FRESH AIR VALVE SOURCE

[chip]

I'm gong h try to duct some fres air into the cockpit in addition to the A/C. Does ayone know of a cable operated valve (something very simple) to adjust the air flow-maybe 3 in in diameter. Found a hand reguted vent at home depot but have to open/close by hand at the source-not remote. cb

[Peter D]

Chip, I have a similar plan for fresh air. I am planning a duct from the side of the radiator, along the inside of the front of the car, across the front bulkhead & into the interior just above the tunnel. I am going to try using 65mm x 100mm PVC downpipe (as used to bring rainwater down from guttering around the roof of houses) - this should allow a nice gloss painted finish as it is very smooth & you can get nice 90deg angle fittings to take it around corners.

For a valve, I am just going to make a butterfly valve pivoted top & bottom of the duct, just inside the front bulkhead. Just a piece of sheet f/glass cut so that it blocks off the duct when it swivels to about 10deg away from being straight across the duct, it completely block the duct. To control it, I'll use a simple "choke cable" with the knob under the dash, going to a bracket near the valve for the outer cable sheath, & then with the inner cable going to a lever mounted on the swivel shaft of the valve blade.

Sorry I can't give you details & pics of a finished version, but I am waiting for a new "deep nostril" kit - until that arrives & is fitted, I can't design/build the front intake or the ductwork under the front clip.

Kind Regards,

Peter D. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Chip, the A/C on my car started with a Vintage Air mini system. The components are dismantled because the complete unit is difficult to install intact. When I dismantled the unit, I kept the vacuum servos and the flapper valve units. I used one of these to control my fresh air vent which has two hoses coming from each of the small NACA ducts on the nose. (This was the section that went to the defrost on the original unit.) You can buy these vacuum servos from Vintage Air. I am not sure about the flappers, but they are just a piece of thin metal tacked onto a thin rod with a bell crank on one end that the servo hooks to. The metal plate has a piece of foam glued on as a seal. Oh yeah, Vintage Air also has these little solenoid valves that control the vacuum to the servos. So I have a toggle switch on my console that turns on/off fresh air. Another turns heat on or off. Unfortunately, the vacuum valve for the heat is either on or off. I suppose I will use fresh air to regulate temp.

Would it not be simpler to use the eyeball vents on the dash to control airflow from the front NACA ducts? These should be readily obtainable from wrecked MK I, II & III Ford Cortinas and MK II Ford Escorts and MK IV Zephyrs/Zodiacs. They usually come with ribbed plastic ducting as well. Not sure how available these would be in the US though.

Brian, in my system, these are used as outlets for the system in general (actually the blower will always force air through both the eyeball vents and the demister vents.) There are times when you would want only A/C (or heat which is implied when A/C is used henceforth) without outside air ventilation. It really makes sense for a more useable system to have seperate control for the ventilation. If you don't use the dash vents for the A/C then I suppose this would work.

[chip]

I found some exhaust "cutouts" in JC Whitney with 5ft cables for $24 each. Will accept up to a 2 1/4 hose. Could have one intake an 2 exhaust oenings, or the oposite, or block one. Vould give continious full open to full closed for air flow control. Crazy? cb