| Author |
Message |
strawman
Samba Member
Joined: August 23, 2007
Posts: 94
|
 Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:11 am Post subject: What’s this behind my 82 Vanagon grille? |
 |
|
Apologies for no picture, hope you can help me out.
Took off the front grill of my 82 AC vanagon to remove old wiring from previous owner. Found that he used plastic to cover over the black 2”x24” grill in the center. So I’m wondering why and what am I missing out on.
I’m not sure what inside levers control this air intake, maybe it’s fresh air for that 3 speed switch on the dash. Maybe he wanted to stop the flow of cold air into the van. I appreciate any help on how this system works. Thanks
Dan |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
bobbyblack 
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4352
Location: United States, Iowa
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:23 am Post subject: Re: What’s this behind my 82 vanagon grill |
|
|
I have not had a air cooled Vanagon yet, but from what I have been watching, it seems there is no factory setup fresh air in flap to block the air coming in.
Chris Corkins of Vanaistan has a nice kit that you could get to allow air in when you want it, or mostly shut-off inlet when you don't. Check his cool mod out on vanistan.com, you'll get the answer you are looking for.
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
calo1956
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2011
Posts: 703
Location: long Island new york
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:30 pm Post subject: Re: What’s this behind my 82 vanagon grill |
|
|
| There is defiantly fresh air, on my 80 westy, the vents on either side of the dash, have levers that let in fresh air.. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Slate
Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2014
Posts: 59
Location: Fort Collins, CO
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:16 pm Post subject: Re: What’s this behind my 82 Vanagon grille? |
|
|
| strawman wrote: |
Apologies for no picture, hope you can help me out.
Took off the front grill of my 82 AC vanagon to remove old wiring from previous owner. Found that he used plastic to cover over the black 2”x24” grill in the center. So I’m wondering why and what am I missing out on.
I’m not sure what inside levers control this air intake, maybe it’s fresh air for that 3 speed switch on the dash. Maybe he wanted to stop the flow of cold air into the van. I appreciate any help on how this system works. Thanks
Dan |
On a water cooled Vanagon almost all air that goes through the blower comes through that vent. There are small water drain holes in the plenum behind the normal 2"x24" plastic screen that if you do seal off that inlet, will let some air in from the outside but really not much.
Prior to 1985 the side vents on the dash did not have heated air, only outside air from after the blower but before the heater core. In the winter the cold air coming from those vents, even when off, would freeze me and I worked hard to stop that air flow.
If that 2"x24" vent is truly completely blocked off, which I've found to be surprisingly hard to accomplish, you would not have much air flow while at speed with the blower off. In fact, blower on or off would not make much difference since all the air then has to come through those small drain holes, unless he has provided another place for the blower to get airflow, in which case you'd probably have a modified blower box.
There is a foam gasket between the heater box and the front bulkhead and if this was left out, the blower MIGHT be able to get enough air to function with the outside air inlet blocked off.
No lever controls the outside air inlet, it's always wide open unless you have the Vanistan modification or similar. Inspection reveals that it appears that VW intended to put a dampener in there, from the way the metal is bent, but they never did to the best of my knowledge.
My guess is that he was trying to improve the heat inside. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32634
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
