TAC Tech => Electrical => Topic started by: Wallington on April 11, 2024, 07:09:11 AM

Title: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: Wallington on April 11, 2024, 07:09:11 AM
I had a spare cowl recirculation door with a good vacuum actuator so had it replated and assembled. These are often fairly rusty and far worse than how this one started.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53647098324_dcaf017d81_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJBpi7)Firebird AC cowl vacuum vent unrestored 1-24 (5) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJBpi7) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53645881857_66c5b261d1_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJvaFx)Firebird AC cowl vacuum vent unrestored 1-24 (4) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJvaFx) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53647222335_c8412ae27a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC3ae)Restored Firebird AC recirculation vent cowl (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC3ae) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53647222310_5caca104a7_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC39N)Restored Firebird AC recirculation vent cowl (3) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC39N) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53647222315_467ec99657_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC39T)Restored Firebird AC recirculation vent cowl (4) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC39T) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53647222305_e285cd21b1_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC39H)Restored Firebird AC recirculation vent cowl (5) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJC39H) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53646758371_8ccfa36fba_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJzEeR)Restored Firebird AC recirculation vent cowl (6) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJzEeR) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: 81Blackbird on April 11, 2024, 08:35:00 AM
Very nice.  thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: 5th T/A on April 11, 2024, 10:36:44 AM
Ben, all your stuff is very high quality, most likely better than what GM did.
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: FormTA on April 11, 2024, 05:02:35 PM
I wish you lived on this side of the pond. That way I could get you to restore parts for my junk.

Nice work!

With all these nice parts you should have a complete car needed assembly....


Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: Wallington on April 11, 2024, 06:42:27 PM
None of it is terribly hard or expensive, other than shipping of parts in the first place and finding they are not even driver-quality to restore or use. And yes, have had a car simply needing assembly for 12 years. Sadly, it never will be. But I keep busy with little things that don't really matter.
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: sreta on April 17, 2024, 02:33:36 PM
I think that there is also a pot metal version of this door. I found this photo online.



Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: Wallington on April 18, 2024, 01:13:04 AM
Interesting, have not noticed that version.
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: roadking77 on April 18, 2024, 02:32:59 PM
Looks nice Ben, I need to get mine done at some point. How did you replate the vaccum cannister flying saucer thingy?
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: Wallington on April 18, 2024, 06:21:04 PM
I took the easy way out. I packaged it up with various bolts, clips and parts like those trunk lamps and fuel line clips and shipped to a guy I've used several times over the years. Briefly about 2 years ago the local carb rebuilder started taking on plating jobs too and was good. But was taking longer and longer and not at all interested. The last time I had to go and collect after 10 months, not even touched. Sent them back to usual guy in another state, within 5 days of getting the box he had them done and on their way back. These vacuum pods are probably the hardest to do, not so much the job itself but the fact that even if capped off, they always still seem to have a dribble of the acid or similar that gets inside and under the rubber diaphragm bellows but chooses to seep out during posting back and staining the plating. It even happened this time and I have one to send back, this one had a slight mark or two from same but I let it run after a wash.
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: Wallington on April 20, 2024, 01:09:36 AM
Turns out I had seen it before, but not noticed the difference. I saved a few pics of it, would notice if was in my hands. This is one I nearly purchased but the seller couldn't come up with shipping that wasn't several times the item cost, and then someone else bought it instead. Certainly looks cast rather than stamped steel, especially compared to surface rust on door.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53666182075_6ae27c3416_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pLidei)Firebird cowl recirculation vent vacuum door (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2pLidei) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53665720101_8643b50ee8_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pLfQUe)Firebird cowl recirculation vent vacuum door (3) (https://flic.kr/p/2pLfQUe) by Ben (https://www.flickr.com/photos/196419001@N03/), on Flickr


And another.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/196006241833?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ZhfUl5OxTZe&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=Otl3lLdJQZG&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Turns out they buckled and warped easily, not sure about 50 years ago or just looking at these pics. Regardless, they all carried the same assembly number throughout the years of #3979732, cast or stamped.
Title: Re: Restored AC recirculation vent door
Post by: nUcLeArEnVoY on April 23, 2024, 10:15:54 AM
Who performed this service? Mine still works but it's ugly as sin (worse than the one pictured). I'd like to have this done.