ConcoursMustang Forums

Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Misc Items => Topic started by: Texas Swede on January 09, 2012, 06:10:00 PM

Title: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on January 09, 2012, 06:10:00 PM
My 65 GT350 was manufactured at San Jose on 5-7 of May 1965 and I have a question about the
heater motor. Should there by some kind of isolation tape around the middle of the motor case?
If so, does anybody know how wide it should be? The motor has one yellow and one brown wire.
Thanks,
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Brant on January 09, 2012, 06:43:46 PM
Bo,

All the ones I have seen have this tape.  I think that black masking type of tape works well.  I'll have to get the width for you.  I can't remember exactly.

Here are pictures of originals.  First is an early motor (NOS, but looks like the assembly line ones I have observed) and then a later motor in a very original car (sorry the picture is not better.)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J6eFIf9Zgvk/Tvuw_9o9grI/AAAAAAAABQY/JFRclBLZq3Y/s640/chistmas%2525202011%252520006.JPG)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ctUDCM8kLGo/TIJ1d56EjLI/AAAAAAAAMk0/9CH7avb5nnk/s640/IMG_1355.JPG)
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on January 09, 2012, 06:52:38 PM
Thanks Brant,
Looking forward to the width of the tape,
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: 67gta289 on January 09, 2012, 07:37:55 PM
Available here:
http://www.deadnutson.com/page/page/2965331.htm

Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on January 09, 2012, 07:52:25 PM
Thanks John,
I will order the tape from deadnutson.
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: jwc66k on January 10, 2012, 12:12:32 AM
Thanks Brant,
Looking forward to the width of the tape,
Texas Swede
The tape is one inch wide and a dark tan in color. Regular masking tape is too light in shade, what you are looking for is closer to brown paper bag (brown paper bag with contact cement?).
Slightly off topic, the tape used on a San Jose 67 (May 67 build) was one inch friction tape.
Jim
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on January 10, 2012, 08:23:45 AM
Thanks Jim,
I ordered the tape from deadnutson and they say their tape is black. Can it be the tape loses it's
luster over the years? Much like myself.
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: CharlesTurner on January 10, 2012, 09:36:02 AM
The original tape I've been seeing doesn't have a brown appearance, it's more of a blotchy dark to medium gray.  The tape on driven cars will lighten with age though.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: jwc66k on January 10, 2012, 01:23:05 PM
The guy I bought my San Jose build 65 GT Fastback from pressure washed the engine compartment prior to my buying the car. He didn't do that good a job. I remember that there was a small piece of what looked like masking tape attached to the bottom left of the blower that I knocked off when I replaced the heater core. That was 19 years ago. I have a "Dec 2 1965" dated motor sitting on my desk as I type. You can see the remnants of something in one spot about three inches long. It is 15/16inch wide. I just removed a painted over 1/4 inch chunk. Whatever material it is, the color against the motor housing is light brown (almost rust?).
So, by the process of elimination, it is not plastic tape, it is not duct tape, it is not friction tape and it don't stick well. Using a bit of logic, as the tape deterioriates over time and appears to have allowed moisture thru to the housing, it is most likely paper based. Masking tape has that type of property so as a replacment material, masking tape. Charles say grey or dark blotch. So the question remaining is - where do you get it?
Jim
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: CharlesTurner on January 10, 2012, 02:34:08 PM
On something like a concours car, I have spray painted 1" wide masking tape and wrapped it around the motor.  For the T-bred stuff, I would use an NOS motor like in the picture above that has the original tape.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: J_Speegle on January 10, 2012, 08:16:34 PM
On something like a concours car, I have spray painted 1" wide masking tape and wrapped it around the motor.  ...............

+1 Always found that this reproduces the look and texture of the original for any year classic Mustang
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: ChrisV289 on January 10, 2012, 08:54:15 PM
On something like a concours car, I have spray painted 1" wide masking tape and wrapped it around the motor.  For the T-bred stuff, I would use an NOS motor like in the picture above that has the original tape.

Charles, what do you spray it with?
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: midlife on January 10, 2012, 09:34:54 PM
Just curious...what is the purpose of this "friction tape" over the motor housing?
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: J_Speegle on January 10, 2012, 10:21:54 PM
Just curious...what is the purpose of this "friction tape" over the motor housing?

Never seen friction tape used. One of the current beliefs is that the tape held the short wires to the motor as it was inserted through the hole in the firewall
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: CharlesTurner on January 11, 2012, 12:04:10 AM
Charles, what do you spray it with?

Semi-gloss or satin black spray paint, nothing fancy.  Few light coats just to cover.  The stuff Jack sells looks nice though.

Mid: I suppose it was just a little something extra to keep moisture from getting inside the motor.  The motor housing separates at that joint.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: jwc66k on January 11, 2012, 12:18:27 AM
Never seen friction tape used. One of the current beliefs is that the tape held the short wires to the motor as it was inserted through the hole in the firewall
I found friction tape on the blower motor on a San Jose build May 67 Fastback. The car was found in a field in West Oakland and restored to daily driver standards. I used 2 inch wide cut to 1 inch 50 plus year old friction tape I got from my father's junk that was used by the US Navy at NAS Moffett. It passed Jeff's inspection in the last MCA event at Concord.
Jim
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: midlife on January 11, 2012, 10:41:20 PM
Doesn't make sense to me to hold the wires in place while inserting the motor housing through the firewall, as the wires exit the end of the motor housing.  With the wires taped to the sides, either the plugs themselves were taped, in which case the wires could catch on the housing, or if only the wires were taped, the bullet plugs would catch on the housing.  IIRC, it's a fairly tight fit through the firewall hole.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: CharlesTurner on January 11, 2012, 11:23:32 PM
I also don't believe the tape was to hold the wires.  If that was the case, we'd have seen at least some early service replacements with the wires held to the tape and some ripped tape on original cars.  I believe the tape is there to help keep moisture out of the motor.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: jwc66k on January 11, 2012, 11:48:10 PM
I never considered the tape to be a wire installation aid. I assumed it was as Charles stated, a moisture barrier, a flimisy moisture barrier. Keep this in mind when you look at a 60's vintage car - the mentality of the auto manufacturers then was a two year turn, everybody buying a new car every two years, ergo, cars were designed to last a short period of time, and the parts and materials used reflected that. Reliability was not a selling point.
Jim 
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on January 16, 2012, 02:26:07 PM
I got the tape from Jack and have a question. How many laps around the motor should i mount the tape?
Somebody suggested 2-3 laps but is that correct, or should it be one lap?
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: CharlesTurner on January 16, 2012, 03:59:17 PM
I got the tape from Jack and have a question. How many laps around the motor should i mount the tape?
Somebody suggested 2-3 laps but is that correct, or should it be one lap?
Texas Swede

Normally see about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 laps around.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on January 17, 2012, 12:11:50 AM
Thanks Charles,
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Texas Swede on February 04, 2012, 04:53:44 PM
Put the tape from DeadNutsOn on my heater motor. Was very tricky when the motor is in the car
but finally I was able to get it there and it looks real good. Thanks for all the help I got.
You guys are the best.
Texas Swede
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: 66RavenGTCoupeAgain on January 17, 2018, 06:02:17 PM
Great info here. So am I right in saying that the tape is 1" wide? Was it painted or left natural?
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: Bossbill on January 17, 2018, 06:14:37 PM
On something like a concours car, I have spray painted 1" wide masking tape and wrapped it around the motor.  For the T-bred stuff, I would use an NOS motor like in the picture above that has the original tape.

Semi-gloss or satin black spray paint, nothing fancy.  Few light coats just to cover.  The stuff Jack sells looks nice though.

Mid: I suppose it was just a little something extra to keep moisture from getting inside the motor.  The motor housing separates at that joint.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: 66RavenGTCoupeAgain on January 17, 2018, 06:22:41 PM
Thanks! ;D
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: CharlesTurner on January 18, 2018, 12:57:07 PM
I've found black masking tape, 1" wide.  Easier than having to paint regular masking tape.

Some of the NOS heater fans have a grayish look to the tape, but this varies.
Title: Re: 65 Heater Motor
Post by: J_Speegle on January 18, 2018, 04:20:47 PM
Some of the NOS heater fans have a grayish look to the tape, but this varies.

May just be age or long term reaction between different underlying products (metal verses the tape)

Have notice it too on ones stored away in boxes