B4B heater housing

[blacknight80]

I tried swapping out my stamped steel valve covers with a set off of a fwd olds 3.8 and they don't quite fit at the back. I ground the fins off the back side but the heater housing is in the way. I've heard the turbo cars have a slightly different housing than the na g body's. Has anyone else ran into this problem? I've got a na 80 regal donor car that has a heat only housing that I can swap out. They look so interchangeable will it fit on my 82? Will I gain anything with a na heat only box?

Thanks,

Ps weve had a warm spell so I was able to dig into this old girl again for the first time since the fall so expect more dumb questions lol.

 

[charlief1]

The heat only box sells for a premium because you can fit almost anything in and it cleans up the firewall. It should work fine.

 

[blacknight80]

Great thanks Charlie. Is it necessary to replace the ducting or do I have to remove the dash to do the swap?

Thanks

 

[charlief1]

Should just be the outside that you need to replace.

 

[blacknight80]

I've got the electronic climate control. Wonder if I should yank it out and put it away while I'm at it.

 

[charlief1]

You need to change everything out then. The electronics system won't work with just the heater box.

 

[blacknight80]

Yay....all for a set of valve covers and a cleaner engine compartment haha. Can I leave the ducting the way it is and retain the outer vents and "just" replace the box, controls and swap the nut vent with the pull levers? I better get a 3 inch dp to make this worth my while.

 

[charlief1]

Heater controls and actuators will need to be changed and I think you need the heat only unit. Everything should fit fine.

 

[b4black]

Just get a passenger side valve cover from a 84/87 SFI turbo V6. It will be aluminum, have the same fins and the backside is beveled to clear the HVAC box. The 84/85 has no holes and is the best choice. The 86/87 has hole in the front end for a breather, but the AC compressor of alternator gets in the way of the breather.


The problem is on the other side. On the stock stamped steel covers, the oil fill is on the very front of the drivers side to clear the carb plenum. I could not figure out an easy way to use the aluminum covers and still have an oil fill.

 

[blacknight80]

I have convinced myself that I don't want ac cluttering the engine compartment so I am going to swap the box out. Im a traitor and swapped the carb for a hot air setup so the only thing blocking the oil fill will be the intake pipe so that's not going to be a problem. Thanks for more good info