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Long heater tube
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splittie65
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Joined: August 03, 2023
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Location: Surrey, UK
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2024 5:19 am    Post subject: Long heater tube Reply with quote

I have noticed that the long heater tube (OEM Part Number 211-255-785/A) under my van has rotted out at each end. The previous owner has held it in place with zip ties around the long gear change rod...not ideal! the rest is all okay.

Replacement tubes are available but I wondered how they are fixed in place and supported normally. I have no welding skills or equipment, so is this something I need to get done in a workshop?
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Stocknazi
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2024 8:24 am    Post subject: Re: Long heater tube Reply with quote

The center and forward heater tubes are held together with a couple tack welds.
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Eric&Barb
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2024 2:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Long heater tube Reply with quote

Well there are things such as pop rivets or even self tapping screws that you could use. Not optimal, but would work.

If you like to work on metal things like cars and work with your hands, do consider getting a decent quality wire feed welder with gas bottle ASAP. Then get some scrap metal to learn how to weld on. Very liberating being able to do ones own welding.
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Stocknazi
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2024 2:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Long heater tube Reply with quote

For the price you'd pay to have someone put them in, you could probably buy at least a cheaper welder.
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kguarnotta
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 12:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Long heater tube Reply with quote

here is an old thread - with info on working on that heater tube.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=20
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EJZero1
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 5:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Long heater tube Reply with quote

Just did this job myself as part of a lot of metal replacement. Quite honestly one of the easiest parts of the bigger project so far.

Front of my main tube was rotten, along with the front cross brace.

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


Fairly solid from their back, but with a pretty good crunch near the rear.

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


Ground away the tack welds that remained and removed the whole tube.

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


For the extent of my repairs, I found the new tube to be about 4” too long. Cut it to the right length for me and slid the sleeve (don’t forget to order the sleeve with the tube) over the front end of the tube. Inserted the rear end of the tube through the rear cross brace, raised the front of the tube to align with the hole in the new front cross brace, and slid the sleeve forward through the hole to mate with the front heat tube assembly.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


A few tack welds at the sleeve/cross brace union, a few more at the rear of the sleeve to join it to the heat tube itself, and finally a few more to secure the rear of the heat tube to the rear cross brace.

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


All in all, not a terrible task. YMMV, depending on the extent you wish to dive in.
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