Griffith/Chimaera Hot/Cold Ventilation Details

[MikeE]

I have a Feb 1992 Griffith pre-cat and yesterday I removed the dash (not just the facia but the whole leather dash) and am now presented with a mass of wiring and to my surprise very little of the dash ventilation system present

I really need to find a schematic (or series of photos) of the whole ventilation system to see how it should be configured, work out whats missing and then try and source replacements!

Can someone please point me in the direction of some pictures or schematic detailing the system from the blower in the front wing all the way through to the vents on top, in and under the dash?

Thanks!

[MikeE]

Also if you're wondering why I have clingfilm on the leather at the bottom of the screen it's because it's been baked in the sun over 28 years and has separated from the fiberglass panel below and gone brittle. So I'm soaking it in Furniture Clinic leather rejuvenation over a few days which should soften it again, then clean it up and glue it back onto the fiberglass.

Any recommendations for glue to stick it back down? I'd prefer not to try and use contact adhesive as I'm going to have to squirt the glue into the small gaps between the leather and fiberglass as it hasn't separated everywhere.

[lancepar]

My ducting is also incomplete and one of this winters jobs to do when the facia is out to change bulbs.

What I can say is that on my Feb' '92 Griff the RH centre vent, which needs sorting, the ducting should go almost straight forward to a hole in the bulkhead plenum.

Something like this......





The LH centre vent is in place on mine and is fed from the left hand side vent shown in your photo.

If the sizes are suitable then this ducting might be useable, might try it myself,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Silicone-Flexible...

Mines has some leather issues around the edges only but still difficult to get at but I have a local trimmer that I'm going ask to see what he can do.

[MikeE]

Thanks for the info Lance.

In the picture below I've drawn a circle around a black bung thats been glued into the bulkhead, which I presume is where the RHS vent got it's feed from.

I've been told by a number of people that the LHS vent on the dash is not supposed to be connected, but you're stating yours is, and in the picture below you can see a Y piece on the left most vent which looks like it goes off to the LHS dash vent, so it looks like you and I have/had all three vents working.

I need to source the missing parts as well as figuring out how it's all plumbed in to allow the flow to be directed to the windscreen, vents or foot wells, as well as making sure the hot/cold valve is work/calibrated correctly, think this could turn out to be a bigger job than anticipated!

[lancepar]

Mike,

You will find that over the years various changes have been made to the system like the position of the blower motor and where the RH centre vent ducting is fed from the bulkhead plenum.

Good hunting.

Lance

[lancepar]

I found a lot of help from peeps on the Griff forum and Googling....pistonheads griffith vents instead of the PH search engine. Only thing I find is that some of old forum posts photos won't appear or are from redundant free photo hosting sites like tinypic etc.

Here is one from Google but for a 500 that shows a different system.........

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

This is better.......pistonheads griffith vent ducting................

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

BTW Chim' system is different I'd stick with asking Griff' owners.

Edited by lancepar on Thursday 23 January 20:19

[MikeE]

OK I've trawled through all of these threads and looked at the various configurations of heater box and ventilation pipework and non of it matches mine

I'm starting to wonder if I have some sort of one off development configuration that then never made it onto the 500's

Here's a couple of pics



This one shows the heater box and the motor for the hot water valve I think (or is it the ventilation direction flap?). You can see the motor is at a different orientation to any of the other Griffith ventilation pictures I've seen. Also there is no output from the left hand side of the heater box (below the motor) which I've seen on all other pictures so no idea how the heat gets out to the vents?




My left hand most vent (in front of the passenger) has a tube running into the point where the inner wing meets the dashboard bulkhead too which i haven't seen before?!!? See 2nd to last pic below to see where it enters the wing



On the lower right of this picture you can see another motor.....and the left hand vent tube going into the wing rather than the heater box...On the underside of the heater box you can see a vent going down onto the passengers feet, is this a normal configuration?



Hear you can see the tube going into the passenger inner wing. I've peeled the carpet back and you can see part of a circular hole in the wing is exposed where the capets joining the wing, is this normal for a pre-cat Griff?

[lancepar]

Mine has a pass' feet vent like this photo by Carsy.



And this photo shows the coolant pipes with the HCV and motor as mine should be.



But as mine has the operating motor missing, I have replaced the HCV in case it was bust, and also fitting a manual control like chj did in his photo

Edited by lancepar on Saturday 25th January 20:16

Edited by lancepar on Saturday 25th January 20:20

[MikeE]

Lance this looks very like mine but you have a pre-cat so don't think yours is the same?

The pics you show, and my setup, are fed from a blower inside the wing next to the passengers left knee. I think yours has a remote blower under the nearside headlight and you also have your left vent fed from this heater box, whereas mine's coming from the wing (so will only ever be cold air).

Do you know, is Carsy's Griff a later 500?

[MikeE]

I’ve finally got the heater box out of my pre-cat.

The two motors are controlled by micro switches rather than potentiometers. Is this a pre-cat, 500 or custom arrangement?

[MikeE]

[Penelope Stopit]

Does this point you in any direction?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[MikeE]

Penelope Stopit said:

Does this point you in any direction?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Thanks yes it confirms I have a standardish precat setup but unfortunately the link to the Maplin direct replacement micro switches is no longer valid

[lancepar]

MikeE said:

I’ve finally got the heater box out of my pre-cat.

The two motors are controlled by micro switches rather than potentiometers. Is this a pre-cat, 500 or custom arrangement?

TVR used this system on the Griffith until the last 100 Griffith LE editions which used the Chimaera manual controls.



Mike, I don't find the pistonheads search engine very useful so in my case I use Google or Bing searches instead. Just type in pistonheads followed by whatever you are looking for like, heater control valve Griffith or heater motor Griffith you will find loads of threads.

Have a look here regarding heater problems and how they are supposed to work......
http://www.bertram-hill.com/heater-problems.html

And carsy has/had a pre-cat.

HTH

Edited by lancepar on Sunday 26th January 13:41

[Penelope Stopit]

MikeE said:

Penelope Stopit said:

Does this point you in any direction?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Thanks yes it confirms I have a standardish precat setup but unfortunately the link to the Maplin direct replacement micro switches is no longer valid

Very good then, didn't know you needed micro switches

Should you wish to search for some, if they are 3 terminal switches, search at ebay uk or in Google is SPDT Micro Switch

which is Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT)

The miniature micro switches are often found to have identical mounting point dimensions

Here's a good selection, lever length and type can be ordered to suit, these are 16 Amp which is very high for a small switch

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/V3-Microswitch-SPDT-16A...

Here are some more

http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/micr...

http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/blue...

[RichB]

lancepar said:

TVR used this system on the Griffith until the last 100 Griffith LE editions which used the Chimaera manual controls.

Not answering the question but those Chimaera heater controls are the one thing I like about the SE (and Chimaera). Peter Wheeler said they were based on the trim controls of a light aircraft, nice touch.

[MikeE]

Penelope Stopit said:

Very good then, didn't know you needed micro switches

Should you wish to search for some, if they are 3 terminal switches, search at ebay uk or in Google is SPDT Micro Switch

which is Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT)

The miniature micro switches are often found to have identical mounting point dimensions

Here's a good selection, lever length and type can be ordered to suit, these are 16 Amp which is very high for a small switch

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/V3-Microswitch-SPDT-16A...

Here are some more

http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/micr...

http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/blue...

Thanks fir the info, I order these this afternoon so hopefully they’ll suit

BQLZR Micro Limit Switch V-156-1C25 Long Roll Hinge Lever Arm Momentary SPDT Snap Action LOT Pack of 5 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RT7L6FK/ref=cm_sw_r...


I also need an identical pair without the arm but can’t find them, I’m wondering if it’s removable on these ones

[Penelope Stopit]

Should be able to cut or break the arm off

Bend arm away from switch plunger if cutting with a disc so that no generated heat damages the plunger

http://download.siliconexpert.com/pdfs/2015/8/2/18...

From here https://www.onlinecomponents.com/omron-electronics...

One of the above links in earlier post shows switch without arm

http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/blue...

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Monday 27th January 09:57

[MikeE]

ok micro switched arrived from amazon. I’ve changed the two switches on the heater flap even though it was woking fine (and successful cut the arms off). All reassemble and working well.

Changed the broken micro switches on the heater water valve motor and reassemble and tested and it’s getting stuck half way, valve all good so pull the motor gearbox apart and find this which will explain 🤣





With the larger wheel only max 90deg is used so I might be able to flip it round. But the small cog in the second picture is knackered. Any ideas or do I fork out £95 for a new motor with gearbox from TVR Parts?

[Penelope Stopit]

Horrible find