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Any hands on tips for the rear heater fix
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skaaudivw
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:34 pm    Post subject: Any hands on tips for the rear heater fix Reply with quote

my 85 westy rear heater core is leaking. Smells yummy.
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r39o
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Repair. Bypass.

Basic two options. No magic involved. Just deal with it NOW, before you have a major spill. Major spill means removing flooring. Not fun.

Mine is history....
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bunker108
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just did mine. It is a very easy job. I would recomend replacing the valve while you are at it.
A pic of what is under the cover.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


removed the core from it's housing
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


new core and valve ready to go back in.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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skaaudivw
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice thanks, looks easy as i just did a PITA heater core job on an Audi 200.
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tsombrero1
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What did you use to clamp the hoses shut when you took them off? I was thinking of making something with a couple pieces of angle iron and a pair of screws...
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gears
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I did mine, I merely (quickly) stuck in a couple of short plugs, cut from aluminum bar.... along with hose clamps (of course). I'll be reinstalling my rear heater after I fabricate a new mount, installing it directly over the newly-installed Propex.

When I installed an auxiliary shut-off valve on the FRONT heater (where the coolant REALLY wants to rush out), I used a pair of carefully adjusted vise grips with small flat plates to hold back 98% of the flow while quickly installing the valve. I took care not to squeeze to the point of possibly damaging the hose.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I remember right it's on the earlier Vanagons that the hose to the valve comes in at an angle putting torque on the valve and causing the o-ring to leak constantly. Adding a 90 bend to the hose as it approaches the valve so everthing lines up with no undo force will help. Also unbolt the valve from the heater and smear the mating surfaces with silicon, and rebolt. Of course if your leak is in the heater core itself you need to replace the core.
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campbell27
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:59 pm    Post subject: Which lever does what Reply with quote

Embarassed Okay so there are 2 levers- which one controls what and what direction is on/off or open/closed??? The picture in my Bentley book doesn't do the job for me.

There's one on the top-round knob plastic and then the one on the side of the valve metal lever.

Thanks
Jackie
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pioneer1
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:09 pm    Post subject: rear heater Reply with quote

Campbell: The white knob is the access hole to the coolant-used to burp air out of system. The metal lever is the on-off. Start the motor,turn on fan and test to determine which position is which.
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campbell27
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay so now I know what the plastic knob is for. I tried that couldn't tell any difference hot air blew both ways. Is the valve bad, or could it have been installed wrong?
Thanks
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pioneer1
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:28 am    Post subject: rear heater Reply with quote

Morning: If you are sure that heat comes out no matter what the position then that valve must be stuck open and the metal handle is just spinning on the shaft? I believe the valve is just a simple ball valve that opens and closes with various increments of temperature.
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furrylittleotter
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You have to wait a while for heat to stop coming out after you close the valve
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smaurer
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rear heater core blew out on the way home today. Coolant in the rear bench. Could hear it hissing. Ran the antifreeze low and stopped to refill. Does this mean I need to burp the whole system now that I ran it low? Would you lean towards replacing the front heater core also implying that the whole system has aged together? Front has no leak so far. Just the rear. Is the Partsgeek.com replacement core good enough at $75?
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Bercilak
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my van's case, both were leaking; I don't see that failure of one is proof of failure of the other. If you want to play it safe, you could order both, and do the rear now, and the front later.

The rear is substantially easier than the front heater. With parts, about 1.5-2 hours being attentive; faster if you know what you're doing. Experts could surely do it in less than thirty minutes.

Brief viewing of the partsgeek model appears to be same/similar as other well known vendors. Any reason not to order the heater core from Van Cafe @ $78 or GoWesty @ $70 or Bus Depot @ $96 (states OEM/German Made)?

These vendors all offer substantially more support to the VW community, and will be more likely to stand by a product, I would think, as well as help you with questions, etc.

Also,
Van Cafe = Cookies
Go Westy = GoBucks
Wink

B.
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Volksaholic
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've posted this elsewhere... but it seems relevant to this thread. When I put the Subaru engine in I also installed valves on both heater lines in the engine compartment. All my cooling hoses are new, but I was running out of money for the long heater hose run so that's a potential point of failure, as are the heater cores. Living and driving in No. Utah I love having both my heaters, so removing the rear is not an option in my book.

I used the ball valves from Home Depot that are designed for PEX hot water hookups. Terry Kay's are more expensive... and he "advises against" using the home improvement variety. He's right... mine have developed a slow leak and I haven't heard any complaints about the ones he sells. I'll upgrade to the TK offering at some point.

The reason I put them on both hoses is so I can remove that entire circuit. You only need one valve to block the flow, but you need two to block the pressure. I turn them off for the Summer to remove the heat and pressure on everything... I have a suspicion that the added heat in the Summer might contribute to warpage in the rear heater valve. The front heater box is hard enough to get to that if I lose that heater core I want to be able to shut everything down, drive home, and replace it on my schedule.

Paul
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smaurer
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Brief viewing of the partsgeek model appears to be same/similar as other well known vendors. Any reason not to order the heater core from Van Cafe @ $78 or GoWesty @ $70 or Bus Depot @ $96 (states OEM/German Made)?

These vendors all offer substantially more support to the VW community, and will be more likely to stand by a product, I would think, as well as help you with questions, etc.

Also,
Van Cafe = Cookies
Go Westy = GoBucks
Wink

B.


Good point. I have some GoBucks to use up. I just did a quick search for the core initially. Pretty warm in Denver so I'm thinking of pulling the rear heater and throwing in a connector tube for now and do it later. I haven't tore into it yet so I'm guessing it's the core. Thanks for the vendor leads.
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Bercilak
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I figured if you were going to order online, one wait is as good as the next. Can't say how many times I've gone to a FLAPS because I didn't want to wait a day or two, only to end up replacing the cheapie part later from more reputable vendors.

I only fixed the rear heat because:

1. I'm a weenie and I like it hot
2. I have a kid, and a wife who hates the van; in order to travel, I had to allow maximum flexibility/wife happiness.

If you're the only one driving the van, you could remove the rear heater, and never know it was gone. My front heater puts out unholy amounts of heat, now that I have the stainless steel coolant lines.

Best,

B.
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joseph928
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:48 am    Post subject: rear heater Reply with quote

Van Cafe @ $78 Blue Bay Bus Can't live without rear heat, fixed mine, got to have cookies! Took me only 30 min. Very Happy
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SteelB12
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stupid question:

This is my second Westy. Looking at my current one, it looks like there are 4 threaded holes around the rear heater. Was there a cover over the rear heater originally?? I don't recall seeing anything in the Bentley about a cover or shield to keep from breaking that white plastic knob.



Of course mine leaks. Just been too lazy to bother working on it Wink
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Bercilak
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, there's a cover there. Amazingly, I was only able to find one picture, from an expired ad here on the samba:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1122893

That is pretty cool for a cover, but not what my 85 has; in mine, there is a plywood cover that goes over the rear heater to keep it from being jostled/bumped by stuff stored in the bench. Mine appears to be OEM, as the plywood is covered with the same grain/vinyl paper that the inside of the cabinets are all covered with. Could be an excellent aftermarket job, I guess. When I get a chance, I'll take a pic of mine and post it here. That way there'll be 2(!) pictures of rear heater covers on the internet.

B.
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