just bend either side of what you have left inwards to hold the piece where it should be. If it doesn't work, send me a PM - I probably have an extra face plate you can have to restore. Bob
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
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From: Crossville TN
Once the pieces are assembled properly, all you need is a little tab of metal that you can tap in under the lip of the mating part. And, if you don't even have that, you can always put a bit of JB Weld [stick] putty-epoxy on the assembly to keep it together.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Central llinois
Jeremy - click on my link above and go to pic 17. You are missing the little bent piece that holds the face plate tight. I'm guessing it really wouldn't be an issue to just bend either side of what you have left inwards to hold the piece where it should be. If it doesn't work, send me a PM - I probably have an extra face plate you can have to restore. Bob
.Thanks again,
Jeremy
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Central llinois
New question on this:
Both thumbwheels should move the indicators from top to bottom correct? The right side of mine will go to the bottom (defrost), but only as high as the MAX reading for AC. Based on the instructions I read from Bob it looks like this could be reset when apart if it is not right.
Both thumbwheels should move the indicators from top to bottom correct? The right side of mine will go to the bottom (defrost), but only as high as the MAX reading for AC. Based on the instructions I read from Bob it looks like this could be reset when apart if it is not right.
Burning Brakes
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From: CA
Team Owner
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Central llinois
I thought so, but it has never worked since I have had the car, so I wasn't sure. I can see in the pic above that the slider should go all the way up, thanks, Jeremy
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
Inspect the contact points on your present switches. If they are not burnt completely off, welded together, or eroded away, just use some fine emery cloth or wet/dry sandpaper to clean off the surfaces and put 'em back in. If they are 'shot', you will have to replace them or find a decent [original] set of contacts at a swap meet.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I have a paper on the web site about rebuilding the control unit.. here is the link: http://willcoxcorvette.com/repairand...lp.php?hID=189
The needles are set on the string and will usually adjust if they are not in the correct position when installed. If you rebuild the unit without the face kit and the old needles are in great shape, when they bottom out the string will pull through and position it correctly. However, you run the risk of breaking one of the retainer legs off the needle so it is best if you test these out before you install put the unit all the way back together.
If a string retainer leg breaks off the needle you can glue the needle to the string if you are in a pinch.. it's been a few years for me but the page should go in to more detail.
71 is right too, if the points are burnt you can file them down and make the smooth again.
Willcox
The needles are set on the string and will usually adjust if they are not in the correct position when installed. If you rebuild the unit without the face kit and the old needles are in great shape, when they bottom out the string will pull through and position it correctly. However, you run the risk of breaking one of the retainer legs off the needle so it is best if you test these out before you install put the unit all the way back together.
If a string retainer leg breaks off the needle you can glue the needle to the string if you are in a pinch.. it's been a few years for me but the page should go in to more detail.
71 is right too, if the points are burnt you can file them down and make the smooth again.
Willcox
