Deuce cab heater modifications

My truck didn’t come equipped with a cab heater. But it’s one of those things that would have been nice on more than a few occasions, living here in Michigan. I bought a complete cab heater unit from fellow SS member ARDEUCE (thanks again Mike) a few months back. Now that falls here, I’m getting some extra time so I can install it in the truck.

I never liked the way that the heater core/blower unit box sat on the inner fender hindering access to the IP, fuel filters, oil filters or anything else on that side of the engine. Yes, you can change all the filters and work on that side of the engine, but you can’t say that with the heater in place there helps, and makes them jobs any easier. So I’ve been kicking around the idea of mounting the heater unit inside the cab, under the dash , on the passenger side fire wall. It’s doable, but would require a little work, and the time to modify the diverter box for the defroster to work from being fed from right side to the left side. Plus it would add more noise, to an already noisy interior.

I decided to keep the heater unit under the hood, but I changed it some. I modified the heater box so it would bolt up, directly to the fire wall, instead of sitting in the way, on the inner fender. I cut down and shortened the heater box, cut off the flange on the end of it and I had to cut a ½” off the 90 deg. dampener elbow, so it wouldn’t make contact with the heater core inside the box.

Other than modifying the heater box under the hood, all the duct work, defroster diverter box and controls remain un-touched inside the cab, just like factory

COOL project!

I have trucks that had the heater units installed under the glovebox in the cab. I like this method a lot better myself.

Nice work, let us know how well it heats.

Thats not a bad idea, I am in the process of mounting mine under the glove box like you were going to do, I've cut my heater down already too.

I already have my diverter all dissassembled flipping it around.. (what a pain) I almost like your idea better but I'm already into it. The only worry I see with yours you might get sleepy if you have an exhaust leak anywhere.

It should warm nice one your motor starts feeding it hot air though.

Looks good.

Does it work as good or better than the old design?

hoopsoft said:

Thats not a bad idea, The only worry I see with yours you might get sleepy if you have an exhaust leak anywhere.

Looks good.

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I just started modifing the heater today. When it's completed, I'll have it so it'll be fed with fresh air, not under hood air.

Now this is a man that thinks outside the box.........the heater box. That is one really cool, sorry, hot idea. I to have on more than one time said a few words working on the F.I. and such. As the sun comes up in the morn, and it warms a bit, I believe I will be looking under the hood of the Deuce. Thanks for your informative post. I really like this!

deuceman51 said:

I have trucks that had the heater units installed under the glovebox in the cab. I like this method a lot better myself.

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yup, thats how it's done on the A3's and to me it works way better.

Great mod! Look forward to the finished product pics.
That would also work well on the 800 series as the heater mounts on the passenger side and needs a large mounting plate and a couple support brackets. You could eliminate those parts altogether.

Looks great! I wounder if it will be more efficient?...

I am also putting a heater in my deuce. i cut the heater box also and am going to mount mine under the dash. I am not sure how i am going to get fresh air yet, may just recirculate the air for now and see how it works. I am about ready to mount the heater box to the bracket under the glove box that goes from the dash to the firewall. It looks good and rigid. my problem after i get the heater box hung is reversing the heater box. I read somewhere on here where the 800 series diverter boxes are the same as the deuce, just reversed for the passanger side air inlet. It would be great to get my hands on one, but i dont know anybody that has one, so i might be stuck reversing the one i have now. Does anybody have any input on how to get the lever off the diverter flap? it almost looks like it could be built into the box before its welded....sounds like a pain.

Hey guys i hooked my heater up today with some vavles from the local hardware store. This way a can turn the flow on and off.

Resurrecting an old post from the dead. I took some pictures today for a fellow SS member of my heater hose setup, that he wanted to duplicate. So I thought I might as well post them up here for others also.

I never much cared for the way that Deuces, with heaters, have the heater hoses just draped over the engine, going over to the heater core. To me, it looks like a shortcut, to an after thought. But what do ya do, it's easy that way, and that's how the motor pool did it.

I wanted my heater hoses to have a cleaner look under the hood and give it more of a factory looking install. So I bent up some pipe, flaired the ends so the heater hoses wouldn't slip off, painted it OD and called it a day. It works good, and I think looks good, what more could you ask for.

Looks real good with the hoses run with the pipe.

I like it.
MHassett

I completely agree with Deuceman51, I installed a 5 ton heater unit in my Deuce and installed that under the glove box I live in ND and trust me when I say our heater units need all the help they can get and installing it under the hood will NOT work here! The install was not hard I ran my heater lines under the air cleaner assembly and it look perfect and works the same, If I had to do it over again I would do it exactly the same way!|
KK

Nice work there!

What kind of advantage to you get with the shortened heater box?
Do you think you gain enough efficiency to make the mod worth while?

Thanks

orren said:

What kind of advantage to you get with the shortened heater box? Thanks

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I did it mostly for the easability of servicing the oil filters and fuel filters. Or anything that needs work on that side of the engine bay. I no longer have to work over or around the heater, that's always in the way up on the fender.

Before and after pictures.