Engine Cooling and Cabin Heating System Tutorial

[hemi354az]

Hey Tim, Thanks for the response. My 73 Beetle has 3/4" holes down at the inside bottom that some PO cut in both A pillars. Can see lots of junk in there and some of the metal "tubing". No 2x2" square hole. If the trunk lid was off that would make it easier to see "down in there", and maybe get a hand down there.

My Computer Consultant/Repairman is a 10 year old that lives next door. Maybe he can get his hand down there before he grows anymore. He does not charge me too much.

Perhaps some other VW Enthusiast has some other Plan B that they will share with all of us. Lou in Aridzona.

[Tim Donahoe]

Cut the holes larger (to 2X2"). The ones in my 1974 Super were cut by VW (if not, someone did some perfect cutting). Once you get the holes big enough, clean out the crap in there, then push your heater tube down from inside the trunk. with the larger holes, you should be able to attach to the heater channel snout.

When done, cover the holes with aluminum vent tape and seal up the carpet against the taped openings.

Your 10-year-old assistant may find a few sharp carpet nails that can cut his arms; so tell him to move cautiously.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[hemi354az]

Tim,
Will you post a picture of either side Factory A-Pillar holes . . . PLEASE ??? Myself and my next door neighbor's kid, Braniac, will be forever grateful, Thx, Lou.

[Tim Donahoe]

Hemi, I'll take a picture tomorrow morning and upload it.

Nevermind.

Looking at the hole, you can see it has rounded corners (so, I can assume this was done at the factory). The lower part of the hole is located about 3/4 inch from the edge of the heater channel, and about 1 and 1/2 inches from the horizontal edge that just starts showing glue residue.

You can't see the vent pipe, due to the angle. It's the best I could do without tearing back a larger portion of the carpet. Tape the hole you cut with vent tape as I previously mentioned, then glue your carpet back.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[hemi354az]

Cowabunga! Eureka! Hallejulia! Hot Schit! Breakthru! Damn!

Very INTERESTING, that after all these years and 14 pages of Comments about this whole topic . . . that your VW has these holes in the A-Pillar. No one else offered any solution to attaching the hose "down in the dark hole".
Thanks very much for the PHOTO !!! I know what I'll do to my '73 now, to reconstruct this whole front air system.

Has ANYONE else got these holes in their A-Pillar(s) ???

My '73 has no carpet or anything, just gooey old paint, so it will be easy to add those holes. I'll drill four corner holes using a Blair hole saw (often called spot weld removing drill), then cut the straight parts between those holes to get a nice "hole" like your picture shows. Those round corners will prevent cracks. If you see cracks . . . stop drill the end of the crack. Stop drilling cracks is common in Aircraft, and works in almost any material.

Again . . . THANKS FOR THE PHOTO !!!
Lou in Aridzona

[Tim Donahoe]

Be aware when cutting: you don't want to cut the snout on the heater channel. However, I think they placed the hole in an area that will avoid cutting the snout.

Also, the 2x2 hole is still rather small. Get your 10-year-old assistant to attach the vent hose (small hands, you know).

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[Cusser]

Paul did a great job describing this system (Page 1).

I guess my advantage of being 2nd owner of my 1971 is that the heater actually works !!! Some days I turn on the heat with the top down.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[Cali_Army_Guy]

[Lingwendil]

here is a build that shows excellent cross sections of stock style heat exchangers, for those that are interested...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...;start=140
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73 super beetle thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=649622 Back on the Road!

Modify your Kadrons for SVDA http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8115884#8115884

Cast iron VJU4BR8 SVDA reference thread- https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

Need replacement filters for original Kadron aircleaners? WIX #42087 is a perfect fit, as is Napa Gold #2087!

[air-h2o-air]

[BWingate]

I'm working on my '74 SB Convertible. Its a bit of a frankenbug with an older replacement of the floor pans and other bits that I'm discovering.

The heat mostly works, but the defroster feels weak and lukewarm. (I think it is partially from the fresh air box flaps not being completely closed)

I'm reading up on everything before I dive into this on the weekend, but I'm trying to figure out how the defroster cables are supposed to route. On the driver's side, I have a floor vent with a tab that lets me open and close it. On the passenger side there is no tab, but there is a cable running forward to the foot well and then back (looks like a bike brake cable). I have not traced this cable completely.

Is this supposed to work the passenger floor vent?

Is it supposed to go back to the rear seat vents?

How are the cables supposed to route to the rear seat vents? Straight back along the tunnel? Around the front? Something else?

Thanks,
Bruce.

[mochito441]

[67rustavenger]

Search "rear seat support bar" in the classifieds. There are 5 adds that I found.
Good Luck.

[HFOAIE]

About getting a new defroster hose down into the A pillar. I had to do it a long time ago, and I don't remember it clearly, but for starters, it goes in from the top. I think the holes at the bottom are inspection holes so they could see at the factory how the hose was lining up and going on. The cardboard hose has a spiral pattern, which acts like threads on a screw. Use It. I think it took some careful pressure besides the screwing action. I suspect that the factory may have used an appropriate lubricant to help. You know, those defroster hoses were probably the only reason nobody wanted Volkswagen after WWII, but some British chap must have figured them out, and that's why the British army kept VW going.

[Molly1973]

This write-up is excellent!

[octavioadrian]

I am new to the beetle community! Thank you for this information. I have a lot of work to do on my 1970 Beetle that I just purchased. It is nice but the previous owner covered/hid A LOT of items on the car to make it look nice. The fresh air hoses where installed but not all the way to the heater exchanger. I was looking for answers on how to connect them. Thank you. Now I just need to find where I can find a WYE Pipe for my rear left side or how to modify a new one.

[Wayne S. Johnson]

Dual heater fans. 90° flex drain couplings are the same size as the hot air ducts and the Bosch blowers.

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[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

[Patty B.]

I replaced my driver side heater hose in the A pillar over the summer--I didn't need to enlarge the hole at the bottom but did use it to vacuum the space then check the tube was well seated. I was able to get my hand down there, skinny arms, to clean and tear the old remaining tube stuck on the outlet --I did manage to get scratched up on the screw and tack tips but no big deal.
The hardest and more frustrating part to me was rerouting the new tubes at the top including the fork --the twist and pressure fit aspects of each hose is there for a reason as with some the is room to twist on and other to push fit in their order--I think I tried them all lol. Now I have heat at the driverside window!
It's not a hard job and like any job it takes a bit longer than you might think if you haven't done it before.

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

Found these on Jbugs which illustrate the heater channels and the heater lever functions pretty well:

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1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor