Griff Help obscure dash vent parts

[500dread]

Hello all.

I'm in the process of rebuilding the heating and ventilation system on a 1994 Griffith 500 and am missing some crucial parts which the TVR usual breakers do not have.

I am missing the glass fibre funnels which sit behind the facia vents which allow the concertina type tubing to attach to the rear of the vents. Namely the funnel which connects the left side vent, which I believe maybe an offset type funnel, unlike the centre funnels which appear to be in line as it were. I am missing one of these centre funnels also. So two funnels in total. I have seen them made from aluminium and don't know if they will retro fit where fibre glass ones existed. I'm also missing the T piece connector for the concertina tubing supplying the two centre vents.

I assume the concertina tubing is simple enough to source, but anything good and original is welcome as all of the concertina tubing is missing aside from one short section, which is damaged and of no use.

I am really desperate for these items if anyone can help. Thanks again.

[The AJP Griff]

I 'think' the flexi pipe is 40mm waste pipe and you might get a 't' piece from the same supplier you find the pipe at. On my present and last griff I had,the connectors used to connect the pipe to the vent were made from sheet aluminium bound with insulation tape.

[500dread]

Thank you for the info AJP.

Being a stickler for detail I would really like to find the original fibre glass type connectors if anyone knows of some.

I assumed some sort of plumbing stuff might be the ticket for the tubing and T piece so that should be straightforward enough thanks.

[The AJP Griff]

I'm not sure if the fibreglass cones you describe were original(I'm not saying they aren't but I have never seem or heard of them myself and weren't in my 2000 or '93 year car) but they sound good.Certainly the ali plate ones are original if your worried about originality. Also be careful not to make the same mistake I did when I bought what turned out to be 'flexi' pond pipe which wasn't anywhere near flexible enough! I have since seen flexi waste pipe which is exactly the same as what I had originally fitted and is much easier to manipulate

[FlipFlopGriff]

Got aluminium rectangular section angled pieces in both Griffs.
Never seen fibreglass ones but then don't see many with the dash out.
FFG

[virgil]

I'll have a look at mine tonight. Think the bits you're after (if I remember rightly ARE GRP...

[virgil]

So the far left hand vent is pushed into an aluminium box that has a 50mm flex pipe attached that then feeds into a 40mm flex pipe.

The left and right dash vents push into 50mm flex pipe attached to the fibreglass adapters and are fed by (left) 40mm flex pipe from the left side of the dash and the right one from 50mm flex pipe from just left of the steering column.

Hope that helps.

Not sure where you can get a replacement from...but if you get really stuck, maybe you could get a copy made from one...

Edited by virgil on Thursday 31st May 23:29

[7 TVR]

FlipFlopGriff said:

Got aluminium rectangular section angled pieces in both Griffs.
Never seen fibreglass ones but then don't see many with the dash out.
FFG

+1 for me.

[virgil]

Just thinking out loud...need to do some moulding practice and fibreglass work...so if you'd be prepared to contribute to some materials costs & postage, a copy of mine could be my first forray in to GRG moulding.

Unless you'd want them in Carbon in which case they'd be a little more...

[500dread]

Thank you for the info and offer. If need be I can make them myself in glass fibre. I have one of the centre adaptors to copy. Just easier and faster to buy some.

The two centre vents are both fed from a single tube from the steering column area. Interesting yours is different. I can't see how I could feed the left side centre vent from the left side of the dash.

The heater box on my Griff has a single outlet for a dash vent, which faces left directly out of the box. To use a T piece connector near here to get air to the left dash vent and the left side centre vent would be a bit of a snaking affair for the centre directing tube. Would also be somewhat troublesome to feed the tubing behind the glovebox and route through the same area where the wiring loom comes up from the footwell into the dash area. Bit of a tight squeeze I would think.

The other issue with this, not that it really matters much, is the tubing from the steering column area is not fed from the same outlet at the heater box as the left side dash vent. The tubing from the steering column area appears to come from the fibre glass channel built into the cars shell to allow for screen demist. Thus the two centre dash vents sharing the tube will blow at the same time but not so if the left side centre vent is T'd to the left side dash vent.

As the driver I'd rather have both centre vents T'd together from the same feed allowing a choice of where to direct the two vents off the dash face. Otherwise only a passenger would benefit from two vents at any one time (using the left side vent and left centre vent) and the driver only ever have one of the centre vents should the left centre vent be T'd from the left vent.

Frankly it all seems a little odd when trying to work out what air goes where as there doesn't appear to be much going on through the dash vents anyway when positioning the control to close the lower flap in the passenger footwell. If air is wanted at the dash and not the floor or screen, then it seems only the passenger side dash vent gets a feed. The two centre vents rely upon screen venting they using the tube from the steering column area. Accordingly screen demist would need to be selected to give air to the two centre vents, which in effect would close the left side passenger vent. All rather odd. But then I'd prefer to have them all working than not working at all!

HAS ANYBODY A FEW OF THOSE SPARE INSTRUMENT MOUNTING BRACKETS I'M DESPERATE FOR PLEASE?

[virgil]

500dread said:

The two centre vents are both fed from a single tube from the steering column area. Interesting yours is different. I can't see how I could feed the left side centre vent from the left side of the dash.

The 'left centre' vent pipe comes out of the far left side of the wing under the dash and comes across behing the glove box in front of the box you describe bellow and attached to a shaped GRP adapter to fit the back of the vent...

500dread said:

The heater box on my Griff has a single outlet for a dash vent, which faces left directly out of the box. To use a T piece connector near here to get air to the left dash vent and the left side centre vent would be a bit of a snaking affair for the centre directing tube. Would also be somewhat troublesome to feed the tubing behind the glovebox and route through the same area where the wiring loom comes up from the footwell into the dash area. Bit of a tight squeeze I would think.

This left hand facing outlet (50mm dia 40?mm long white tube?) then feeds the passenger side vent above left of the glove box via the ali box with a short (18"?) right angle flexi-tube. Tight fit? yep!

500dread said:

...The tubing from the steering column area appears to come from the fibre glass channel built into the cars shell to allow for screen demist. Thus the two centre dash vents sharing the tube will blow at the same time but not so if the left side centre vent is T'd to the left side dash vent.

I think the black box behind the dash feeds the air up or to the dash vents.

Teh right side of this box connects to the big fat flexitube that runs through the engine bay to the drivers sdie and (this is where I;m guessing now) feeds the cavity that feeds the right centre vent via the short flexi-tube and the drivers left knee via the outlet bello wleft of the steering column.

So the Black box left out let feeds the far left vent, the right outlet feeds the right centre dash vent and drivers 'left knee vent' and I'm guessing the top of it feeds the windscreen outlets...

The centre left vent is fed from it's own tube from right under the far left of the dash...

I'd show you my pictures for clarity butnot got a place to host them...any sites to reccomend and I'll post them up...

[500dread]

virgil said:

The 'left centre' vent pipe comes out of the far left side of the wing under the dash and comes across behing the glove box in front of the box you describe bellow and attached to a shaped GRP adapter to fit the back of the vent...

I have nowhere for any hose to attach to on the left side wing or anywhere else. I just have the fan in the wing and the flap below it at floor level.

virgil said:

This left hand facing outlet (50mm dia 40?mm long white tube?) then feeds the passenger side vent above left of the glove box via the ali box with a short (18"?) right angle flexi-tube. Tight fit? yep!

The left facing outlet on the heater box is taped up on mine. I have nothing else except the dash vent itself.

virgil said:

Teh right side of this box connects to the big fat flexitube that runs through the engine bay to the drivers sdie and (this is where I;m guessing now) feeds the cavity that feeds the right centre vent via the short flexi-tube and the drivers left knee via the outlet bello wleft of the steering column.

I'd not considered there exists a cavity there as I've never seen or noticed one. It makes sense now you mention it the dash vent would be taken from the large flexi tube rather than screen demist channel. I'll have to dig a little deeper as I assumed the small flexi feeder tube ran up to the screen demister channel above the steer coloumn.

Thanks again. Will dig deeper. I too can not host pictures.

[virgil]

Yeah!! done it...

So these are the two relevant pics...

showing the long tube from the lfet wing undr dash to left centre vent:



And the black box with the right angle flexi pipe leading to the left most passenger vent...mine seems to have been installed by 'Jason'

Edited by virgil on Friday 1st June 14:07

Edited by virgil on Friday 1st June 14:13

Edited by virgil on Friday 1st June 14:16

[500dread]

Wow Virgil!

Ok thtat's great information but even more misleading

My heater box looks identical and it is the white tube facing left that's taped over on mine. So yes I can see that's the feed for the left side dash vent. Great I can solve that one.

Here's the misleading part. Where tell does the hose go from the centre vent?

I've removed the entire heater box and there's nowhere for any other hose to attach to. Nor is there anywhere in the wing or bulkhead area from the A post forward, down the sides of the inner wing or tunnel, or roof of the footwell, for any other hose to fit. I'm confident my Griff must have the two centre vents fed from a T piece off the hose from the column.

Here's what I'm more confused by. The large hose that sweeps across the rear of the engine from the heater box, I can't fathom where it goes to on the right side of the tunnel except to say there's a cavity within the fibre glass moulding to the left of the column where the hose feeds into. I've not spotted any sort of flap or opening that's meant to let air into the cockpit. Nothing that's immediately obvious anyway.

As if that's not confusing enough, the centre vent hose routes past the column and right up into the upper most forward corner of the drivers side footwell. In other words it/s sort of right up under the screen pillar area and feels sort of forward even of the whole screen venting channel running across the underneath of the screen. I've two thoughts about this. Either it gets a feed from the screenn demist channel or it just has fresh air coming in over the top of the drivers wheelarch. If neither of these I need to dig a lot further.

Why these things haven't been documented over the years is beyond me. I just wish I had a Griffith tub I could dig around in!

Keeping the faith though. Must plod on.

[virgil]

OK, just uploading some more pics to Flickr...bare with me and my slow internet connection...

better view of right hand vent tube and location of pipe...also shows better view of flex pipe for far left vent (pipe removed and on trans tunnel)- shows ali box that vent slips into...



glimpse of the 'knee vent' on the trans tunnel under the driver's side dash...



and (I think) a close view of the pipe you seem to be missing??



not sure if that helps any?

on mine, there is an additional vent in the drivers side right footwell which is a cold air feed, but that comes from a separate feed (and motor) in the right hand wing...no pipework to be found under the dash..

Edited by virgil on Saturday 2nd June 00:31

Edited by virgil on Saturday 2nd June 00:34

[500dread]

Virgil this is a great help to me thank you ever so much.

What seems fairly straightforward is actually not quite so.

In your first picture I can see the flexi tube running over the steering column and the fibre glass connector on the end which slides directly onto the rear of the right side centre vent. Mine is the same. If you follow the flexi tube to the other side of the column, can you say where yous goes?

In the same picture are you saying the flexi tube on the centre console is that for the left side centre vent? If so how does the alloy box come into play assuming it is at the vent end. I can see in your third picture where this flexi tube is heading but in my Griff there is nothing up there for any flexi tube to connect to or a place for it to go to. Where does it go in your Griff. Is there like a hole it goes through into the bulkhead area and into the inner wing? If so does the flexi tube on the right side of the column do like wise?


On your second picture, does the large flexi pipe across the back of the engine connect onto the area where the knee vent is only? Seems a lot of fat pipe for that one only vent.

Thanks again much appreciated.

[500dread]

Hi Virgil. Hoping you're still there and can answer these few questions of mine. Really is appreciated.

500dread said:

In your first picture I can see the flexi tube running over the steering column and the fibre glass connector on the end which slides directly onto the rear of the right side centre vent. Mine is the same. If you follow the flexi tube to the other side of the column, can you say where yous goes?

500dread said:

In the same picture are you saying the flexi tube on the centre console is that for the left side centre vent? If so how does the alloy box come into play assuming it is at the vent end. I can see in your third picture where this flexi tube is heading but in my Griff there is nothing up there for any flexi tube to connect to or a place for it to go to. Where does it go in your Griff. Is there like a hole it goes through into the bulkhead area and into the inner wing? If so does the flexi tube on the right side of the column do like wise?

500dread said:

On your second picture, does the large flexi pipe across the back of the engine connect onto the area where the knee vent is only? Seems a lot of fat pipe for that one only vent.

Thank you again.

[The AJP Griff]

Hope I'm not going to confuse things,and sorry if if I do! This is based on my experience of the 3 Griff I have owned,though I have no doubt that in true TVR style others may well be different!
The right hand side vent in the main dash beside the radio should connect to the flexi pipe which enters from over the steering column(this is only on cars with the optional 'booster blower' not usually found on later cars) and the other two vents(passenger and left hand dash) should come from the left hand heater box outlet after being 'split'. The vent in the left hand side of the drivers footwell should be connected to the pipe which runs behind the engine in the engine bay and comes from the other outlet of the heater box.(this pipe is not present on later cars and instead is replaced with a sealed glassfibre tunnel making the bulkhead appear solid from the engine bay) Also found in the drivers footwell on cars equipped with the 'booster blower' is another vent on the left hand side of the footwell. The only other vent usually present is the one which is directly mounted into the bottom of the heater box and therefore blows down into the passenger footwell. Hope this clarifies things a bit .

[RichB]

While people are on here giving out pearls of wisdom on Griffith 500 heaters, can I ask, what is the most recent thinking on improving/repairing/correcting the control of the hot water flow valve? Back in 1999 when new, mine was one of those Griffs that provided either warm or hot air so I dug around under the dash and tightened a grub screw on the valve and that seemed to improve it for a few years but it's reverted giving hot or hotter for several years now. And I would really like to have a heater which I can turn off, which surely should not be beyond the wit of man. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's VW heater valve which needs bits cutting off with a junior hacksaw. Anyone know the details?

p.s. I know I can simply block it off in the engine bay but that's not what I want to do. Thanks Rich...

[The AJP Griff]

If you replace the heater valve it might solve your problem if your old one was passing? you may also have movement of the valve due to heat affecting the pot resistance value,in this case an isolator switch can be usefull to remove power to the motor once the correct position has been selected.Another thing that others have done is to fit a valve in line with the matrix feed to permanently cut off the water to the matrix. Personally I'm going for a new valve and a cut off switch