Long heater tube

[splittie65]

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?

[Stocknazi]

The center and forward heater tubes are held together with a couple tack welds.
_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).

"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Thomas Jefferson

[Eric&Barb]

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.
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available!

[Stocknazi]

For the price you'd pay to have someone put them in, you could probably buy at least a cheaper welder.
_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).

"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Thomas Jefferson

[kguarnotta]

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
_________________
-Kevin
Lincoln, MA

2001 Eurovan
'86 Triple Knob Syncro w/EJ22
'78 Westy
'69 Single Cab
'65 Kombi - EZ-Camper

[EJZero1]

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.

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

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

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.

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.

All in all, not a terrible task. YMMV, depending on the extent you wish to dive in.
_________________
‘60 Kombi, The “Bob Dowell Van”