silverfox4 Posted January 11, 2020 Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 now starting assembly of the heater but would like help on the size and best type of foam material that is attached to the inside of the damper. When I disassembled it the foam came out as dust. Judging from witness marks, it would appear to extend the full width of the metal as opposed to just the opening to the core/matrix. I have 5mm foam but I am wondering if it should be closer to 3mm thickness - advice most welcome As an aside, the original matrix end tanks were severely ballooned and compared to a new repro, it was not economically viable to restore to the required dimensions to fit the box. Since the new is smaller, the foam around the perimeter may have to be thicker to stop the matrix rattling about. Cheers, Alf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waldi Posted January 11, 2020 Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 Hi Alf, the valve flap is not exactly a stiff piece, so I opted for a light open soft foam, the type used in furniture. Or the soft foam strip to seal door gaps like on windows, doors in your house, which you can buy in boxes, which is the same material but with adhesive on one side. Not sure wat thickness I used, think I had to trim some off to have the lid seal (sort of). Make use all gaps between matrix and heater box are also sealed. If your foam is too thick, the box will balloon, how do I know. Waldi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted January 11, 2020 Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) This sort of thing? https://mgbhive.co.uk/product/mgb-heater-matrix-foam-17h1797/ Or https://mgbhive.co.uk/product/aha9727gm-midget-heater-box-foam-seal/ Which could probably be had cheaper from the people I use for aeroscreen mount gaskets. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_ssn=timebusters&LH_PrefLoc=&_from=R40&_trksid=p2499338.m570.l1313.TR3.TRC2.A0.H0.Xsingle+sided+foam+tape.TRS0&_nkw=single+sided+foam+tape&_sacat=0 Or even https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-AHH6290K Cheers Peter W Edited January 11, 2020 by BlueTR3A-5EKT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bob-menhennett Posted January 11, 2020 Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 Alf Which ever foam you use ...i.e depth / thickness , ensure it is "closed cell ".This has the best chance of keeping water out. None of the manufacturers will "guarantee " waterproof for their product. It's usually 95%+ 'ish. The normal foams will disintegrate ( being less structural ) quicker. It doesn't happen overnight but you don't want to replace it once the heater is back in situ. Getting it out of the car is not a five minute job or for the faint hearted !! Alf I agree with you , the foam on the flap itself , 3mm should be sufficient. Internally it can be thicker , to bulk out. Aim for as few pieces as you can. Otherwise you will end up having to tape several layers together. Place the foam in well , so that it the Matrix doesn't move around / the fins are "clear " of foam so the heat can dissipate / the flap can operate un-impeded. Once all is reassembled , before installing , try the cocktail shaker test gently ie is anything moving inside the casing. The crudely engineered metal flap will clank a bit... but that's to be expected. Don't forget to grease the inner cable for smooth operation. A small dab on the flap end pins wouldn't go amiss either. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
silverfox4 Posted January 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 Thanks Bob, Peter - 1/8" sheet and some 1/2" strip foam now on order - Amazon is your friend for this stuff. Cheers, Alf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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