C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

AC help

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 16, 2016 | 11:47 PM
  #1  
sparky77's Avatar
sparky77
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 336
Likes: 29
From: Il.
Default AC help

Started playing with the heater and AC this week,the fuse kept blowing,it was the AC compressor I have that disconnected now.When I turn the AC on I'm getting very little air out of the vents or the defroster .When I turn the heat on it blows on the the floor just like it should but not out of the defroster. So is there a common problem with 77 C3s or is there something I could look at that will trace the problem .


Thanks,Pete
Reply
Old Oct 17, 2016 | 05:57 AM
  #2  
Rotonda's Avatar
Rotonda
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,071
Likes: 86
From: Rotonda FL
Default

Originally Posted by sparky77
Started playing with the heater and AC this week,the fuse kept blowing,it was the AC compressor I have that disconnected now.When I turn the AC on I'm getting very little air out of the vents or the defroster .When I turn the heat on it blows on the the floor just like it should but not out of the defroster. So is there a common problem with 77 C3s or is there something I could look at that will trace the problem .


Thanks,Pete
Pete,

You need to do more investigation. Your problems may range from electrical to debris (leaves etc.) clogging your intake to problems with the system's doors & bypasses (rather vacuum or mechanical).

I suggest that you first determine whether your system's fan produces multiple speeds (the 'electrical' problem). If not, do an advanced search on the Forum looking at fan or blower or defroster fan speed. The fix is usually neither expensive or difficult. After this, things get more involved.

As a resource, look at the Willcox Corvette site. They have a lot of info under their tech help tab that may help

Last edited by Rotonda; Oct 17, 2016 at 06:03 AM. Reason: Addition
Reply
Old Oct 17, 2016 | 07:51 AM
  #3  
sparky77's Avatar
sparky77
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 336
Likes: 29
From: Il.
Default

Thanks, the fan works at all speeds checked that,will go to Willcox and read ,see what could be the problem.
Reply
Old Oct 27, 2016 | 10:51 PM
  #4  
sparky77's Avatar
sparky77
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 336
Likes: 29
From: Il.
Default

The temp switch works air temp goes hot when it's slid over to hot cool when over to cold ,the blower works,I get a lot of air out of the bottom vent .I'm not getting any air out of the vents up high or the defroster any ideas.Is there a common problem with 77 vettes .

Thanks,Pete
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2016 | 07:04 PM
  #5  
MajD's Avatar
MajD
Racer
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 406
Likes: 46
From: Lebanon OH
Default

Pete,

As I recall, there are two separate pathways for the air out of the cabin heater box. These pathways are determined by a vacuum controlled flap at the box outlet. One path directs air into a large central vent connected to the side and top center vents. This is the outlet shown in the picture below.



Note you can see the flap I'm referring to as well. It is blocking the airflow to the path described above and a spring in the vacuum actuator returns it to this default position when vacuum is removed. In this configuration, air is actually flowing out the left side of the box into a second box (described below). The actuator that controls the flap is located on the side opposite the hole you see, between the box and firewall. You will probably have to remove the box to get to it.

The second flap position directs the air into another box attached to the cabin heater box outlet. This second box also has a vacuum controlled flap that diverts the air either through the floor vents or the defroster vents. Here's a picture of that box:




The two holes on the right connect it to the other outlet of the cabin heater box. That should help you locate it. The linkage and vacuum actuator are located to the left, like in the picture. The default position for this flap passes air through the floor vents.

It sounds like both of these flaps are not working (simultaneous default positions would divert air through the floor vent regardless of switch settings). With the car running, switch the control to defrost and see if the position of the linkage on the second box has changed. If not, then disconnect the vacuum line and use a rubber line to apply vacuum with suction. If the actuator moves, the vacuum line is leaking, if it doesn't move then the actuator is bad.

If the linkage moves with the car running, then your defroster vent is blocked. The vent comes out of the top of the box and is fastened to the firewall near the top of the outlet duct. Of course, all of these things will be difficult to get to, but the actuator should be fairly easy to observe.

You could also check the flap in the cabin box in a similar manner, but the actuator is very difficult to get to without removing the box from the firewall. Good luck and I hope this helps.


MajD
Reply
Old Nov 4, 2016 | 01:20 PM
  #6  
sparky77's Avatar
sparky77
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 336
Likes: 29
From: Il.
Default

Found the problem today it is the hot water turn off switch on top of the heater box the supply vac goes thru a 3 way from the engine side one goes to the dash control one goes to the heat switch. I had no vac at the control until I blocked the supply to the switch. Now everything is working just have to replace the control .

Thanks,Pete
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To AC help





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:34 PM.

story-0
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE