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Front Heater Assembly
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iltis74
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:50 pm    Post subject: Front Heater Assembly Reply with quote

Ok so I've got the front heater unit out from the dash of an '86, trying to get to the fan and core, I have pulled the clips off to split the thing and it appears it may also be glued together? Or am I missing something? I have recently moved and the Bently is MIA. Don't really want to crack the poor thing. Thanks.
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Captain Pike
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But that is what you must do. Carve it open___don't cut yourself
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ak_runner
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you had to pull clips off then someone has been into it before. Did you remove the screw by the blower motor hump? That will stop you cold and is easy to overlook.
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Vanagon Nut
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I made this video a while back.

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil/iWeb/Site%205/FreshAirHousing2.html

(first time at the job. Even though I was pretty thorough, consider it a guideline only, not a comprehensive "hot to")

The box opening part starts about 1/3 the way in.

Mine had the clips and some grey s**t holding it together. Whadda pain. FWIW, I sealed mine from the outside (and used clips). It will make the next guys life a little easier!

Neil.
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1988 West, 50º ABA

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iltis74
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah I had already found the screws but couldn't figure why it would be glued together if they bothered to put clips around the outside of the thing and was figuring I had to be missing something, though it's obvious glue made sense to someone because appearantly it is.

Vanagon Nut, watched your video, caught your reference to its being previously aircooled and poked around your site a bit as what I am doing is using an '86 parts car to convert an '80 over to watercooled, (though the main point of the parts car is to swap from an auto tranny to manual.) I'm curious if your baby had a gas heater in it and if so what you did with it. After starting this thread I put the box down, started poking into the '80, and found that it has one that is in-line with the main heat to the front. I didn't see that coming, and now I'm wondering what to do with it. Thanks.
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Vanagon Nut
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iltis74 wrote:

Vanagon Nut, watched your video, caught your reference to its being previously aircooled and poked around your site a bit as what I am doing is using an '86 parts car to convert an '80 over to watercooled, (though the main point of the parts car is to swap from an auto tranny to manual.) I'm curious if your baby had a gas heater in it and if so what you did with it. After starting this thread I put the box down, started poking into the '80, and found that it has one that is in-line with the main heat to the front. I didn't see that coming, and now I'm wondering what to do with it. Thanks.


Are you keeping your gas heater? Not sure how to help with that. But if you're ditching it.....

On mine there was a decommissioned (by the PO) BA6 gas heater installed. I removed all the pipes/bits related to the gas heater and stock air cooled heating schtuff, including the long corrugated paper/tinfoil tube. I also made sure to disconnect/remove all gas heater related stuff at the dash. The harness for the heater is still in place under the belly. I left it there in case I could use the wiring for the temp gauge etc. Didn't end up doing that.

If you don't mind a suggestion......

Save the little bits from the WBX for the heater hoses where they pass through the body. (in fact, save every piece you can) I saved the rubber piece, but missed the other bits, so the hole is, uh, covered in part, by duct tape. (oh for shame.... Rolling Eyes Wink )

Oh yah. I assume you're using the '86 heat exchange box? I don't know for sure, but it should fit. i.e. don't do what I did. Rebuilding my '81 box. Waste-o-time. (but then I didn't have my '85 parts Vanagon at that point.... )

I also removed this piece:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


(I say on my web site not to bother, but I found it wasn't too hard to sneak past the various parts in the way)

Check out my other website if you haven't already. It may have some more of what you need to know, though it sadly needs some updating!

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

Cheers,

Neil.
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1988 West, 50º ABA

Vanagon VAG GAS engine swap Google Group:
https://tinyurl.com/2f24rmh

VE7TBN
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iltis74
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do plan to keep the gas heater, I think I'll just continue like it wasn't there and figure out a way to route its heat inside a bit later. Funny enough I'm working on an ASI conversion and there is a Coleman propane heater already there with exhaust routed outside and a thermostat, and as the parts van is a Westy I now have a tank on each side, but with some of the places this thing is sure to end up I figure the more heat options the merrier.

One thought I had was simply to direct, (or have the option to,) the output under the motor to have a quick and easy way to preheat the motor before very cold starts. Hopefully the heater starts no problem at those temps. Be kind of like a permanent weedburner-with-a-length-of-pipe trick. Just a thought.

Nice website, I like the idea of riveting the upper radiator mount in place. Easy to do and I hadn't thought my way around that yet. Only question I can come up with at this point is your thoughts on the hole continuing below the radiator grill. As the stock hole is folded over and the grill resting on it with legs, I have been toying with the idea of cutting the hole narrower, trimming the legs off the grill, and hiding all the edges behind it. No need to color-match. I realize this may cut airflow a tad and the bottom of the grill would possibly not be supported as well, but I'm thinking that may not matter and it should look better. Does anyone have thoughts on this? Thanks.
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Vanagon Nut
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

iltis74 wrote:



Nice website, I like the idea of riveting the upper radiator mount in place. Easy to do and I hadn't thought my way around that yet. Only question I can come up with at this point is your thoughts on the hole continuing below the radiator grill. As the stock hole is folded over and the grill resting on it with legs, I have been toying with the idea of cutting the hole narrower, trimming the legs off the grill, and hiding all the edges behind it. No need to color-match. I realize this may cut airflow a tad and the bottom of the grill would possibly not be supported as well, but I'm thinking that may not matter and it should look better. Does anyone have thoughts on this? Thanks.


Thanks!

I really should post more of the photos and info that I have.

For those doing this type of conversion but w/o a WBX parts van on hand, I have read that the upper bracket for the rad can be made. Removing the stock one from the WBX wasn't super hard. Rivets work fine but if I had a better skill set on my MIG I would've welded it.

I have read that some don't cut and install a grill. NOT saying this is correct, but they have had no problems w/o the hole/grill.

Somewhere on the site there was thread not long ago containing info about that. Possibly started by me.

Does your '80 have the lower rad bracket "holes"?

Like this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Just curious.

Neil.
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1981 Westy, 15º ABA

1988 West, 50º ABA

Vanagon VAG GAS engine swap Google Group:
https://tinyurl.com/2f24rmh

VE7TBN
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iltis74
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes those holes are there. The heaterbox however is completely different and goes not have knockouts for a heater core, but I see no reason yet why the 86er won't slip right in. So far everything is going well. Of course I'm putting off having to figure out anything electrical until the last minute.
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McVanagon
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is another thread about the heater box that could help. Talks about clips, what else to do while in there, and flapper foam.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=265457
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Vanagon Nut
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

iltis74 wrote:
Yes those holes are there. The heaterbox however is completely different and goes not have knockouts for a heater core, but I see no reason yet why the 86er won't slip right in. So far everything is going well. Of course I'm putting off having to figure out anything electrical until the last minute.


Interesting. I thought the rad "holes" were on Vanagons from '81 + Not having the nipple kockouts makes sense though.

Heh heh. Yah electrical is fun! Shouldn't be a big deal. Especially considering the wealth of info on the WBX. Plus you have the donor on site IIRC. Hey it's not like installing Motronic 2.9 from scratch! Wink

I'm sure there's info here about swapping in a later model instrument cluster, but FWIW, I kept my '81. I installed the coolant temp, hi/low dynamic oil pressure warning unit separately.

Neil.
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1981 Westy, 15º ABA

1988 West, 50º ABA

Vanagon VAG GAS engine swap Google Group:
https://tinyurl.com/2f24rmh

VE7TBN
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