Mini Heater upgrade

Post by **stuart_k** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:10 am

I've read a few threads about using a mini heater to upgrade the heater assembly. They all say the heater slots in nicely and you can still use the front plate from the Moggie to keep it all looking original. My heater control is a vertical lever. All the mini ones I have seen are horizontal. How can I use the original front plate when the orientation is wrong? Am I missing something?

Post by **RobThomas** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:14 am

The front plate holds all of the mechanism and flap assembly. Change the front plate and the rest of it sorts itself out, if I recall correctly. Some issues with the bore size of the hoses being different but still a worthwhile conv.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:07 am

That's it - the front plate swaps over. Only very late Minis will have the larger 5/8" bore hose connections - all early type are 1/2" .

Post by **stuart_k** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:13 pm

I don't get it. My heater control lever moves up and down and there is a vertical slot in the front plate to accommodate it. The mini heaters I have seen have a control which moves side to side in a horizontal slot. How can they be interchangeable??

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:06 pm

They are - believe me! The Mini handle just moves similar flap up and down through a linkage. The casing remains the same.

Post by **stuart_k** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:54 pm

Ah, so I remove the mini front cover together with the lever and refit the original Morris front face and lever. OK I'll watch out for one.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:58 pm

Yes - obvious when you do it. Maybe have some new foam tape handy - the old stuff will all be falling to bits!

Post by **IslipMinor** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:18 pm

Stuart,

Once the existing heater is out of the car, it is much more simple than it looks to convert the front panel! (you will need pop rivets/pliers)

Our 'standard' Minor had the original recirculating heater retro-fitted in 1960, and I upgraded that to the later fresh air Minor version in the '70s. A couple of years ago I fitted the Mini one, and the fan produces at least twice as much airflow along with more heat output.

Well worth doing, especially as good Mini heaters are available for £10/15 from either a scrap yard or eBay (where ours came from).

Post by **cormorant** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:12 pm

There is a guide on here somewhere on how to do this conversion. I did it a long long time ago on my van. Think I had to drill a hole somewhere for the switch if I remember rightly, or was it the cable entry?
I'm going to fit an 88 degree thermostat soon instead of my 82, getting colder!

Post by **cormorant** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:16 pm

http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/index.php?page=321

here it is

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:25 pm

Don't remember having to do any pop-rivetting! I think the flap just fits in the casing - and the front on mine was held on by small screws.

Post by dp » Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:40 pm

Ditto, all the bits of the heater in mine are held together with screws

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:11 pm

I was actually doing the 'conversion'in reverse - I wanted the earlier up-down lever from a spare Minor heater on my Mini heater! Early Minis had that simple lever system - as on the Minor, too! But when seat belts were introduced - folks couldn't reach the heater lever or the dash switches - so they added the horrible sideways lever, and moved the switches towards the driver by a couple of inches.

Post by **stuart_k** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:47 pm

Thanks all. Just missed a heater on e-bay. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.