delete panel questions

[Lightluss]

i just got my delete panel in the mail, and ive already removed the whole heater/ac assembly. do i need a gasket or something? or do i just bolt it right back up like it is onto the firewall? if i dont find a fiberglass hood that comes closer to the firewall, will water drip right down into the engine bay now?

 

[454muscle]

Well it's an aftermarket reproduction so if it didn't come with the panel, then there isn't one.
I don't think you need a gasket but it couldn't hurt to add a bead of silicone prior to bolting it in. 😉

As for the water issue, what kind of hood do you have?

 

[Blake442]

Definately put some sealant around the delete plate before you bolt it up, otherwise it will leak.

Strip-Calk, window ribbon, or even the original gasket from the heater box if it's in decent shape.
I would avoid things like urethane or silicone due to the difficulty of removing them if he or another owner ever removes it.

You'll need to make something, or buy a rain gutter to deflect the water, otherwise it will drip right down onto your distributor, which is bad.

 

[Lightluss]

i have a stock hood right now.
im just gunna use silicone, becuase heat/ac isnt going back into the car anythime soon. im hoping i can get a fiberglass hood that will come closer to the body, so i guess ill wait for that. if not, ive seen the reproduction covers for that gap on gbodyparts.com. their expensive, but its worth it for it to look nice.

 

[jrm81bu]

Do you have the top from your old heat/ac box? If you do you could do something like i did. It doesn't look the cleanest but it doesn't cost any thing. I just trimmed it up to remove as much extra material that I could. It could still be trimmed more than what it is, but here's a pic for ya.

 

[RITTER]

I made custom brackets and mounted the old piece from the heater/ac box back into place. It brings the solid deflection section over enough to clear the engine but there is still screen in it, just drips onto the delete panel.
When I installed mine, I took a sheet of rubber-fiber gasket material and cut the exact shape of the panel and then used a standard hole punch to make the bolt holes, worked great.

 

[454muscle]

Definately put some sealant around the delete plate before you bolt it up, otherwise it will leak.

Strip-Calk, window ribbon, or even the original gasket from the heater box if it's in decent shape.
I would avoid things like urethane or silicone due to the difficulty of removing them if he or another owner ever removes it.

You'll need to make something, or buy a rain gutter to deflect the water, otherwise it will drip right down onto your distributor, which is bad.

Wow. I didn't even realise this issue ... I just thought there was a piece that fills that hole, and I figured it was with my bodyshop guy, who has some of the body parts already. I realise now LIghtluss meant, and I have the same problem! 😳 😳 😳

Blake442... can you suggest where to get a "rain gutter" or any ideas on how I should make one? I'm thinking of going out to the local wreckers and get one from another car, modify it to fit my car. Is that a good idea?

 

[Blake442]

There was a thread about this recently that I'm afraid I'm too lazy to search for.

Anyways, there was a couple links of options for where to get a rain-gutter that will extend over the area where the heater box used to be.

I want to say Gbodyparts.com was one of them, and maybe turbobuick.com?

Or you can just be creative like jrm81bu and make something out of the remains of the old heater box.

Somebody else will have to chime in with a definate answer.

 

[Oldsmoletick]

I have seen them for sale for about $70. I made mine out of sheet metal (back before they were available ). basically I made a copy of the screen plate assembly, made tabs to bolt to the existing studs on the fire wall, made a separate lip spot wleded to the base for the weatherstrip to go back onto, than made a water run off, to direct water down away from the block off plate. I don't have any good pictures of it and the car is storage still, but here's a kind-of view.


Doesn't show the outer edge where the run off is but, it's a very simple fix, oh and I used seam sealer for a mostly leak free function, it's been a while I have to redo it :evil: .

 

[454muscle]

Thanks Blake442 for the info. I did a search here for "rain gutter" and also Googled some things -- it's funny it takes me back to this thread LOL.

But yeah credit to jrm81bu and RITTER for being creative with the old box!!! And Oldsmolick too -- and by the way that pic it looks totally stock, at least from the engine's point of view. Well done.

I'm gonna try to find my old box. I believe it was scrapped with the old frame-donor car but hopefully it's still around.