Hi,
I slid the lever (2nd one from the left on the left side of dash) up and opened and closed the various vents and turned on and off the fans (DL and DR, which do work). I am not convinced I got much hot air, but maybe a little. What is the corret way to get heat? Which vents need to be opened? Which closed? Should the fans be on or off?
This is not intuitive and the owners manual was confusing.
Thanks,
Dan
How does my heater work?
In my car the only lever that seems to have an effect on anything is lowering the second one from the left that, if the engine is making heat, chucks that heat at my legs.
Course heat is often chucked at my legs no matter were the lever is (or for that matter the shuttle cock on the heater hose under the hood), if the car has gotten into a heat soak situation in heavy traffic. I am thinking that my un attached flopping clutch pedal boot could be the cause of some of this heat through the floor as it is near the exhaust.
The car didn't seem to generate this much heat when I got it. I have looked around for any openings in the firewall but really don't see anything egregious. Another one of those Ferrari puzzels.
Yale
Course heat is often chucked at my legs no matter were the lever is (or for that matter the shuttle cock on the heater hose under the hood), if the car has gotten into a heat soak situation in heavy traffic. I am thinking that my un attached flopping clutch pedal boot could be the cause of some of this heat through the floor as it is near the exhaust.
The car didn't seem to generate this much heat when I got it. I have looked around for any openings in the firewall but really don't see anything egregious. Another one of those Ferrari puzzels.
Yale
heat
Did you open the valces under the hood to let the water circilate thru the heater cores? This is a good place to start as well ensure the heater valve on the engine is opens with the cable?
Ed Montini
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS
Dan:
Move the second lever from the left up and down and look under the hood at the same time to make sure the cable attached to to the lever is actually operating the heater valve, on the top of the engine in front of the carbs. It could need tightening at the lever located on top of the valve, the valve may be malfunctioning, or the cable may be broken or corroded. See the recent Heater Control Cable thread. If corrosion of the cable or valve mechanism were the problem, the lever would be very stiff to operate, which you don't mention.
I replaced the rubber pedal boots, cleaned up the removable floor plate they attach to, and made sure the joints were tight and sealed. This eliminated 80%+ of the unwanted hot air coming in from the engine compartment.
Like Yale, I'm getting some other warm air but haven't located the source. With the pedal boot attachment plate off, you can directly see the header and exhaust pipe and that's where the really hot air comes from if the pedal boots are torn or loose. Another source for a lot of hot air is a torn rubber shifter boot, under the leather gaiter. Replacing that took care of another 10% of the unwanted air.
Move the second lever from the left up and down and look under the hood at the same time to make sure the cable attached to to the lever is actually operating the heater valve, on the top of the engine in front of the carbs. It could need tightening at the lever located on top of the valve, the valve may be malfunctioning, or the cable may be broken or corroded. See the recent Heater Control Cable thread. If corrosion of the cable or valve mechanism were the problem, the lever would be very stiff to operate, which you don't mention.
I replaced the rubber pedal boots, cleaned up the removable floor plate they attach to, and made sure the joints were tight and sealed. This eliminated 80%+ of the unwanted hot air coming in from the engine compartment.
Like Yale, I'm getting some other warm air but haven't located the source. With the pedal boot attachment plate off, you can directly see the header and exhaust pipe and that's where the really hot air comes from if the pedal boots are torn or loose. Another source for a lot of hot air is a torn rubber shifter boot, under the leather gaiter. Replacing that took care of another 10% of the unwanted air.
Current: 1983 308 GTS
R.I.P: 330 2+2 s/n 5409
R.I.P: 330 2+2 s/n 5409
There are two valves discussed above. As far as I know 330GT's did not come from the factory with the "shuttlecock" valve that is on the heater hose. So you may not have this one, I bought one from a Maserati parts guy on ebay for $90. If you do have one, it is a garden hose like valve (but smaller) made of aluminium cut into the heater hoses and there could be one for each side.
Your heater lever moves the "bicycle wire" that has been written about, to open and close the main heat on and off valve on the front, drivers side, top of the engine. I assume you can get someone to move this lever, it will then be obvious. It is perfectly designed to work poorly. You can get new rubber gaskets for this valve from GT Car Parts for about $15 but in my limited exeperience this won't be your problem.
Best, Yale
Your heater lever moves the "bicycle wire" that has been written about, to open and close the main heat on and off valve on the front, drivers side, top of the engine. I assume you can get someone to move this lever, it will then be obvious. It is perfectly designed to work poorly. You can get new rubber gaskets for this valve from GT Car Parts for about $15 but in my limited exeperience this won't be your problem.
Best, Yale
Re-reading your last post is the tip off I didn't see before:
"The control lever slides up and down perfectly smooth.
Dan"
Aha I say, the previous owner, having enough of the heat pouring into the cabin un-controlled by the heater valve lever disconnected it and just closed off the valve for good. I forgot that I had heard before this was a common thing to do.
And the fact that the "control lever slides up and down perfectly smooth" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the case. That control lever has never slid up and down perfectly smooth, maybe for one day at the factory it did, or unless you read Tom's site here and replaced that cable with the space age teflon bicycle version.
Someone at Pininfarina took about ten minutes in 1963 to figure out the most basic useless way to have the idea of a heat on demand switch look like it could actually provide the stylish and wealthy owner with a modicum of comfort. It is just that, an inference, a hint, one of those little gifts from the chef at a fancy restaurant that starts the meal. Basically, as far as I can tell, the levers that control the heat, cooling and defrosting on the early to mid sixties Ferrari's used as their inspiration those toy car dash boards we all had as kids where there were lots of great levers that did nothing but made you feel really cool at age three to move up and down. Here is Ferrari getting you in touch with your younger self.
I have a working parcel shelf defroster fans. If turned on when the rear windshield is fogged up it creates a perfect, 5" round dot on the lower left side of the window. Can you see anything out of that, no, did someone when designing that check to see if it was effective, no. But it sure seems cool, I will say that for it.
Yale
"The control lever slides up and down perfectly smooth.
Dan"
Aha I say, the previous owner, having enough of the heat pouring into the cabin un-controlled by the heater valve lever disconnected it and just closed off the valve for good. I forgot that I had heard before this was a common thing to do.
And the fact that the "control lever slides up and down perfectly smooth" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the case. That control lever has never slid up and down perfectly smooth, maybe for one day at the factory it did, or unless you read Tom's site here and replaced that cable with the space age teflon bicycle version.
Someone at Pininfarina took about ten minutes in 1963 to figure out the most basic useless way to have the idea of a heat on demand switch look like it could actually provide the stylish and wealthy owner with a modicum of comfort. It is just that, an inference, a hint, one of those little gifts from the chef at a fancy restaurant that starts the meal. Basically, as far as I can tell, the levers that control the heat, cooling and defrosting on the early to mid sixties Ferrari's used as their inspiration those toy car dash boards we all had as kids where there were lots of great levers that did nothing but made you feel really cool at age three to move up and down. Here is Ferrari getting you in touch with your younger self.
I have a working parcel shelf defroster fans. If turned on when the rear windshield is fogged up it creates a perfect, 5" round dot on the lower left side of the window. Can you see anything out of that, no, did someone when designing that check to see if it was effective, no. But it sure seems cool, I will say that for it.
Yale
Good, one less thing to break...
Right on, Yale. The heater control cable is cut/broken. If I got this replaced, how much effort/cost (I would pay my mech to do it) would it take? Also what is the liklihood the heater would work after replacing the cable?
I think a nice warm jacket would be cheaper,
Dan
Right on, Yale. The heater control cable is cut/broken. If I got this replaced, how much effort/cost (I would pay my mech to do it) would it take? Also what is the liklihood the heater would work after replacing the cable?
I think a nice warm jacket would be cheaper,
Dan
heater
great catch yale.....nothing on the levers move smooth!!! for me i replaced my cable with the one from napa for the choke...takes a bit getting it into the dash area and secured....cable was about 15 dollars...labor...well, u know the story!
Ed Montini
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS