Hey guys, my heater control unit doesn't blow out of the vents properly. It never seems to switch to defrost or to any other vents when I push the buttons. This is a non AC car. The blower motor is working fine. The heater core was replaced last year. My question for you fellow Dynamic owners - when you push the buttons on the heater control head unit, are they supposed to stay in? I have the manual on CD but haven't dug in yet. I hate under dash work. My back really doesn't like it.

 

I have a/c but all buttons stay engaged when pushed in. If I have it on defrost and then push heat the heat button stays engaged and the defrost pops out ( for lack of technical term) The vent hoses are wire , wrapped in a cloth type material. they can tear or degrade. Mine was torn due to previous owner trying to replace radio. I pulled out hose and recovered it. I used tape to cover long tears. I also had debris in the lines. After this work I got good air flow

 

The heater (and A/C unit if you have one) are all controlled by vacuum. Pushing the buttons merely rotates a valve which sends vacuum to several vacuum diaphragms. Which open or close doors in the unit. If the vacuum diaphragms are shot or the hoses to them are broken or disconnected then the unit will not work properly.
In my 63 Dynamic there were 5 diaphragms in the HVAC system. Only one of them still worked.

 

All pushbuttons should latch in place when pushed all the way in, and unlatch when another button is selected.

Double check your vacuum source underhood. There will be a vacuum storage canister on the firewall with one vacuum hose going to intake manifold and the other disappearing into the firewall. That one supplies vacuum to the control head.

If all those hoses are connected listen for a hiss behind the dash which will indicate a vacuum leak.

The selector valves on these heads are still made of potmetal. Doesn't mean they can't leak internally and fail to switch the mode door vacuum motors.

Functions:

OFF shuts off whole system
LEFT opens the LH kick panel vent
RIGHT opens the RH kick panel vent
MAX opens both kick panel vents
HEAT switches the mode doors to the floor vent
DEF switches the mode doors to the defroster vents

I've seen non air cars both with and without vacuum hot water valves on the engine. If car has a vacuum hot water valve, there's a vacuum switch on the temp lever that opens the hot water valve.

 

check your vac routing and leaks..I hav a vac print out for my 63..rotten hoses?