Is there something missing? (Heater Fan)

[steve lyle]

It was suggested earlier that my heater unit may have dropped a little away from the plenum, further than it should be. What locates it in the correct place?

There's a bracket that goes from the tunnel to the heater:

[gentry74]

Here is another pic of the bracket (from rdent.com). My own elan that bracket had been replaced at some point by an awful two piece fabrication that barely held up the heater. I bought the one from rd and installed it. The plenum itself is anchored by 3 bobbins to the firewall....so it really cant move upward. Odds are your heater has sagged downward. But... you may find that your bracket is intact and you can make up the space with a seal.

[Barney]

Thanks all for your input.

What I see is the heater unit is held up on the dash side by a Y-shaped bracket but I am still uncertain about the other side i.e. the engine compartment bulkhead side. This is not surprising as it gets mightily congested inside to allow photography. Does the lowest part sit directly on the tunnel top?

What is certain is that there was a lot of confusion and may well be, that there have been different construction or reconstruction orientations.

I suppose that I will be luckier than many in that I have 2 fewer hoses to worry about, as the S2 doesn't have eyeball vents to plumb in. Does this mean my windscreen demisting is more effective?

I'm sure I'll discover more once I pluck up the courage to remove the dashboard. I last di that back in the 80's. I know I'll have to restore the housing as it's a tad bit rusty, with just a hint of satin black.

[gentry74]

The heater is only secured with the front bracket. The tunnel has a groove/bump in the fiberglass for the bottom back edge to push against. With the heater pulled up against the plenum and secured to the bracket...it really doesn't move. The demister hoses belong on rear of air vents. You'll see that goofed up more than anything else. If one takes apart the whole unit for maintenance...it is an easy ooops to make where the vents are reversed and the hoses end up in front. That - or spinning the whole unit by mistake - which is very easy to do if there are only demisters and no side eyeball vents to contend with. Steve's picture has this goof. (your diagram is correct) My own heater is currently reversed in this same manor. I followed the wrong sample pics online. I have not fixed it yet... as the only issue it creates is that the heat vents blow air into the footwell more than at the passengers. I live in Los Angeles...and don't find this all that annoying. Heat up the footwell....heat up the person. lol.

[Barney]

The heater is only secured ......... .

Thanks, appreciate the clarification.
Steve