Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 13:11:09 +0000
Reply-To: kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: blower fan and resealing air box
I have done the blower fan several times and recently resealed an airbox as well.
The blower fan replacement requires the following parts:
New blower fan- $95
10 clips for blower fan housing- $5.50
Blower fan only:
You remove the dashboard, and then remove the blower fan housing from the fire wall. Then break the plastic tabs placed here and there around the seam of the air box halves. Take out one screw in the very top of the air box and now you should be able to open the thing up. If you just want to swap out the fan you can do this now and then snap the air box back together with the clips you bought. Then put everything back together.
Blower fan and seals:
If you want to redo the seals in the air box then you should remove your heater core. You can do this without unhooking the water lines (doh- what do you mean you already did that? I didn't tell you to do that.) Just take the heater core out and lay it to the side with the hoses still hooked up. Now clean out your air box with some type of disinfectant cleaner that is not going to stink you out of the car. When you get to the seals actually that is the easy part. Get some weatherstripping foam from Home Depot that is at least 4" wide (I got a big sheet of it). The stuff that came out looked identical to what I put back in which was actually wall unit air conditioner foam filter. Now place your foam over the vent louvers that you want to replace the old foam on. Cut the foam to aproximately the same size (could be a little bigger since the old foam has crumbled, etc. You want to get a good seal when the louvers close). Now you will see a plastic plate that is what is actually holding the foam to the metal louver. This makes a sandwich with two halves of the plastic crimping the foam to the metal with some snaps in the middle. Push gently on the snaps with your finger and they some come apart easily. Now you can take the old foam off of the metal plate. Put on your new piece of foam and center it. Now just snap the plastic back in place. That is it. Do this on all of the louvers and then move them and see if the foam makes a good seal at all junctions. Now you are ready to swap out your fan (don't forget that!) and put everything back together as described above. Now your air box should work properly again with no hot air leaks, and nice force of air blowing out.
P.S. If you have a pre-86 Vanagon you can get an airbox from an 86-newer. This allows you to have the added benefit of hot air coming out of the air vent to the left of the steering wheel (and the one all the way over by the passenger door). I just did this as an upgrade for a guy and it was painless. Just be sure to also get the ducting that goes with the newer air box as it is different than the earlier style. Now you can have a hand warmer in the morning on the way to work!
--
Have fun!
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
http://www.vanagain.com
Phone: 856-327-4936
Fax: 856-327-2242
> Will a motor from the rear heater work as a replacement? Anyone? Bueler...
> Bueler...
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> Wrom: TTZRCLBDXRQBGJSNBOHMKHJYFMYXOEAIJJPHSCRTN
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 2:57 PM
> Subject: Re: Front heater fan squealing - how to fix?
>
>
> > Sorry, but it can't be fixed. You have to pull the entire dash out to
> > get to it. Not as bad as it sounds, takes about a day. VAnagon.com has
> > links to sites that show how to do it. Be sure you have a new motor on
> > hand. And be prepared to rework the blower box. By the time you get to
> > this point on one, it;s time to fix all the seals in there so you don't
> > have to go back through this for another 100,000 miles or so.
> >
> > regards,
> >
> > John Rodgers
> > 88 Gl Driver
> >
> > SD Kraning wrote:
> >
> > >Does anyone know about these heater fans / blowers? My front one is
> starting to make squealing or squeeking noises on the middle speed. (It is
> on a '90 Carat b.t.w.) I suspect it is a bearing that is going bad. is this
> something that can be lubricated, or does it have to come out and get
> rebuilt or replaced w/ a new one?
> > >
> > >thanks,
> > >
> > >scott k.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
