Cleaning Up Fresh Air Ventilation Box, Removing the circular clips Options

[andys]

I'm cleaning up my fresh air ventilation box (under the cowl), and want to disassemble the housing that holds the fan and motor. There are some circular steel wire clips that hold the plastic housing halves together. What is the best tool or method to remove, and then replace them without cracking the plastic bosses?

Also, it looks like the foam rubber on the butterfly valves are about shot. Where can I get suitable replacements or the material to repair them? Recommendations?

Thanks,

Andys

[914Sixer]

I used a small screwdriver turned sideways to gently remove them. They will fly if you are not careful. I used weather stripping that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes. It comes in a small enought size for waht you need.

[Allan]

I just slid the clips along the channel and off they came.

[andys]

I just slid the clips along the channel and off they came.

I think you're refering to the flat "C" clips that hold the top cover sections together. The parts that house the fan motor and butterlfy valves uses, for lack of better description, "C" rings.

Andys

[GaroldShaffer]

Those clips can be a PITA. The hard part for wasn't getting them off it was putting them back on with busting the bosses. If I remember correctly there are 6 of them. The ones (two) closest to the actual cowl went on ok because the bosses have a slight angle cut to them, but the others well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) I ended up taking a exacto knife and heating up the tip and cutting a slight angle on the leading edge of the rest of them and was able to tilt (cock) the clip and slide them back on. It was a major PITA, but it worked. Oh, and use something to help lube up the bosses.

YMMV

[drken]

Just went through this. I found what worked best was using "circlip pliers" to engage both holes at once, squeeze to open the clip up a little, then slide off to the side. Might need to experiment with different types/shapes of the pliers to see what gets past the "fat" part of the clip, and into the holes. Much less chance of breaking off the plastic bits.

Ken

[McMark]

Ken, you're right for the 'rectangular' clips. These are the circular ones.

914Rubber.com sells a top notch rebuild kit, which I highly recommend. Everything is precut and built to last.

[realred914]

neoprene rubber works nice for the seals on the vanes. and should last longer thn stock rubber, make sure you have the correct amount of overhang of the rubber, too little and it wont full seal when closed.

the neoprene is the same stuff used in wetsuites. 1/8 inch thick works fine.

besure to add some sort offine mesh bug screen on top of the intake, under the cowl louvers. the stock sceen (may or may not be present, ealry cars lacked any screen) does not preventpine neeldes and other debries from clogging up the fan, so use some aluminum bug screen, paint it black and place it above the stock scrren, thsi will keep the debries out very well.

also the seal between the box and the underside of the cowl is critical, so before you put teh gas tank back in, test with water, spray it vigurasly with water after you install the air box, spray all along ithe outside of the cowl louvers, in all four directions, then look inside the trunk to see if any water got in. water leaks hear can rust the gas tank fromt eh out side (the felt pads soak up the water and hold it on the metal tank) the water can get inot the footwell,a nd rot out your floor too

also make sure your wiprers is all cleaned and lubed and make sure the wiper shaft bushing protrudes above the 'water line" of the wiper shaft wells on teh colw, if the bushing for the shaft is below the "water line" then water will get into the bushing, rusting you wiper shafts,and leak into the the dash area. proper adjustment of the shaft hieght stick out length is done with teh big nuts on each shaft. be above the water line!!!!! else you will damage the wiper shafts and leak water inside!


good luck

[Mikey914]

The one thing you should realy do is check the motor operation. I wound up epoxying the base some as it has cracked slightly and allowed the motor to rub the wheel on the housing when I hit a bump. The epoxy solved that nicely.