Heater Duct Collar re-installation

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Greg Harris
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:31 pm
Location: Mason, MI

Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by Greg Harris »

Hey Gang,

I tried searching for answers here and on the web but couldn't find any. I apologize if this has been covered elsewhere.

One of the things I'm doing to my Monza is rehabbing the heating system. All the heater duct collars are intact but were very rusty. I've removed the staples, sand blasted and re-painted (along with new foam seals and whatnot) but what's the recommended way to re-install the collars to the ducts? I thought about epoxy, rivets, screws/washers, etc. My guess is that re-stapling them isn't in the cards.
Cheers,

Greg

1965 Monza Convertible 4-spd
Zenith STOL CH750 Airplane w/Corvair 110 flight conversion
https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsZenithSTOLCH750
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terribleted
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Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by terribleted »

Not sure what parts you are talking about. Photos? I am not thinking of any staples in a 65 Monza heater system. Except perhaps in the flapper door in the heater box itself. Staples I think are used in the kick panel vent doors also. When staples are used to sandwich a foam seal between 2 pieces of metal short pop rivets are a good choice for replacement.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
https://www.facebook.com/tedsautorestoration/

Located in Snellville, Georgia
Greg Harris
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:31 pm
Location: Mason, MI

Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by Greg Harris »

This is the front duct that comes up through the floor at the toe pan. To remove the metal collar from the plastic duct, I had to remove the heavy metal staples that attach it. Some collars attach around the outside surface of the duct and some fit inside. I'm asking about the best way to re-attach them to the duct after I've cleaned the corrosion off and re-painted. I'm worried that if I use soft rivets, they will pull right through the plastic duct. Using self-tapping screws would be okay where metal collars are inside the duct, as pictured here, but not where the metal is on the outside of the duct. Clark's sells reproductions of these metal collars but mine are good enough to recondition. Using a mechanical fastener seems to be the best option but maybe epoxy would be okay?
Attachments
Corvair Duct and Collar.jpg
Cheers,

Greg

1965 Monza Convertible 4-spd
Zenith STOL CH750 Airplane w/Corvair 110 flight conversion
https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsZenithSTOLCH750
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terribleted
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Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by terribleted »

Ahh I have never needed to disassemble this part. I had forgotten that these were stapled together. I would use pop rivets for this. Use a small washer on the tip of any rivets that must pull against plastic to ensure they grab and can not pull through.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
https://www.facebook.com/tedsautorestoration/

Located in Snellville, Georgia
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Allan Lacki
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Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by Allan Lacki »

It was ten or twenty years ago, but I'm pretty sure I used plain old duct tape to secure the metal collar to the plastic duct. Maybe a screw or two, but I don't think so. I've had the tunnel pan down several times since then and the plastic duct, too. The tape is still secure. ::-):
Greg Harris
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Location: Mason, MI

Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by Greg Harris »

Allan Lacki wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:28 pm It was ten or twenty years ago, but I'm pretty sure I used plain old duct tape to secure the metal collar to the plastic duct. Maybe a screw or two, but I don't think so. I've had the tunnel pan down several times since then and the plastic duct, too. The tape is still secure. ::-):
Ah, duct tape...because it's for ducts! Sometimes the simplest solutions are the right in front of my face and I can't see them!
Cheers,

Greg

1965 Monza Convertible 4-spd
Zenith STOL CH750 Airplane w/Corvair 110 flight conversion
https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsZenithSTOLCH750
Greg Harris
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:31 pm
Location: Mason, MI

Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by Greg Harris »

terribleted wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:43 am Ahh I have never needed to disassemble this part. I had forgotten that these were stapled together. I would use pop rivets for this. Use a small washer on the tip of any rivets that must pull against plastic to ensure they grab and can not pull through.
Went ahead with Avex A4 blind rivets (from my airplane project) with #4 stainless steel washers on the plastic side of the rivet head near every location where there was a staple. I would have used existing staple holes as pilot holes but many of them were way too close to the edge of the plastic and/or the original holes were torn/cracked to the edge of the duct. The oval collar wasn't stock to this duct. The staples used on the duct itself were much smaller than the ones that had been used on the steel collar. When I pulled all that apart, it wasn't stapled together at all. A couple of the collars were badly pitted (as you can see) but they cleaned up fine in the blasting cabinet. Not pretty, but totally serviceable once painted.

I added one rivet around the rear seat duct collar, as the ABS was awfully misshapen in there. Worked great. Still need to do a little ABS repair in a couple spots but they're close:
Attachments
PXL_20201114_232137694.jpg
PXL_20201114_234251553.jpg
PXL_20201114_234254751.jpg
PXL_20201114_235517079.jpg
Cheers,

Greg

1965 Monza Convertible 4-spd
Zenith STOL CH750 Airplane w/Corvair 110 flight conversion
https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsZenithSTOLCH750
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Allan Lacki
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Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:06 pm

Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by Allan Lacki »

Very very nice!
66vairguy
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Re: Heater Duct Collar re-installation

Post by 66vairguy »

Greg Harris wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:29 pm
terribleted wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:43 am Ahh I have never needed to disassemble this part. I had forgotten that these were stapled together. I would use pop rivets for this. Use a small washer on the tip of any rivets that must pull against plastic to ensure they grab and can not pull through.
Went ahead with Avex A4 blind rivets (from my airplane project) with #4 stainless steel washers on the plastic side of the rivet head near every location where there was a staple. I would have used existing staple holes as pilot holes but many of them were way too close to the edge of the plastic and/or the original holes were torn/cracked to the edge of the duct. The oval collar wasn't stock to this duct. The staples used on the duct itself were much smaller than the ones that had been used on the steel collar. When I pulled all that apart, it wasn't stapled together at all. A couple of the collars were badly pitted (as you can see) but they cleaned up fine in the blasting cabinet. Not pretty, but totally serviceable once painted.

I added one rivet around the rear seat duct collar, as the ABS was awfully misshapen in there. Worked great. Still need to do a little ABS repair in a couple spots but they're close:
Out West the LM "collar" doesn't suffer from rust so I've never removed one, just paint it. However your rivet solution works as the bracket in the plastic duct that mates to the rear seat outlet didn't use many staples and the plastic warps leaving gaps. I always add a few rivets there with washers on the plastic side (as you did). I'd suggest you inspect that part and add some rivets.
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