Strange rattle under dash.

[wlfrench]

Driving around in my 62 GT I have been hearing a strange intermittent rattle coming from under the dash. My wife kept telling me that it was the glove box door but I was sure that that wasn't it. Well, the other day I finally stuck my head up under the dash to take a look and what I found was a coil of thick solid wire (like a wire coat hanger) about 6" in DIA. just behind the glove box and attached to the firewall. I have no idea why its there or what it did/does. Any Ideas?

[StudeRich]

We have to "Reach out" a bit on this one!

If it used to be connected to the Radio, my guess is an Antenna!
Or, at the very least, a Radar interrupter!

[JoeHall]

Sensor capillary for the heater control valve ?

[TWChamp]

I agree with Joe, but didn't know studebaker was still using it that late.

[StudeRich]

All Ranco Heater Control Valves have a sensor tube up to 1966 on Studes. also used on Chrysler Products.

[wlfrench]

Sensor capillary for the heater control valve ?

What is it and what does it do???

[Mrs K Corbin]

Call animal control to get the RATTLESNAKE out!

[TWChamp]

What is it and what does it do???

It senses the cabin temperature and adjusts the coolant flow through the heater to keep the temperature constant at what you have the temp lever pulled to.

[bezhawk]

There should be a small line clamp with a hole in it and a small screw secures it to the fiber board firewall liner.

[nels]

I'll bet the rattle you hear is the bar/Rod that runs from one hinge, across the cowl to the other hinge. This Rod rattles on the upper center of the cowl when the hood is closed and is supposed to have a piece of rubber tubing around it at the center location to keep away metal to metal contact. The rubber tubing might still be there but has slid to one side or the other allowing the Rod to vibrate on the cowl. Real simple fix. You can usually see where the paint has worn off on the cowl.

[bbstudegal]

I have been hearing a similar rattle under the dash of my '64 Stude GT Hawk. Thanks for these suggestions. I'm going to take a closer look and see if I can figure out what is causing this.

[Bud]

My 62 Hawk has had that rattle since I've owned the car. I know it is coming from behind the glove box, but I haven't gotten around to finding the cause. I'll have to check the rubber tubing around the hood rod and the heater valve tubing. Bud

[JoeHall]

Rattles can be difficult to locate. I once had a 56J, that the above mentioned hinge-to-hinge hood bar rattled on for at least 20,000 miles before I found it. It was intermittent, and always sounded as if it were coming from behind the backseat. It almost drove me nuts, till I finally noticing chipped paint on the firewall dimples, where the bar would bang against it. As mentioned above, the rubber sleeve, once out of position, allows the rod to make metal to metal contact, in banging against the firewall dimples. But it only rattles when hitting bumps just right. I think that's the main reason it was so hard to locate.

[stude dude]

Worn wiper linkages have been known to cause this kind of rattle. But the hood can also rattle/vibrate against the cowl rubber when the rubber has gone hard with age. Many C & K owners have gone mad trying to find these kind of rattles only to discover they were something pretty basic. Good luck!

Chris.

[JoeHall]

The contact points for the hood bar are the two dimples, on each side of the wiper, where the bar lays, when the hood is closed. The easy fix is to slit a section of 3/8" gas line about 18" long, and slip it over the bar, where it aligns with the dimples.

With the heater capillary tube, as mentioned above, it should be affixed to the fiber firewall liner with a screw. If not, it would be easy to fab something. Can't say I ever heard one of those rattle, but anything is possible, and nothing should surprise any of us on these old Studes.