1969 Camaro Heater box question

[x44d80]

Ecklers sells the following heater box cover that is show correct. I always thought the only difference in the small block and big block cover was the center punched holes. This box and a square indentation that the small block doesn't. Is this correct?

[William]

No.

[x44d80]

Thank you.

[Lynn]

JMHO, but this is a really dumb decision by GM to use two different heater box covers and heater cores.

Once they figured out the original small block configuration was going to interfere with the BB install, they should have just superceded and made all of them with the revised heater core/cover. No reason you can't use that one in either application. I have no idea of the additional cost to maintain and install four different parts, but there had to be some cost involved.

[William]

There's more than four different parts.

1969 list:

Frame brackets for the motor mounts, manual trans crossmember, auto trans crossmember, clutch cross-shaft, pedal return spring & extension, shifter mounting brackets & rods, radiator & shroud, heater core, L34/L35 tachometer, male end of throttle rod, power steering pump reservoir, gauge oil pressure line, battery cables, front exhaust pipes, front springs and possibly shocks, vacuum pipe to brake booster [2 #s L72/L78 different]. A/C big blocks had an additional radiator shroud mounted under the core support.

The auto trans kickdown mechanism for a BB/auto is completely different than SB. The L72/L78 used a different switch mounting bracket than the L34/35.

[Lynn]

I get there are a lot of other parts that were necessary. Just don't know why they couldn't use the same heater core and cover.

[Rsconv68]

GM wasted a lot of time, money, and effort on stuff like this. Here’s an example that makes me shake my head and ask WTFO? 1968 Camaro Rally Sport option. Look at all the possible vacuum fittings…4 for the inline 6 and 8 different ones for the V8. Would a rubber plug be cheaper? Or a non drilled/filled port?
And here’s another. My car has a 6 cylinder, AC, PS, and an M35, so it gets the 796 alternator, not the 817 as called out in the C60 section in the AIM. THE 817 would be for a manual transmission right? But I also have PS, so it gets the 817 as called out in the AIM in the N40 section for you guessed it—M35. This is where I SMFH because there’s no communication. I digress.
And if anyone has or knows of a 1100817 alternator, please contact me. It’s a 61 amp. Have a great Sunday peeps.

[William]

Short answer, the frame brackets offset a BB to the right to clear the steering gear. That interferes with the heater hose connections.

Measured at the rear block surface, a BB is also positioned further forward than a SB.

Since the BB was developed long before Camaro came on the market, it would have been a simple matter to design the chassis to accommodate both engines, using the same parts.

My guess, Chevrolet did not intend to offer it in the Camaro. Fall '66, Ford took some buzz off the new Camaro by offering the 390 in the '67 Mustang. Had to respond.

Question for the Firebird guys: Does the 326/350 directly interchange with the 400?

[R68GTO]

I believe the 326 thru 455 all interchange

[Kurt S]

Question for the Firebird guys: Does the 326/350 directly interchange with the 400?
Yes, they all used the same block.

[L_e_e]

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/early-late-pontiac-v-8-motor-mount-adapters/

[x44d80]

The air box and the evaporator are different in the SBC and BBC Camaro. The box and evap look similar in the BBC box and the box in 1st gen Firebirds. I hunted for both at swap meets forever but came up dry.
On another note I did finally find a BBC in cab heater box and heater core but need the correct engine bay heater box cover. Thus my original post.

[CamarosRus]

HeartBeat City sells this 67-69 Camaro Big Block Heater Cover
https://www.heartbeatcitycamaro.com/15072/1967-1968-1969-Camaro-Heater-Box-Cover-BB-396-427-454-Without-AC/

Is this accepted at the LEGENDS judging Level ?????

As I have the #27 ZL1 OEM/GM Heater Box that I'd like some comment on !!!!!!!!!!!!

[x44d80]

Id sure like to see a small block and a big block heater cover side by side. Id also like to see a high resolution picture of the cover you have. There's a NOS BBC cover for sale on EBAY right now but I couldn't make a comparison from it to the HBC repop. Off topic, the BBC Summit brand heater core is actually smaller than a GM heater core and actually fits in the SBC interior heater box.

[jl8z28]

If you go to all my posts on page 20 there is a picture of a bb heater cover i sold

[Keith Seymore]

JMHO, but this is a really dumb decision by GM to use two different heater box covers and heater cores.

...I have no idea of the additional cost to maintain and install four different parts, but there had to be some cost involved.

GM wasted a lot of time, money, and effort on stuff like this.

I heard a statistic that it cost $20,000 just to pull and maintain the part number in the engineering release system.

That doesn't count designing, validating and tooling the corresponding part.

GM was not super concerned about saving money back in those days.

K

[Igosplut]

Don't forget the heater hose plugs

https://i.postimg.cc/LX4zTMXw/heater-core-plugs-001.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cKjgx2fB)

https://i.postimg.cc/Wbz5V0sC/heater-core-plugs-002.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rK61C00N)

[big gear head]

I used a small block cover to replace my damaged original big block cover. I put them side by side and couldn't see any difference. There are dimples on the small block cover where the holes are pierced for the big block hoses, so all I had to do was drill holes.

[CamarosRus]

Pictured is the OEM/GM Big Block Heater Box removed from the #27 ZL1 Camaro at some point when it was raced by Dick Tutino, Service Mgr at Seattle's Alan Green Chevrolet...

This box does not have the rectangular flat area as is shown in post #1 of of this thread.......
Could someone explain ????

Is there much value to my OEM/Original Heater "box" versus the $70 repro that
Ive seen on Heartbeat City web site ???