Couple of questions on 63 Starfire

[Guest 1963starfire]

The A/C and heater controller that changes your

heater to defroster mode is slow to change.

It takes it about a minute or so to change.

Is this normal? I've checked the vacuum

hoses and all seem to be hooked up properly.

Also when the controller is in the vent position

the fan doesn't seem to work. The fan will not

come on in the vent position. The fan will work

on the A/C, heater and defroster mode.

Second question is were chrome valve covers and or

chrome oil filler cap standard on the Starfire?

Thanks

63starfire

[54oldsman]

Can't tell you much about the heater controls, mine didn't work at all in my 63 Starfire. However, neither the valve covers or the oil fill tube cover were chrome.

[rocketraider]

The blower's working per design. It runs only in A/C, Heat and Defrost as the heater case is bypassed totally during Vent operation. If everything else switches over normally, the sluggish heat-to-defrost changeover is probably a leaking vacuum motor or a binding defrost door. The defrost motor is at the driver's side end of the heater case and should be easy to get at to check with an outside vacuum source. If it has to be replaced or the door freed up or adjusted, the heater case has to come out of the car for disassembly.

Chrome engine dressup is a question of debate. I've been messing with Starfires for 23 years and all 61-63 Starfires I've seen had chrome valve covers and aircleaner. All 64s were painted silver. There's some claim that 64 converts had chrome, and I know two guys with 63s that the stuff is painted. Safest thing to say is that it was available for 63 and 64 cars, though I've never seen any documentation of it being an option.

[Guest 1963starfire]

I've checked the door and it operates freely.

Is the vacuum motor you mentioned the collapsable

pump like item with a vacuum hose attached to

the end thats located on the left side of the

heater blower resistor switch?

My Starfire has the chrome air cleaner but has

orange colored painted valve covers.

Thanks

63 Starfire

[rocketraider]

That's the one. A MityVac hand vacuum pump can check it for operation. Also check for vacuum at the hose itself- wet finger method works fine for that. It won't be much. 7" or so is all it takes to operate those vacuum motors.

It's possible the vacuum switching valve on the control head is leaking by enough to cause this, but if those go bad usually more than one diapragm is affected.