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Date:         Fri, 30 May 2003 16:57:05 -0500
Reply-To:     mike boland <westy@MVBOLAND.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mike boland <westy@MVBOLAND.COM>
Subject:      Re: Front Heater Fan Removal & Replacing HOW TO! - LONG
Comments: To: vw4x4@FYI.NET
In-Reply-To:  <3ED798B6.45D0BFCC@fyi.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Eric, nope he'll look for a wasser boxer

At 01:45 PM 5/30/2003 -0400, Eric Zeno wrote: >Stan, > It looks to me as if your are getting out of the >Vanagon busness. Does this mean once you sell all >your parts you will no longer be here on the list server? > > Eric > > > >Stan Wilder wrote: > > > Fan motor .................. With Resistor $15.00 > > http://www.williamwareagency.com/forsale/firesale0.htm > > If you don't like the price ............. demand a better price! > > You might be surprised. > > More stuff coming tonight and tomorrow, book mark the page. > > > > Stan Wilder > > > > On Mon, 12 May 2003 19:55:38 -0700 Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM> > > writes: > > > Hi Shannon and other Listees > > > > > > I read you problem and have done this job before. It sure sounds > > > like you need a new fan motor. You can pick one up at the Bus Depot, > > > Vanagain or VolksCafe for about $100 + shipping. That is the easy > > > part, now you have to install the new mortor..... read on. > > > > > > David Beierl -- dbeierl@attglobal.net has been a great resource and > > > wealth > > > of information on how to do this for me. He even shipped out FedEx > > > those > > > darn 11 clips to me. > > > > > > This is a fairly easy job as far as Vanagons are concerned but be > > > ready to spend the weekend. > > > > > > Before you get started with this project you may also want to order > > > those darn 11 clamps at your VW dealer. They are VW Part number 321 > > > 819 059 and you will need them to reseal the heater unit. Having > > > the Bentley guide will also be helpful. > > > > > > Below are some basic instructions for doing the job: > > > > > > Disconnect the battery: You will be working without the dash and > > > with exposed hot terminals so it is best to disconnect the ground > > > connection. To do this move the passenger seat forward, remove the > > > plate under the rear of the seat protecting the battery and loosed > > > the ground connection. Pull the ground wire off the terminal and > > > fasten it so that it does not flip back and touch the battery > > > terminal again. > > > Instrument cluster removal: Pull the instrument panel off and > > > remove all the wiring. There are 4 Phillips #2 screws holding the > > > plastic tab of the instrument cluster. Be careful, these tabs can > > > get brittle with age. They will break and shatter. Wiggle you hand > > > behind the speedometer and unclip the spedo cable. Just squeeze the > > > connector and it will come out. Next pull out the switches by > > > pressing the tabs to release them from the cluster. The cluster > > > should lift out and remove the big wire connector plug. This will > > > provide you room to get under the dash board. Put the cluster in a > > > safe place that you will not sit or lay other components on. > > > Vent lever removal: Release all the vent levers. If you pull on > > > the blue and red rubber knobs they will work off the lever. You will > > > be able to see the mounting nut after the instrument panel is > > > removed. You may have to remove the front and rear heater fan > > > switches as well. Also remove any auxiliary wiring on the dash that > > > you may have added on. > > > Radio: Remove the radio you are on your own here > > > Remove the Glove box: press the retaining tabs and lower the > > > box to the floor board. Slide it off its pivot. Be careful not to > > > press the retaining tabs to much or too hard, they could be brittle > > > and break. > > > Syncro dash plate: (Applies to SYNCRO Model) Remove the Syncro > > > dash plate and Differential lock switch(es). > > > Steering column: Remove the two bolts holding the steering > > > column to the dash frame. These are safety bolts without a head > > > because it is meant to snap off when the bolts are torque at the > > > factory. I used a pair of vise grips and was able to turn these > > > bolts loose. I replaced them with normal bolts. I think they are a > > > thread of 8x1.25 mm and 25 cm long. The steering column will drop > > > to the driver s seat and that is ok and out of the way. > > > Dashboard attachment: Unbolt the dashboard > > > a. 6 or 8 #3 Philips head below the windshield > > > b. 4 big bolts along the door jams. You will need to be able to > > > open the doors wide enough to get your screwdriver/bolt driver in > > > there > > > > > > 9) Dash removal: Ok the Dash should be loose and ready to pull > > > off. > > > a. Lift it up slowly and check what else is still wired and > > > connected, like the cig lighter or AC switches, You will have to > > > unplug all. > > > b. I did it by myself but with an extra person it sure is easier to > > > lift and pull the dash out one side or the other. > > > > > > 10) Review the heater unit: With the dash out you can now see the > > > heater unit shell. > > > > > > a. Fastening clips: Check to see if there are black metallic > > > clips (11 of them) snapping the upper half of this heater together. > > > This > > > is an indication that your heater has been pull out and separated > > > once > > > before for service. If there are no clips then this is the first > > > time this heater > > > unit is being serviced. There is a smooth factory mold gluing the > > > upper > > > and lower half of the heater unit sealed from the factory. You will > > > have to > > > run a blade or knife along this edge to separate the two halves. > > > Make sure > > > that you order the 11 clips available only at the VW dealers. It > > > will be tough > > > on a Sunday afternoon to find these at NAPA. They cost about $2 or > > > so. > > > VW part number 321 819 059 > > > > > > b. Heater unit support: Ok the heater unit is held in place by 4 > > > long Philips > > > screws, 2 inside the cabin and 2 from outside by the headlights. > > > You will have to remove the front upper grill to get to these. > > > Once > > > you remove the grill you will see against the firewall just the > > > Phillips > > > head holding a felt or soft washer. These should be the upper > > > supporting > > > screws for the heater unit. They may be rusted to where you cannot > > > get > > > your screwdriver into it. Just work it and don t strip it or rush > > > this part. On > > > the inside the screws should be easier. You may need a long > > > Phillips #3 > > > screwdriver. > > > David Beierl adds: The big M6 screws holding the heater box > > > in are Phillips #3 and not #2, and if you use a #2 driver > > > you're gonna most likely mess them up. Not too terrible > > > on the exposed ones, but a big problem with the buried > > > ones on the heater box. What I've actually done is use > > > the longest #3 I could get, and clamp one of the special > > > Vise-grips made for hex nuts on the plastic handle to > > > turn it with, then lean into the end with as much body > > > weight as I can manage to keep the driver from coming out. > > > With that combination I could get enough force in there to > > > either remove the screw or twist the head off -- not as good > > > obviously but far better than buggering the head of the screw. > > > > > > c. Coolant hose removal: You will also need to remove the coolant > > > hoses > > > coming up from the housing. Be neat and try to capture any coolant > > > drips before > > > they get to the rug. I used lots of newspaper rags and paper > > > towels. Not too much > > > came out when I did this, but the heater core is full of coolant so > > > when you take the > > > actual heater unit out be aware that some coolant may drip. I put a > > > couple of corks > > > in the pipes to keep them as sealed as I could. > > > > > > 11) Removal out of the van: Ok the disassembly is complete you are > > > ready to take the heater unit out of the van for the service. Again > > > plug the coolant pipes and hoses to not loose too much coolant on > > > the front rug in the van. > > > > > > > > > > > > 12) Servicing the Heater Unit: > > > a. Separate the two halves: with the heater unit in your work > > > area (or garage floor) you can now separate the shells and get to > > > the fan motor. See the seam between the two shells and try to run a > > > knife or a blade along that seam. Be patient and work it slowly to > > > not damage anything internal and yourself. Refer to the Bentley > > > instructions if need be. Again make sure that you have the VW > > > engineered clips to buckle these two halves once you are ready to re > > > install. > > > > > > b. Replacing the Heater Fan: With the two halves split you can now > > > service the fan motor. I recall that it easily comes out. You will > > > probably have to remove the squirrel cages from you old motor and > > > insert them on the new motor. It may take a very small Allen wrench > > > for that don t know? Forgot? Mark the orientation of all the parts > > > to fit back in place properly and in the right direction. Refit the > > > new fan motor and test it out with a 12-volt source. Make sure it > > > works and spins in the correct direction. > > > > > > c. Wiring the Heater Fan: The wires are connected/soldered to the > > > big green resistor. This is what provides the 3 fan speeds. You will > > > also note the three or four wires coming from the switch to the big > > > resistor. Do you soldering tricks and remember where the yellow, > > > brown, black wires go. If the big green resistor is cracked or > > > blackened it may need to be replaced as well. Test it out on all > > > three speeds. > > > > > > d. Heater core servicing: You may choose to service other > > > components of the heater unit such as the heater radiator core of > > > the vent flaps. You can check the heater core for any leakage, > > > which you could have smelled as sweet maple syrup prior to taking > > > this job on. There should be signs of corrosion if the core is > > > leaking. You can remove the heater core and flush it out or look for > > > any signs of leaks. In which case it would be very very wise to > > > change the heater core as well since you have it all out and can do > > > it right. List vendors sell this unit for around $100. > > > > > > e. Vent Flaps Servicing: While you are at it, check the foam seals > > > around all the flaps. These are usually burned out after 10 + years > > > in service, and may need to be replaced. I made all the replacement > > > seal from foam pieces that I had laying around from old packaging. > > > Go to a hardware store and check out the foam material in the > > > heating and air conditioning section. They usually will have some > > > material that will work. You cannot get this from VW so you have to > > > custom make this. The important flaps to check are the lower flaps. > > > This seal is what stops the outside from coming into the cab and > > > warming up the Van in the summer time. > > > > > > 13) Reinstallation: OK you are done. I'm done, I can t think of > > > anything else at the moment. Refit the heater flaps, the heater > > > core, the fan motor and cage, the resistor and reassemble the two > > > halves using the 11 clips. Refit the heater unit in the van, refit > > > the coolant hoses on the heater core. Check the vent cabling to > > > ensure that all works well inside the box. Refit and remount > > > everything in reverse order and you should be golden. > > > > > > 14) Fill the coolant and bleed the circuit as described on the > > > list or in Bentley. Flush the air out and you are set. > > > > > > Hope this helps, > > > > > > Joel Cort Joel.cort@usa.xerox.com or Joel_Cort@yahoo > > > 89 Syncro Westy > > > Rochester NY. > > > > > > LiMBO representative for the Western New York region. > > > > > > > > > Shannon Mitchell <vze4rq5j@VERIZON.NET> wrote: > > > My front heater fan is going on the fritz... loud screeching noise > > > and it is driving me crazy... Where is this fan? and how hard is it > > > to change? > > > > > > Thanks in advance > > > Shannon > > > 91 Vanagon > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! > > Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! > > Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!


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