I installed a BA6 in my 1973 Wild Westerner!

[vwwestyman]

Ha ha, well I'll be happy to take a little bit off your workload!

Got a lot closer to finishing up the install. Using the rubber mount quieted the fuel pump significantly (as expected).

Got the exhaust pipe hooked up through the frame.

I used a 1 3/4" flexible pipe because that was the largest flexible section that fit through the hole in my frame. Unfortunately, it didn't fit over the exhaust of the heater, so I used a coupling from the FLAPS that slipped inside both parts, and clamped it all together.

Because others had commented (in other threads) about concern over the proximity of the exhaust pipe to the rubber duct, I wrapped a few layers of heavy duty foil around the duct to act as a kind of heat shield.

Continued working on the acid treatment of the floors, and decided to go ahead and do the front floor too.

Dissected the safety switch. It certainly is a bimetal strip that warms up and trips it. There is a sprung contact inside, and the strip presses against the reset lever arm to hold the contact together. When the strip warms up, it slips past the lever which allows the contact to open and cut off the system.

There is an adjustment screw. Turning it in between 3 and 4 turns got the switch to where it operates in just over 3 minutes.

Sorry the video is in portrait mode... I thought I had my phone turned correctly to be in landscape but I guess it had other ideas. Ticking in the background is the heater running!


Link

_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[scrivyscriv]

Thanks for posting the switch guts, the operation is pretty much identical to the BN4 safety switch! I wonder why the wiring diagram shows a transistor and mentions the switch is "solid state?" Clearly that is not the case.
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[vwwestyman]

Perhaps the later Vanagon ones are transistorized? There seems to have been a few parts and installs changed or upgraded slightly along the way. For example, I had some difficulty determining the "proper" mounting locations for a few components because they seemed to be in somewhat different places in different pics in the manual, or different pics posted by people around here that were showing factory installs.

(Especially the exact location of the coil and fuel pump.)

Or perhaps Üter was simply mistaken when he was asked to draw the wiring diagram!
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Abscate]

[vwwestyman]

Yesterday I sprayed the area that is contained by the belly pan with the Fluid Film and installed the pan.

Also grabbed a dryer vent thingy for the return air duct. I was going to screw it down but it seems that just sort of pressure fitting will be sufficient. If needed I'll screw it in later. I figure this with the screen will keep the majority of the junk from getting sucked in by the fan.

The acid treatment should be good to go, hopefully I'll get the Master Series down tomorrow or Wednesday so I can get the seats back in over the weekend.

_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[notchboy]

You went all out brother. This was a nice install and makes for one unique WW
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[vwwestyman]

[airschooled]

Congrats on the install! Your thread definitely had me researching gas heaters for my bus, but my wallet said 'no.'

What's the M-Code for the green transaxle?
Robbie
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Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[vwwestyman]

[vwwestyman]

Just look at that melted frost this morning!

All I had to do was go out and twist the dial a few minutes before I was ready, and by the time I came back out, the frost was all melted and wiped away easily by the wipers.

This thing is awesome!

I got the interior reinstalled this Friday evening and have been enjoying driving the Westerner since.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Chris Morrice]

I'm just about to begin this same job in my new '71 Westy... I like this heater version because I'm running dual batteries in the back.

Thanks for helping illuminate the way forward! It's encouraging to see someone having just accomplished it.

[vwwestyman]

[vwwestyman]

Couple things:

First: Could someone please take a pic of their exhaust pipe and how it's mounted and how it exits the Bus? At the moment, I just have the pipe kinda hanging down, and I believe that fumes may be getting sucked in while driving.

Second: I may need to possibly check/calibrate the gas pump's pumping. I sorta wonder if this thing could be firing a little hotter.

Third: Is it supposed to stay running all the time if the engine is running? Mine only works with the timer, so on longer trips I have to reset the timer every 10 minutes. If it is supposed to stay running, do any of you have any ideas on trouble shooting this or could you say if maybe I have something hooked up incorrectly still?

Thanks all!
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[scrivyscriv]