1966 a/c firewall foam seal kits available ?

[scotth3886]

Does anyone make a foam seal kit for 65/66?

Similar to what's offered for 59/60 ?  https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/80-5960-seal-kit

I have a bad vacuum pan on the blend door on my 66 Fleetwood.  Pan is getting vacuum, but won't hold it so consequently I'm getting about half of my cold air coming out the floor vents.

I don't tear into anything until I have every part that might be needed.  My concern is when I pull the box away from the firewall, it will tear the foam seal to the evaporator box. 

[scotth3886]

My primary concern is the seal between the blend box and firewall (the one where the driver's side vacuum pan is on) and the foam seal between this and the evaporator box.

[79 Eldorado]

Scott,
If you cannot find what you are looking for McMaster-Carr has a good selection of different thickness, width, and density foam strip in adhesive back and non. For any area which may see moisture like evap condensate you should be looking for closed cell foam to not absorb and hold moisture. I built something I needed with strips. Adhesive-backed is more convenient but there was one location where I had a slip joint on a mating pair of ducts and so I needed to build the proper thickness so I used non adhesive backed and found some pretty good glue which worked but was a little strong smelling until it dried.

A place which sells HVAC stuff may as well have similar.

Scott 

[scotth3886]

Thanks.  I like to be as prepared as I can before I take something apart.  I thought maybe there would be pre-made kits like the 59/60 kit that I linked.  I would assume that by 65/66 most of these had A/C. 

[79 Eldorado]

I don't know that system well but a blend door controls the hot/cold mix. The mode door typically controls which duct the air comes out. I only mention it because if you located a blend door actuator you may be planning for the wrong actuator.

If the vacuum actuator went bad it seems like it would probably be more than some of the air coming out on the floor.  I wonder if a duct came loose or if something is blocking the door. Foam duct seals can deteriorate and the "dryer duct" paper tubing can crack. The one I mentioned I built-up was a junction for channeling air and air was leaking out the sides of the interface due to a bad seal. Again I don't know the 65/66 specific design well.

Scott

[scotth3886]

I don't know that system well but a blend door controls the hot/cold mix. The mode door typically controls which duct the air comes out. I only mention it because if you located a blend door actuator you may be planning for the wrong actuator.

If the vacuum actuator went bad it seems like it would probably be more than some of the air coming out on the floor.  I wonder if a duct came loose or if something is blocking the door. Foam duct seals can deteriorate and the "dryer duct" paper tubing can crack. The one I mentioned I built-up was a junction for channeling air and air was leaking out the sides of the interface due to a bad seal. Again I don't know the 65/66 specific design well.

Scott

There's vacuum in the line to the actuator vacuum pan, but the pan won't hold vacuum.  It's enough vacuum that it holds the door partially open.  If I pull the line entirely, then all of the a/c air comes out the floor vents

[79 Eldorado]

"If I pull the line entirely, then all of the a/c air comes out the floor vents"

Removing the line doesn't prove that the actuator is leaking; it does prove you've found the correct actuator. A door not closing fully could be because the door is sticking or because something is physically in the opening blocking the door from seating.

When you wrote doesn't hold vacuum are you making the statement because you've tested it with something like a Mighty-Vac, where you can hold a vacuum and see it on a gauge, or only because the door isn't sealing completely?

By what you wrote I still think that actuator is a mode door actuator and not a blend door actuator.

Scott

[scotth3886]

"If I pull the line entirely, then all of the a/c air comes out the floor vents"

Removing the line doesn't prove that the actuator is leaking; it does prove you've found the correct actuator. A door not closing fully could be because the door is sticking or because something is physically in the opening blocking the door from seating.

When you wrote doesn't hold vacuum are you making the statement because you've tested it with something like a Mighty-Vac, where you can hold a vacuum and see it on a gauge, or only because the door isn't sealing completely?

By what you wrote I still think that actuator is a mode door actuator and not a blend door actuator.

Scott

"Removing the line doesn't prove that the actuator is leaking"

It sure won't hold a vacuum though.  Tested with a mighty-vac.  True, might be other issues, but that vacuum pan is bad so that's a place to start. 

However, I started this thread to collect everything else I may need before I start on this, namely the foam seal kit such as is available at the link I provided for the 59/60s.  I would have thought something similar to https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/80-5960-seal-kit would be available for slightly later cars such as the 65/66s, but apparently it's not. 

[79 Eldorado]

Scott,
Ok just wanted to make certain you tested it; clear now you did.

I know I got "into the weeds" a bit when you were only asking about the seal kit but I wanted to make certain you were chasing the correct issue.

Did you check what needs to be removed to change that actuator? I wonder if it can be changed without removing the case. If there's a link to what it's actuating maybe removing the actuator would allow moving the link or rod by hand so you could feel if the door moves freely (no binding). If it moves freely you could try moving to the proper position by hand to see if you eliminate the floor airflow (test to see if anything is blocked without opening the case).

"Other" Scott

[scotth3886]

Scott,
Ok just wanted to make certain you tested it; clear now you did.

I know I got "into the weeds" a bit when you were only asking about the seal kit but I wanted to make certain you were chasing the correct issue.

Did you check what needs to be removed to change that actuator? I wonder if it can be changed without removing the case. If there's a link to what it's actuating maybe removing the actuator would allow moving the link or rod by hand so you could feel if the door moves freely (no binding). If it moves freely you could try moving to the proper position by hand to see if you eliminate the floor airflow (test to see if anything is blocked without opening the case).

"Other" Scott

Tim Grove told me a while ago that it wasn't too bad of a job.  Easy for him to say when he knows these system backwards and forward ! 

However, the business end of the vacuum pan is inside that box so I really don't know what to expect, and can't reach any of the business end without opening that box.  I'm super careful not to make issues worse by doing sumthin stupid .... ask questions first !!! 

What I'm really concerned about is tearing that 55 year old seal when I pull it apart. 

[79 Eldorado]

Hopefully it will go smoothly. It will be interesting to hear what you find. I like to be fully prepared with all the parts before I start a job as well but it's common for me to end-up with a part I didn't need or come across something which I think well as long as I'm in there...

Scott