A/C Heater Box Advice Needed ASAP!!

[Road_Runner]

Hi folks,

Well some of you may remember  I had my A/C converted to R34 early summer and it just didn't work; didn't move hardly any air and what little it did wasn't cold.  Took it back to the shop and spoke to the owner last week who apparently took the word of his tech that it was basically working when he released it to me.  I had the owner check it out and he was very surprised that it was as bad as I said it was.  Cut to today, the same tech who worked on it now says one of the flapper doors is frozen shut (no surprise) and there's a golf ball size hole punched into the housing behind the glovebox (OK, that was a surprise).  So it obviously needs to be gone through completely: new seals, new heater core, hole repaired or piece replaced, etc. 

The question I have is, can this work be done now and the dash put back together, and then as I'm ready I can finish the dash restoration as planned: paint frame, repair & refinish gauge cluster, new dash pad, new stereo & speakers, etc.  without having to disconnect the heater box & AC work that the shop will now be doing?  Or will I either have to do it all at once or pull all this back out when I'm ready.  I'm hoping the answer is that once this work is done I won't have to disturb it again.

So if you have knowledge of how this works please let me know ASAP as the shop is waiting for me to tell them how to proceed.

Thanks in advance, Jim

[burdar]

The heater box assembly would have been installed as a compete unit before the dash assembly.  Then the dash as installed as a complete assembly.  If the heater box is restored and installed, you shouldn't have to remove anything when you go to put the dash in.

[Road_Runner]

The heater box assembly would have been installed as a compete unit before the dash assembly.  Then the dash as installed as a complete assembly.  If the heater box is restored and installed, you shouldn't have to remove anything when you go to put the dash in.

That's exactly what I hoping to hear!  How about the A/C 'stuff'?  I realize the ducts will have to come off when I remove the dash pad which has the vents, will the A/C be left intact otherwise?  I'm specifically hoping that the freon can stay where it is.

Thanks again, Jim

[burdar]

I have a non A/C car so I don't know the exact details.  If you think about it from an assembly point of view, the factory would have wanted it simple for ease of installation.   I don't see why the system would need to be discharged.   The A/C system should be contained within the box itself.

[Road_Runner]

I have a non A/C car so I don't know the exact details.  If you think about it from an assembly point of view, the factory would have wanted it simple for ease of installation.   I don't see why the system would need to be discharged.   The A/C system should be contained within the box itself.

As you say, that makes the most sense but in dealing with 60s & 70s cars all my life I've seen a few things that truly made no sense at all, at least not to me!!  Don't get me started on some of my Mustang restoration stories....

Thanks, Jim