[rolling money pits]

another car forum i'm on has extensive DIYs for all sorts of things, from the most mundane of tasks to total engine rebuidling...they're reasonably "complicated" cars and there's not a lot of detailed information in print - e.g., service and body manuals, etc.

so here's my stab at one here in an effort to help. this is, or should be, the first post of a series of ones on this, once i do it and learn how to attach pictures.

i recently purchased the new style ( not american graffiti ) AC delete boxes for my 69 GTO from ames, but it appears to be identical to the one PY sells and if so, it's the one The Parts Place makes/sells as The Parts Place is stamped on the inside.

ABS plastic, little less than 1/8" thick ( .110 if you want to get specific ), smooth on the outside and pretty straight. 2 3/16" thick up to the point the heater hoses come out, then it expands out and is 3 1/8" thick at the blower motor mounting surface.

initial test fit on the firewall and for the blower motor was good. everything pretty much lined up with the exception of the blower motor holes - one or two of them might need a little ( and i do mean a little ) work with a small rat tail file. depending on how straight your firewall is combined with how straight the delete box is will determine how much sealer you're going to need.

one issue: my car had a locating stud that came out above the blower motor, 11 o'clock maybe, and that hole was NOT on the delete box. i do not know if that stud is unique to my car, to 69's, or a defect with the box. in any event, that's something to keep in mind if getting one of these as i will be drilling a hole for that on mine.

this is my third car with AC, but the first one i've actually pulled the evap box off of. actually, this is the first time i've ever taken a good look at an evap box in general, so please excuse what might seem to be ignorance on my part.

the factory evap box has a metal ring riveted to the inside where the blower motor attaches, the screws for it actually bite into this as opposed to the box itself. they also have, obviously, the holes/mounting for the resistor, blower motor cooling tube, and heater hose valve. the delete box has no such provisions.

i will be adding all those to my delete box, thus the DIY part of this.

the resistor simply screwed into the factory box, the motor cooling tube's "mount" was screwed into it as well, but the factory box had little round nubbies ( about 3/8" diameter and 1/4" tall ) cast into the mold to support the screw and locating stud of the mount. the heater control valve screwed onto a bracket that was riveted to the evap box and supported by a metal plate on the inside.

so now i need some advice/help....what type of "glue" can i use to affix little round nubbies to the inside? epoxy, some sort of cryo or cyo based "super glue", other? if i cannot find round ABS plastic stock, will any kind of plastic work?

I am going to transfer that factory metal ring for the blower motor screws to my delete box. pop rivets will do the trick, as that's what the factory seems to have done, but as an added measure of strength i will glue it down as well. same question as above, what type of adhesive material can/should i use for that?

once i learn how to upload photos here i'll put them in so what i saying here makes more sense.

thanks

[Young Pontiac Guy]

In terms of the glue, you could use JB weld. It is a very robust glue that will hold up to just about anything. As well, it is an amine based system which should have excellent adhesion to the plastic.

[PontGuy]

I put one of the same AC delete boxes in my car last year.

Same issues regarding the location of the fan motor holes, and had to drill a hole for the locating stud too. But they were easy fixes.

I transferred the steel mounting plate by riveting it in just like the factory did but I didn't use any glue. Once the fan motor is screwed in it is absolutely solid so no need for glue. I remember transferring a hole for the motor cooling hose port and believe I just drilled a mounting hole for the screw(s) without any backing. The port wants to stay in place as it is, so it holds fine without any "nubbies"- though not a bad idea for insurance.

Don't forget to cut an access hole for the fan speed resistor pack too.

I used sticky back foam weatherstripping to seal the motor to the box and the box to the firewall instead of the factory goo. Probably not as permanent, but it is well sealed and looks good.

Check your clearances by running the fan before calling the job done- the fan is very tight in there! If I remember correctly my fan would hit when I dry-fit the assembly without the foam weatherstripping.

Walt