1977 53' Hatteras M/Y Air Handler Replacement

[CMeacham]

I need to replace the Air Handler on the port side of the helm on a 1977 53' Hatteras MY.

For those of you who have had to do this before what is the preferred method of getting to the air Handler?

Thanks!

 

[MadHatter53]

Is there an access panel in the galley?

 

[CMeacham]

Is there an access panel in the galley?

There might be. It will require surgery to find out so I'm very much trying to find someone who has done this before and knows without a doubt how to access the air handlers.

There are a few possibilities... all will require cutting into to find out.

 

[Pascal]

On the early boats you need to remove the trim and the cabinet face to get to it. No access from the galley there is a cabinet on top of the fridge. Not sure about the later 53a

 

[Captain Ralph]

You may have to be skinny and double jointed, there is no cutting required on any Hatt factory AC service. At worse case, punch out some bungs.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

My "guess" is you would have to take the face off of that cabinet where you have the Outback Mate mounted.

 

[Pascal]

On mine I had to remove like 50 screws to remove the aft salon cabinet to Replace the aft AH… some had to be removed from inside after removing the vent cover. What a mission. Original cruisair air handler lasted just under 40 years !

 

[bigbill]

you have to remove the section with the vent in it.. remove the moulding then the panel. you will have to remove bungs to get to the screws

 

[CMeacham]

Thanks everyone! I have a direction to go on this now

 

[CMeacham]

After many hours of trying to take the face off (and some broken wood pieces) it seems to me that the face is built into the breaker panel.

Maybe there are screws that come into the back of it behind the breaker panel? I don't really want to pull the service panel out to replace an air handler.

I'm thinking I should have cut through the top lol

Does anyone know how this face is attached?

Thanks

 

[SEVEN]

I have an access panel in the cabinet in the galley. It’s the cabinet closest to the side window on the port side.

 

[CMeacham]

I have an access panel in the cabinet in the galley. It’s the cabinet closest to the side window on the port side.

Ok... I'll start digging there. Thanks!

 

[Pascal]

That face cabinet has to be removable. Look inside with the mirror and a flash light. See if you don’t have a piece of 1x1 inside the corner on the right

 

[CMeacham]

That face cabinet has to be removable. Look inside with the mirror and a flash light. See if you don’t have a piece of 1x1 inside the corner on the right

On the right side it looks like there are 4 screws coming in from the back. Trying to split it I was able to get a glimpse of them.

Absolutely no way to get to the back side of those unless I removed the main service panel, all the wiring and the box that it goes into.

On the left side the box is built in behind and around the breaker panels. I would have to remove the breaker panels & wiring to get to that.

As far as taking the pieces apart. Every joint and trim is screw/glued as well as stapled. The wood splits rather then separates at the joints.

The air handler is wider then the space between the breaker panel box and the main service panel as well so I doubt it would be able to come out that way anyways.

There is no access in the galley within the cabinet. Exploratory surgery shows 3+ layers and over 2.5 inches thick back there.

Old forum research has a couple of post where people made access panels in the formica top which I believe will be my next step.

 

[CMeacham]

One thing I'm finding out going through old forums that might be a possibility.

Originally, on some of these old vessels, Hatteras built the Helm area around the air handler after it was installed.

The first person that had to get to the air handler had to make an access port which probably explains why some access ports are through the formica top and some access ports were created through the galley cabinet.

It's possible mine hasn't been gotten into yet which might explain why I don't have an access.

 

[CMeacham]

Just for the record in case anyone needs to do this in the future. The refrigerant lines are wound around another piece and definitely too big to come out the front.

Access hole in the top and everything looks exposed and should be able to be removed. I'll be able to use this same access to fix some of this ugly wiring as well.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Please tell me this is not a factory headache...