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My Duchess has (VW based) a small lever just to the right of the Hand Brake that pulls up in the same way as the Hand brake. It doesn’t seem to do anything. Any ideas on what that small lever is supposed to do?
Rich
There is a 99% chance that it is the heat lever. If you pull up on it, it pulls on a cable that goes to the rear of the car. If your engine has heater boxes hooked up, then the cable opens 2 flap valves that allow hot air to flow into two tubes into the passenger compartment (probably under the seat).
Roy is correct. The VW used two levers. The one on the driver’s side controlled heat or defrost and the one on the right controlled the heat (temp). Since we don’t have the outer channel fordefrost, that lever is normally removed. I have a yellow square knob from a Ghia that fits perfect. and it says heat.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackThere are 2 levels…left and right. The right one is the one that we use with VW based TDs.The left one is not used because there is no way to get the heat from the heat exchangers to the defrost fan. Defrost just used cabin air. So its up to the user if they want to leave the extra lever in or take it out.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackI know this is kinda far fetched… but I thought I might try to use a defrost tube from a VW Thing to add defrost to the front end of my MiGiII. The tube hugs the center channel of the chassis since the VW Thing has no side heat channels on the body. Not quite sure how it will work since the shifter has been moved, and the seats hug the center channel too. But… It never hurts to try something different!
Here is what one looks like: http://www.thethingshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=181819187Remember the Thing was a 2 year only production model (73-74) so used ones could be quite hard to find. I have several friends in the VW community with Things, so I will try to “borrow” one to see if it would work before shelling out the $150 just to find out it will not work…
I’ll let you know if it works in my build thread!Hope I didn’t “hijack” your thread ArGee…
STG-inc.2012-12-31 13:59:06
You could hook each lever to the heater box on its’ side and have dual heat controls for each side of the cabin instead of one lever controlling all the heat.
Possible but the cable that goes to the heater boxes join into one at the lever. I suppose one could order two heater control cable kits and cut off one of the cables at the joint and run one on each side.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackWhere does that ‘Thing’ part fit? That’s interesting.
FYI–and Paul M could confirm this–defrost in a TD can be accomplished well enough with a small blower fan and a few vents drilled in the scuttle top, just inboard of the windshield. Cabin air will do it–again, according to Paul’s reporting, which is born of many decades experience.
Ah! Thought so. Very much in line with what I was pondering for Bridget if I ever construct a fake period-correct Arnolt heater for her. My heat comes through the tunnel and dispenses through two little ports just ahead of the shifter. MG TD heaters were metal cubes that rested on the trans tunnel up under the scuttle. This Thing part would just about duct my outlets to where a new “cube” could go.
You cannot split the cable and run a separate control for each heater box. Well, I guess you “could” but I don’t think the effort would be worth it.
The tubes in the center tunnel are not configured that way. The tubes that run to the heater boxes are tack welded in place under the right side of the parking brake, heat/defroster lever set up. There are two tubes for the heater lever, to accommodate the dual cable that runs to each heater box valve.
The tube on the left takes a different path through the tunnel and runs to where the valve was that redirected the air flow to the original defrost air ducts.
And never the twain shall meet.
The passenger compartment on our TDs is about half of a Beetle. The Classic Roadsters Duchess runs the heat tubes from the heater boxes into the passenger compartments right under the seats. The total duct path is less than a foot and a half. I can roast myself out of the car with the valves fully open. I really don’t see what would one would gain by controlling the two heater boxes separately.
And I’m really stretching my knowledge here, but I’m also not sure I would want to draw air from one heater box and not the other. Using the heat has got to have some effect on airflow around the engine (since some air from the fan is being directed into the passenger compartment). Is it possible, pulling air from one side and not the other could have a less than positive effect on engine cooling?
I have not experienced set ups like Ed’s, which run the heated air into the center tunnel and then out into the footwells. But I suspect they are less efficient and have got to lose heat by the time the air comes out. It just does not make sense to me to blow hot air into the cold steel tunnel, and let it flow out four feet later.
The Duchess uses a small blower mounted up under the dash and blows air into four small ports along the base of the windshield. It will not de-ice the glass. But it WILL defrost it.
PMOSSBERG2013-01-01 11:31:28
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
I would think VERY hard and long before using the chassis tunnel to run your heat! If you think about the 1st place to “rust out” on a Beetle… the heat channels come to mind.
The tunnel is the backbone of the VW chassis and where it gets all of its strength. A cold tunnel and heat from the engine will create condensate and cause rust over time just as it did in the heat channels of the donor vehicle.Just my .02Regards, DougSTG-inc.2013-01-01 23:20:20
My Fiberfab kit uses the same heat/defrost system as the Classic Roadster Duchess EXCEPT I only have two ports along the base of the windshield.
Paul. I have a vent kit that has four ports and my Fiberfab assembly calls for only two. Not having yet to deal with defrosting the windshield, would it make much difference with just 2 ports or should I add the other two ports?Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackAllen, my MiGi has only one 3″ port, and it is centered just in front of the rear view mirror. It does the job for me. I expect that two ports may distribute the air more evenly across the glass than mine, but it’s not like you are going to get any more air.
My deforster motor is a fan from the VW Heater booster kit. That fan should be able to push more than enough air. I think two will do if I space them evenly enough. My ports are about 3 inches across (left to right).
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackAllen,
I have four round ports, about one inch diameter each. Sounds like you have two stretched rectangles, about three inches wide. I think you’ll be fine.For anyone else with VW based TD and no defroster, a blower like this one is all you need:It will hide up unde the dash. Simple one speed fan, all you need is power and an on/off switchOr search for boat “bilge vent fan”Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Paul your fan is similar to mine. How do you have yours mounted? My assembly manual says to drill a hole in the defrost panel (under the dash that has to be fiberglassed in) and insert the outlet of the fan into that. I’m thinking of mounting the fan to the firewall and running a paper duct to the underside panel.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackThe fan is mounted to the inside of the “firewall”.
There is an adapter on the outlet side of the fan to convert the single outlet to four 1″ outlets.
Paper hoses run from the four outlets to the four ports on the dash.Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
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