jcard Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) Does anyone have either a fix they've used successfully or a source or replacement rubber defroster pipe connectors? Some while ago the driver's side coupler split and it along with the flexible tube fell off leaving me with nada defrost capability on that side. Annoying and dangerous on cold winter mornings. I initially tried a initially neat wrap of duct tape around the rubber part. Bad idea. initially worked but in the end in degenerated into a gooey, sticky mess that still fell off. Heat+ duct tape= bad idea. So next idea please. Jerry Edited January 25, 2019 by jcard added foto 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 I used something like this, you need 2.... I forget what the diameter was so I dont know if this is the right part number or not.... these are 1 1/2.... I couldnt find my notes about it, i think i have the box in the garage.... I'll try to find it... 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) I didnt have that connector piece, but the diameter was the same at the defroster as the heater box.., so you you should be able to measure the heater box for the right diameter.... And it was an in stock item at the local auto parts store.... Edited January 25, 2019 by Crashtd420 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 28 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said: I used something like this, you need 2.... Already correcting myself... 1 per side is what I should have said.... 1 Quote Link to comment
jcard Posted January 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Thanks I'll take a look. I'm curious that if the defroster inlet tube and the heater outlet tube are the same size why didn't Datsun just run a hose up to it and clamp it in place...why the rubber connector (boot?) was needed. Things to make you go hmmmm? 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Duct tape. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 It was a different era, the paper tube was the same size as the heater outlets, so the rubber piece was slightly larger than both and gripped both ends(heater/defroster) along with gripping the paper tube. The right sized aluminum tubes crash posted a photo of will likely slide on both ends without needing anything to hold them in place, if you want to use something to hold them in place try zip ties. 2 Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 I used this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FB7XO6E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 If there's enough interest in these, I could try 3D printing a mold and pour new couplers using a medium durometer urethane. I know mine are cracked too, but they're still holding okay. I'd need an old coupler to get dimensions off of it (or someone could extensively measure theirs and send me the dims.) 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 There are reproductions made for the Roadster that I think will work. Check out datsunroadster.com. Just need to check length. 2 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Dean has them on Datsunparts.com P/N 1404NIP in the "Heater" section. Not sure if its the same size though. The paper hoses look the same. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 I prefer to deal with almost any other vendor than Dean. Mike Young, Stan, Dann, Ross, Paul, Carl, etc are better choice, IMO of course. It’s like YOU need to thank Dean for the privilege of doing business with him. 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 No, I get the same vibe. His shipping prices are ridiculous too. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 True story, I once tried to buy a part from him, and he refused to sell to me unless I apologized for a factual comment on a transaction I made on 311’s.org. Guy like actually had notes of the post I made either written down or on his computer that popped up when I gave him my name. When I asked him if what I said was a lie, he agreed it wasn’t, but still wanted me to pull down the post and apologize. That didn’t happen and I got the part from Rallye. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 By any yardstick.... that's excessive behavior. 1 Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 (edited) Earlier in this post I referred to a piece of carburetor preheat hose I got from Amazon, this is that duct, installed in Dragon, one of my 521 trucks. The hose just fits over both the plastic defrost duct under the dash, and on the heater connection. No rubber boot needed. Dragon defrost duct, heater connection. The top of that duct, on the defrost vents. Edited January 26, 2019 by DanielC 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Same thing happened to me! Hahaha. I made a comment on 311s about how he shipped me the wrong parts, and he actually called me about it. It wasn’t even a malicious post, I just mentioned that I was waiting for the right part to come in when I was rebuilding my engine, and he went off the deep end. I’ve been using this other guy out in Cali who is on eBay. There’s also a place in Texas (Brian?) who’s pretty good. Sorry OP, way off topic here. 1 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 10 minutes ago, DanielC said: Earlier in this post I referred to a piece of carburetor preheat hose I got from Amazon, this is that duct, installed in Dragon, one of my 521 trucks. The hose just fits over both the plastic defrost duct under the dash, and on the heater connection. No rubber boot needed. Dragon defrost duct, heater connection. The top of that duct, on the defrost vents. Just a moment ago you posted a different photo, and I was going to ask about the heater knob/lever, what did that knob/lever come off of? 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 14 minutes ago, DanielC said: Earlier in this post I referred to a piece of carburetor preheat hose I got from Amazon, this is that duct, installed in Dragon, one of my 521 trucks. The hose just fits over both the plastic defrost duct under the dash, and on the heater connection. No rubber boot needed. Dragon defrost duct, heater connection. The top of that duct, on the defrost vents. Could you measure the actual diameter of the ducts? I might know of some other options, like some of the smaller shop vac hoses. For instance, I own a couple of these (35mm hose...will have to check the actual ID), which I think would be a good option because they won't get dented in like aluminum duct: 1 Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Wayno, OK, so, I got to post this picture. This defrost duct has a rubber boot on the top. In my spare parts, I was able to come up with some good (usable) rubber boots. I did this in 2013, or 2014, I guess, when I was getting Ratsun running. The duct itself I got from Baxter's auto parts, it is a carb preheat hose. The person who owned Ratsun before me was a machinist. He made the heater water valve knob out of a scrap piece of aluminium. Matt, I went and measured a 521 heater defrost outlet. It is slightly under 1 1/2 inches. Body parts on 521 trucks are measured in inches. The Amazon hose hose I listed above is 1 1/2 inches diameter, 36 inches long. When it ships from Amazon, it is collapsed, and can be stretched. After stretching the hose, you cut it into two pieces. One piece has to be a little longer than the other. If the hose you want to use fits over the heater defrost outlet, it should fit over the plastic under dash defrost outlet. 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 (edited) This hose is basically 1-3/8ths, so maybe too small Edited January 26, 2019 by thisismatt 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 I’ll see that and raise you half a nut cracker: 1 1 Quote Link to comment
greenthumb Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 So I'm running around at work today and I find a piece of flexible grey plastic hose (spa flex maybe). At any rate it is slightly smaller than 1 1/2" id. This is easily conformable and non denting. If I wasn't such a picture posting noob I'd post up a pic 1 Quote Link to comment
jcard Posted February 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 (edited) On 1/24/2019 at 9:11 PM, Charlie69 said: Duct tape. That's what I tried, heat turned it all into a sticky mess I was fortunate to be able to clean up. I wouldn't recommend it. I've since fixed the issue. I was able to get some large heat shrink tubing to go around the rubber connector. Turned on defroster and tubing shrunk to fit connector, problem solved. For now. Edited February 15, 2019 by jcard 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 On 1/30/2019 at 12:39 PM, greenthumb said: So I'm running around at work today and I find a piece of flexible grey plastic hose (spa flex maybe). At any rate it is slightly smaller than 1 1/2" id. This is easily conformable and non denting. If I wasn't such a picture posting noob I'd post up a pic I measured the bosch hose I mentioned before and the ID is around 1-7/16 so it may actually fit well. I can check it out this weekend... 1 Quote Link to comment
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