How do you take apart the heater surround/body?

[noddy]

Yes I know lots of you don't have heaters.....

 

But for those of us that do; I have a question.

 

I've just bought a new matrix and have removed the plastic heater body. It feels like it will just pull apart but I'm also thinking it might break ❗

 

There are a few plastic headed "rivets" but I'm not sure what will happen to these if I just pull the heater body apart?

 

So who has managed to take the heater apart and how did you do it 🤔

 

 

 

Please let it be summer soon

[Grubbster]

I took mine to pieces to fix the matrix. The plastic rivets are reusable - a bit like the ones that are used to attach trim to cars. Just gently prise them out - I did this with a flat screwdriver between the plastic components rather than under the rivet head. Another thing to try would be to pull the rivet with pliers if you can get them to grip - the head is only attached to a pin, there is a second part underneath that spays apart when the pin is inserted. Hope this helps.

 

It's only taken four and a half years - I have started my website at last! Early days yet . . .

[noddy]

Thanks for that. That was what I was hoping would be the answer ....... I'm off to the garage

 

Please let it be summer soon

[noddy]

Just been for a lovely blat with lots of nice hot air on my tootsies

 

Please let it be summer soon

[Gavel]

Dear all

I have related question from a newbie just staring off down the road of learning about Caterham mechanicals (so forgive the naivety).

I have a heater; I have a heater cable. The cable appears to run into a threaded bolt which is secured by a large nut engine side of the bulkhead and a smaller nut on the cockpit side. Threaded onto the end of the threaded bolt which emerges by my right knee is a black plastic knob which is clearly intended to pull and push the heater open and closed.

Problem is, the nuts either side of the bulkhead effectively lock the threaded bolt tight. It won't pull forward or push back.

Any thoughts 🤔

 

Reckless with caution.

[caterhamnut]

Hi Gavel - I meay be miss-reading your post, but the threaded part of what you describe should indeed be fixed - it is the cable within that pulls in and out. If it isn't, then the cable may be stuck, either through it being rusted/dirty/corroded etc, or because the valve that it operates is jammed/stuck. If you follow the cable into the engien bay you will see that it moves across to the left, infront of the bulkhead, and is attached to a rotating valve unti on one of the rubber heater pipes. Has this valve got any movement in it? Perhaps undo the cable at this end, straighten the cable run and then see if the knob in the cabin will now pull in and out, which will tell you if the cable itself is stuck within its sleeve. Have a fiddle with the valve and see if that moves - I guess if it hasn't been used for a long time, it may have siezed. OR it has been fixed up to the cable incorrectly - it should be reasonably obvious how it works when you look at it.

 

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[Gavel]

Thanks very much for taking the time on this. I thought it was obvious too, but the threaded bolt I described is solid and the knob is simply screwed onto the end of it. I have no idea what happens to the cable once it enters the bulkhead.

Your advice is sound, I'll disconnect and fiddle. I can only image the end of the cable is loose somewhere, but I have no idea how it attaches to the knob!

 

Reckless with caution.