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CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

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Jordanlogo

CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

This post was updated on .

Talk about a rats nest! I don’t know what was worse taking apart all the hard to reach screws on the kickplates, or the actual rat poop

Jordan
San Francisco Bay Area

1982 Ford F-250 XL - "Clifford, the Big Red Ford"
5.8L v8 351w T18 4spd Manual

Gary Lewis

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

Wow! That's one of the worst I've seen! Aren't you glad Scott suggested that?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

ArdWrknTrk

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

This post was updated on .

You don't recall the Happy Blue Ford's arrival from California to Maryland?

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Jordanlogo

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis wrote

Wow! That's one of the worst I've seen! Aren't you glad Scott suggested that?

This is a number 1 thing to do!! I’m lucky winter just ended over here in the Bay Area.

Jordan
San Francisco Bay Area

1982 Ford F-250 XL - "Clifford, the Big Red Ford"
5.8L v8 351w T18 4spd Manual

ArdWrknTrk

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

As a fireman you know too well what that tinder will do on a red hot coil with the fan blowing over it.

If the grass and leaves in the ductwork caught it would be really hard to put them out.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

No, I didn't remember that, Jim. But now I do. Yikes!!!!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Machspeed

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

In reply to this post by Jordanlogo

Thank you, Jordan!

John

"Blackie" - 1986 F150 4x4 - Mildly warmed over 351W HO - Original owner

ArdWrknTrk

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Because all this minutiae gets lodged in my autistic brain.

So, what's with the rodents running amok in California?
I've seen squirrels pack cavities full of nuts before, but never the sort of nesting these two trucks have.

Definitely disinfect. Hanta virus is a serious human hazard.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

kramttocs

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

Nice job! That stuff was prime for catching fire.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

swampedout

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

So where is this area, and how do I access it?
Im in prime rodent territory here with kangaroo rats nesting everywhere.

Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems

Gary Lewis

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

Two main areas. First, the kick panels need to come off, and then the plates behind them and you reach down into the void and clean it out. Second, pull the blower motor and the little plate beside it that has wires going to it and clean out in there.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Ranchman

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

In reply to this post by Jordanlogo

Thank you for showing this. Definitely going to the top of my todo list!

Jeff,
I like trucks. I really like Ford trucks, Old Blue 1986 F250 460 4x4 standard, Polar Bear 1992 F250 460 4x4 Auto, Blackie 2001 F150 5.4 4x4 Auto and a Chevy Named White Truck 1979 C30 454 standard. What did I do with that wench I just had it!

Jordanlogo

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

In reply to this post by swampedout

swampedout wrote

So where is this area, and how do I access it?
Im in prime rodent territory here with kangaroo rats nesting everywhere.

Here’s some better pictures... it’s easy.

Just open those guys up and stick your flexible vacuum hose down it. It’s pretty self explanatory - just keep removing screws till you can pull everything off

The kickplates are the worst to get off... the screws are all in hard to access places.

Jordan
San Francisco Bay Area

1982 Ford F-250 XL - "Clifford, the Big Red Ford"
5.8L v8 351w T18 4spd Manual

Jordanlogo

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Because all this minutiae gets lodged in my autistic brain.

So, what's with the rodents running amok in California?

The annoying kind!

Where I live it’s mostly field mice, and rats.

Jordan
San Francisco Bay Area

1982 Ford F-250 XL - "Clifford, the Big Red Ford"
5.8L v8 351w T18 4spd Manual

ArdWrknTrk

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

In reply to this post by Jordanlogo

You should also probably remove the rubber drain spout behind each fender liner at the bottom of the cowl duct and flush out any organic deposits.

This mud holds water and rots out the passage.
THAT is a real problem to repair!

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

red1980F150

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

In reply to this post by Jordanlogo

I took my glovebox out last summer looking for the source of the "old truck smell", I didn't look here. Looks like I have a new item on my to-do list also.

Thanks for the update!

John

Red 1980 F150 Custom - Standard cab, long bed, 4WD
302 v8, Auto transmission
Almost completely stock, quite clean but not perfect.

kramttocs

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

In reply to this post by Jordanlogo

Jordanlogo wrote

The kickplates are the worst to get off... the screws are all in hard to access places.

An 8mm ratcheting wrench works really well for these.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

swampedout

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

This is high on my list now!
And whats an 8mm doing on a Ford?

Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems

kramttocs

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

Gotta love that you have to think about if you are working on drivetrain or body before you grab the right tool

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: CLEAN YOUR HEATER/KICKPLATES!

Administrator

Some of the A/C brackets have SAE in one side and metric in the other.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile