TheSamba.com :: View topic - What else to do while replacing a front heater core?

Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:23 am

So I'm getting ready to replace the front heater core and blower on my '86 weekender. What other preventative maintenance/restoration things do people recommend doing up there while I have the dash out?

Mon Nov 19, 2007 1:19 pm

Clean up the grounds on the pillar. Clean out the squirter lines. Lube the Windshield wiper system. Replace the foam on the heater box flappers. Install insulation on the forward nose section for noise. Install any extra electrical lines for future goodies, like aux battery cig plugs or stereo systems. Find all the pennies you lost.

Mon Nov 19, 2007 2:51 pm

I went ahead and replaced my 24 year old wiper shafts while I was in there.

Mon Nov 19, 2007 3:05 pm

Here's some good step-by-step info on the removal process:

http://www.vanagonauts.com/Heater-Blower-R&-R118.htm

Mon Nov 19, 2007 4:41 pm

Thanks, guys!
That's exactly the kind of wisdom I'm looking for.

BTW, here's another good r&r on the same topic, from the same site:
http://www.vanagonauts.com/%5B70.5-%5DInstrument-Panel---Dashboard-(T-J-Hannink)117.htm

Mon Nov 19, 2007 5:36 pm

I'm tackling the same project. My fan is shot so new heater core is going in also. Winter comes and so do the projects.

Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:24 pm

So I removed my dash today, and will be replacing my front heater core and blower motor very soon... I keep seeing people posting saying "fix the foam on the heater flaps" with foam you get from home depot. ...Are people meaning Frost King type insulation, or can you just buy the foam? If so, can anyone tell me exactly what kind of foam to use?

Also, once you have foam, how does one actually replace the foam thats there? It didn't seem obvious when I looked at it yesterday.

Finally, what about lubing the windshield wipers? What specifically should be lubed?

Thanks!

Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:53 am

I just finished this project. Saturday I removed the dash and the heaterbox and cleaned it up, replaced the fan and the flapperfoam. Sunday I did another thing or two, then put it all back together. I have a few observations.

1) It is a lot easier the second time around.

2) You don’t have to remove the dash to replace the windshield squirters. You can wiggle them out, and replace them with new. (a heat gun is nice to make 20yr old plastic lines a little softer to slip the nozzles off/on)

3) The number of stereo installs that have lived in a 20yr dash leave a bit of wiring mess.

4) The tip of the shearbolts comes right off; right after you put your vice-grips away and realize you forgot the washers. Why did I use them again?

5) The heaterbox is a great hiding place for pennies, confetti, watch batteries, and little dash lightbulbs.

6) Replacing the “to-the-back” vent flap foam is a pain the butt, since you do them in place. I read that someone removed it, but I didn't want to hack up the box.

7) If you stick the foam on (2.5"x .25", made by 3M)******edit - it's 1.25" wide, oops***** without cutting the 6-8 holes for the retainers, a hot awl from the backside opening in the flap makes the cutest little holes, in the right place, too……

8 ) Are those dangly fresh-air flaps removeable?

9) I was “blown away” by the difference the new foam made. While the new fan is not any stronger, the new flapperfoam allows all of it to be focused on a single place. Defroster is like a hurricane compared to what it was before.

Photo album
http://picasaweb.google.com/Oodacmekim/HeaterMotor#

Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:43 am

How about some sound deadening on the front panel?

Before

After

Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:05 pm

great time for headlight relays..

Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:39 pm

I have to pull the dash to find a mouse nest on the 91 Multivan I just bought. I suspect it will be found near the fan as the van is also intermittent. I guess this is a good time to kill two birds with one stone...

How much are the fans and cores? I was considering doing both since I am going to all the trouble of getting in there. I can't see any other way off getting a mouse nest out of the front duct work. It smells awful. I shut the front air flow off completely and the smell dissipates some, however relying on the rear heater in Canada won't cut it, not to mention no defrost...

I will lube the wiper linkage too... Any other suggestions>

Eric

Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:21 pm

buseric wrote: How much are the fans and cores?

Fans are $80-100
Front cores are rediculou$

Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:11 pm

McVanagon-
do you have a # for the 3M foam you used?
I have a spare core on my bench I'm going to rebuild then put in since I park on the street, and need to pull the dash and do all the work in a short time frame.

Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:56 pm

<<I have a spare core on my bench I'm going to rebuild then put in since I park on the street>>

Interesting.

How does one go about rebuilding a front core?

I'm all ear's on this caper Harry---

Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:17 am

brooklynvan wrote: McVanagon-
do you have a # for the 3M foam you used?

No, I sure dont.....sorry. I threw away the packaging... I bought the roll at Advanced Auto for about $12, and the instructions would have helped me attach a cab to a truck bed. The dimensions were 1.25" wide, and 0.25" thick. It was self-adhesive, and I had a plastic film on the other side that I had to peel off.
The 1.25" width was just about perfect.

Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:23 am

Great pix, McV; thanks.
Although I started this thread six weeks ago, I STILL haven't done the front core (but I did do the rear core, which started leaking and thus moved up in the urgency rankings), so I for one am still very interested in the great info that continues to come out here.

Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:49 am

Good info on the 3-M foam tape---

Here's another one of them jobs you don't wanna cut corner's on.

Do not buy the Ace is the place or the brand X sealing gasket material when your having a hard time locating the right stuff.

The adhesive on the back side of the cheap stuff is garbage and will not stick to the heater door's very long.

The 3-M foam tape will stay on the door's a long time without rolling off.

Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:15 am

Terry Kay wrote: Good info on the 3-M foam tape---

Here's another one of them jobs you don't wanna cut corner's on.

Do not buy the Ace is the place or the brand X sealing gasket material when your having a hard time locating the right stuff.

The adhesive on the back side of the cheap stuff is garbage and will not stick to the heater door's very long.

The 3-M foam tape will stay on the door's a long time without rolling off.

True, that stuff was sticky. Make a mistake, and you'll be scraping, sanding, and using googone. Even though this tape was clearly adhesive, I would have never trusted it alone without those retaining clip-plates.

***edit*** I stopped by the store on the way home and got the foam info.... as well as upload a few photos.

3M Pickup Camper Tape
Part # 03420
1 1/4"x 3/16"x 10 yards.

What's left of the factory foam.

Remove foam clip, I mean.... dust clip.

After sticking the tape to the flap, trimming it, and peeling the plastic off, I heated up the tip of an awl, and stuck it though from the other side...I actually threw this one from the other side of the garage. I was getting pretty good by the second set of flaps. Bullseye!

Once the smoke cleared, this is what the other side looked like... Neat, and no cutting or measuring involved. Just put the retainer back in.

Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:25 pm

I don't know if my heater housing has been opened up... Is there anyway to peek and see if it has clips. I have never had the dash out so I am not sure how hidden the heater housing is....

I would like to know if I need to buy the 11 clips or not..... Can you peer through the ashtray or glovebox or something if you take them out?

Thanks,

Eric

Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:02 pm

buseric wrote: I don't know if my heater housing has been opened up... Is there anyway to peek and see if it has clips. I have never had the dash out so I am not sure how hidden the heater housing is....

I would like to know if I need to buy the 11 clips or not..... Can you peer through the ashtray or glovebox or something if you take them out?

Thanks,

Eric

Eric,

Here is a photo album from Ken. I borrowed a few photos from it (since I don't have any where I am right now)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Madsen.Ken/HeaterBlowerReplacement

I highlighted the seam red. You may (or may not) have to break this seam, depending if it has already been done. If you take the glovebox and the lower center panel off, you will be able to see part of the heater box. (I highlighted Ken's defroster flapper control lever in blue, for reference).

Trace as much of the seam as you can with your eyes and fingers. There should be some clips along the seam, clamping the two halfs together. I believe there are two in the front between the heat vents, and at least two or three you will be able to see from the passenger floor, looking up. Don't be misled by the clips holding the ends of the control cables down.....

Good luck!