[Ron Story] I was able to modify the FFR heater kit and it works great. The entire unit mounts behind the dash and is centered (ie heat for both passenger and driver) with nothing in the engine bay. First remove the blower motor from the heater core. Then remove the electric motor from the fan housing

3 screws. Then remove the intake cover on the opposite side of the fan housing ( A round plastic louvered cover) 1/4 turn and it pops out you wont need the louver). Then flip the impeller over by removing the impeller clamp the reason you flip the impeller is you will soon need to make the fan motor turn the opposite direction as you are mounting the motor to the opposite side of the fan shroud. Assemble the motor in the housing on the opposite side. What you have done is switch the blower motor to the opposite side of the fan housing. This enables you to mount the fan flat to the firewall and also orient it so it is easier to make a small duct. You will need to unplug the fan wiring and change it to make the fan spin the other direction (clockwise) If you look at the wiring it is very easy there are push plugs on the jumper for the ground wire just switch it to the other wire and the fan will spin clockwise. Ok now you will need to modify the heater housing by cutting off the protrusion that sticks off of the one side, this helped hold the fan housing to the heater core. I used a table saw but a pair of tin snips would do. Be careful around the heater core as it is fragile. Both the heater core and fan unit now mount flat to the back of the firewall.

Two bolts hold the core and 3 or 4 small bolts hold the fan unit. I drilled through the plastic fan shroud and bolted the fan shroud to the firewall. I hack sawed the vertical cross brace on the dash frame hoop because I wanted a glove compartment by relocating the vertical support it made enough room to move the heater a little to the left for a pretty nice sized glove box. The heater core uses some of the space behind the instruments (Remember mine is shifted left without the glove box this should not be an issue) but I checked mine and with the Stewart Warners it clears ok bu is close. If you dont care about the glove compartment you wont need to worry. I will the cross brace a few inches toward the drivers side. Now you have a heater core and fan with one flat side the heater core will mount to the left behind the firewall and the motor to the right. You will need to fabricate a small duct between them about 7 inches long. The duct will be a "U" shaped channel as you use the firewall as the closure on the back of the duct. Use 1/8th inch rivets to secure the duct its kind of "L" shaped. I used some aluminum siding and rivets. Im sure duct btape and some plastic would be easier. The thing blasts out some serious air when done. Total cost, 50 rivets + scrap aluminum minus FFR heater kit ($Ouch). In conclusion... 1) no hideous fan motor in your engine bay. 2)Makes room for a glove box. 3)Cost is almost nothing. Win win win.

[RB] "I was able to modify the FFR heater kit and it works great. The entire unit mounts behind the dash and is centered (ie heat for both passenger and driver) with nothing in the engine bay. First remove the blower motor from the heater core. Then remove the electric motor from the fan housing 3 screws. Then remove the intake cover on the opposite side of the fan housing ( A round plastic louvered cover) 1/4 turn and it pops out you wont need the louver). Then flip the impeller over by removing the impeller clamp the reason you flip the impeller is you will soon need to make the fan motor turn the opposite direction as you are mounting the motor to the opposite side of the fan shroud. Assemble the motor in the housing on the opposite side. What you have done is switch the blower motor to the opposite side of the fan housing. This enables you to mount the fan flat to the firewall and also orient it so it is easier to make a small duct. You will need to unplug the fan wiring and change it to make the fan spin the other direction (clockwise) If you look at the wiring it is very easy there are push plugs on the jumper for the ground wire just switch it to the other wire and the fan will spin clockwise. Ok now you will need to modify the heater housing by cutting off the protrusion that sticks off of the one side, this helped hold the fan housing to the heater core. I used a table saw but a pair of tin snips would do. Be careful around the heater core as it is fragile. Both the heater core and fan unit now mount flat to the back of the firewall. Two bolts hold the core and 3 or 4 small bolts hold the fan unit. I drilled through the plastic fan shroud and bolted the fan shroud to the firewall. I hack sawed the vertical cross brace on the dash frame hoop because I wanted a glove compartment by relocating the vertical support it made enough room to move the heater a little to the left for a pretty nice sized glove box. The heater core uses some of the space behind the instruments (Remember mine is shifted left without the glove box this should not be an issue) but I checked mine and with the Stewart Warners it clears ok but is close. If you don't care about the glove compartment you wont need to worry. I will the cross brace a few inches toward the drivers side. Now you have a heater core and fan with one flat side the heater core will mount to the left behind the firewall and the motor to the right. You will need to fabricate a small duct between them about 7 inches long. The duct will be a "U" shaped channel as you use the firewall as the closure on the back of the duct. Use 1/8th inch rivets to secure the duct it's kind of "L" shaped. I used some aluminum siding and rivets. I'm sure duct tape and some plastic would be easier. The thing blasts out some serious air when done. Total cost, 50 rivets + scrap aluminum minus FFR heater kit ($Ouch). In conclusion... 1) no hideous fan motor in your engine bay. 2)Makes room for a glove box. 3)Cost is almost nothing. Win win win. I will post some pictures soon."

How Keith Keith altered the Tri-States heater box to fit behind the dash.  Click the pictures to enlarge, they are self explanatory.

Question: [CJ]: 

My question for the day relates to hooking up the heater lines. Is it necessary to solder in hard lines in the footbox area or would running rubber heater hoses be sufficient. The stubbs that are supplied with the heater are not long enough to get to the engine compartment.

Answers:

[DW]: Rubber hoses all the way to the heater stubs will work fine. And if you need a 3/4" to 5/8" hose adapter, NAPA has one for $2.98 - part #9911.

[DS]: I installed the heater I got from FFR without any additional parts. The one heater hose line connects outside the firewall while the other connects between the dash and the firewall.

The locating position for the heater box was not correct on the FFR template since they have added a supporting brace for the 3/4 inch tube that the top of the dash mount upon. So, don't rely on their locating positions -- I had to locate another 1/2 inch or so outboard to have clearance for the fitting.

[JB]: I cut the aluminum hose barb that comes with the heater and attached a compression fitting to it. This allows you to adapt it to standard copper pipe that can be extended beyond the fire wall.

(PS... Mount your heater a little lower than mine so it doesn't hit the dash hoop)
gs.

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