Hvac controls.

[IDIBronco]

I have been looking through the documentation, but suspect a simple question posted may dig up information from the experts faster...

My question is if the heater boxes interchange between bullnose trucks and bricknoses.

I had a 1988 bronco that had a fully cable operated hvac setup. It would be nice if such a thing could be readily swapped into a 1984 dash, or convert the vacuum box over to cable. I have never had boxes out side by side to see if it is possible.

The big draw for me is the manual selectability of the recirculating blend door, and manual compressor clutch switch. I could also fully delete the vacuum system on the bronco then. Just a passing thought that I hope someone out there has some knowledge about.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, I think that is very possible. I just, today, put a 1990 underhood plenum on my '85 and it fit like a glove, although you have to make a minor change to the wiring and vacuum lines. And Bill/85lebaront2 has put a later in-cab A/C system in his '86.

But he'd be the one to ask about that specifically.

[Ford F834]

Was this exclusive to Bronco? My ‘89 parts truck still uses vacuum. I would be interested in a full cable set up for the reasons you mentioned... although I want cruise control on my crew cab and that still requires vacuum.

[IDIBronco]

Was this exclusive to Bronco? My ‘89 parts truck still uses vacuum. I would be interested in a full cable set up for the reasons you mentioned... although I want cruise control on my crew cab and that still requires vacuum.

Here is a picture of the control unit. I only have seen it in the Bronco I owned several years ago. I didn't realize at the time it was particularly special. I know my brothers bronco (a similar year) didn't have this control setup and was a vacuum operated selector. That bronco has been gone several years, but as soon as I got a different full size ford I missed the control. It gave me the ability to vent or recirculated air in any position, plus completely control when the ac compressor would run.

Blow cold air at your feet if you so choose even with or without outside air.

At the time I had thought maybe it was a dealer installed ac system to use cables already in the dash with a possible heat only system, but I never researched it then. Google doesn't turn up much information either. I do know the control unit is "similar" (the same?) on the dash front as the controls in my 1984 bronco2. The 88 fullsize had that "similar" unit. Perhaps I need to look at how the cable ends mount on the B2 hvac box to determine if the parts could interchange onto my big bronco in place of the vacuum stuff.

I guess I need to get under the hood of the parts B2 and take pictures to compare.

I was hoping it was some common knowledge for someone here.

When the rain stops I will try to see if any useful observation can come from the b2...

[Gary Lewis]

Here is a picture of the control unit. I only have seen it in the Bronco I owned several years ago. I didn't realize at the time it was particularly special. I know my brothers bronco (a similar year) didn't have this control setup and was a vacuum operated selector. That bronco has been gone several years, but as soon as I got a different full size ford I missed the control. It gave me the ability to vent or recirculated air in any position, plus completely control when the ac compressor would run.

Blow cold air at your feet if you so choose even with or without outside air.

At the time I had thought maybe it was a dealer installed ac system to use cables already in the dash with a possible heat only system, but I never researched it then. Google doesn't turn up much information either. I do know the control unit is "similar" (the same?) on the dash front as the controls in my 1984 bronco2. The 88 fullsize had that "similar" unit. Perhaps I need to look at how the cable ends mount on the B2 hvac box to determine if the parts could interchange onto my big bronco in place of the vacuum stuff.

I guess I need to get under the hood of the parts B2 and take pictures to compare.

I was hoping it was some common knowledge for someone here.

When the rain stops I will try to see if any useful observation can come from the b2...

That's an interesting control! I'd love to have all that flexibility.

I checked our page at Documentation/HVAC/HVAC Systems and we didn't have the Bronco/U-Series controls in. I've added the ones for the Bullnose trucks, but you are talking about the later Broncos as well as the BII, so I'll give the later part of the full list here. The "B" is the Bronco II, and if you can get an ID # of it I should be able to cross-ref to a part #.

[IDIBronco]

That's an interesting control! I'd love to have all that flexibility.

I checked our page at Documentation/HVAC/HVAC Systems and we didn't have the Bronco/U-Series controls in. I've added the ones for the Bullnose trucks, but you are talking about the later Broncos as well as the BII, so I'll give the later part of the full list here. The "B" is the Bronco II, and if you can get an ID # of it I should be able to cross-ref to a part #.

E7TH-18532-AA

Found in a quick Google search...

But still a lot of questions about the box differences.

Also after some quick looking in my files, I seem to now think that bronco in question was an early 87 model. Maybe it was a short window of time that got that control unit.

[85lebaront2]

Was this exclusive to Bronco? My ‘89 parts truck still uses vacuum. I would be interested in a full cable set up for the reasons you mentioned... although I want cruise control on my crew cab and that still requires vacuum.

The later all electronic cruise control fits where the current vacuum unit goes and uses the same steering wheel controls. You would have to add the updated "dump" switch (the one replacing the fire starting one) and get the harness plug for the actuator with it. They started in 1993 so they were on the mechanical injection IDI Diesels.

[IDIBronco]

E7TH-18532-AA

Found in a quick Google search...

But still a lot of questions about the box differences.

Also after some quick looking in my files, I seem to now think that bronco in question was an early 87 model. Maybe it was a short window of time that got that control unit.

This is a picture of the control unit from the bronco2 parked outside.

[Gary Lewis]

The later all electronic cruise control fits where the current vacuum unit goes and uses the same steering wheel controls. You would have to add the updated "dump" switch (the one replacing the fire starting one) and get the harness plug for the actuator with it. They started in 1993 so they were on the mechanical injection IDI Diesels.

The number 18532 doesn't appear in the MPC. I'll see if I can cross-ref it when I get out to the shop.

Would really be interesting to see if the one in that B-II can be used in an F-Series. Or if there's one in an '87/88 Bronco that will. Note in the snippet below that there was one for 1987/88 Broncos before 4/88 and one for 88 Broncos after 4/88. And that the 87/89 control mentions "vac system". Does that imply that not all had vacuum systems?

From my time perusing the MPC I've come to believe that many different people entered the data. So it might have been a different person that added the "87/89" line than did the earlier ones. And, one person could have assumed we should know that they have vacuum while another might not.

I'm going to ask Bill/Numberdummy.

[IDIBronco]

The number 18532 doesn't appear in the MPC. I'll see if I can cross-ref it when I get out to the shop.

Would really be interesting to see if the one in that B-II can be used in an F-Series. Or if there's one in an '87/88 Bronco that will. Note in the snippet below that there was one for 1987/88 Broncos before 4/88 and one for 88 Broncos after 4/88. And that the 87/89 control mentions "vac system". Does that imply that not all had vacuum systems?

From my time perusing the MPC I've come to believe that many different people entered the data. So it might have been a different person that added the "87/89" line than did the earlier ones. And, one person could have assumed we should know that they have vacuum while another might not.

I'm going to ask Bill/Numberdummy.

Well I tore the bronco2 dash apart before jumping into my paying work today... the panel mounts on the ends like I think the 87-91 bricknose trucks mount. It is also physically to wide to fit the dash space where the bull nose panel sits, but I am not opposed to the light modification probably required to make it fit.

E47h 19808 aa

I took a walk over to the 1991 parts truck and the b2 control would bolt right in...

As much as I like the bull nose interior I can see an advantage or 2 to brick nose interiors...

Realistically the b2 had some great features I wish the full size trucks had... the 84 came with 2 dash mounted speakers under a steel removable panels ay either end of the dash and only a small vinyl pad... hvac controls where superior (in my opinion), the tilt mechinism was out past the key tumbler so there where no issues related to starting from the tilt... key tumbler was removable without removing the steering wheel.

I wonder now if the column itself could be swapped in. Perhaps I will have to pull that out and check into it when I get more free time.

For now though, it looks like without serious modification (or perhaps a different year truck 78-79 cable operated controlled?) I will be stuck with vacuum operation... I will dig it this deeper after I get done with work today. See if I can find any images of the older trucks parts, or maybe vans, or maybe some other ford, Lincoln, Mercury of the era. I was just a really big fan of this setup.

Or maybe go bullnose sheetmetal/brick nose interior in the future? More to follow later.