Date:         Fri, 27 Aug 2004 19:30:04 -0400
Reply-To:     tmiller <tmiller@VCMAILS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         tmiller <tmiller@VCMAILS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Heater core repair
Comments: To: "William S. Brown Jr." <brown6@ALASKA.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <000701c48c87$1d14ea00$0100a8c0@amd2000>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I don't think these are repairable.  The heat exchangers are aluminum
with plastic end caps with tangs that are crimped around the end caps to
seal them together.  There is a O-ring of giant proportions sealing the
end caps to the aluminum heat exchanger.  Assuming you can find the
O-rings, you may be able to pry the metal tangs up to release the end
caps and replace the O-ring and bend the tangs back down.  You will
probably not get them tight enough to make a good seal and you may even
break some off.  Better to go buy a replacement given the difficulty of
trying to repair one and the difficulty in doing the removal and
replacement..

Anyone know if a Jetta/Golf II heater core will fit?  We need someone
with access to the part numbers to do a comparison to see if a lower
cost alternative exists.
I can always go measure my Jetta core for you  to see if it is at least
the same size dimensionally.
TEMiller

William S. Brown Jr. wrote:

>Has anyone had any luck repairing the front heater core on a water cooled
>Vanagon?
>
>I am seeing some small weeping between the plastic end caps and the aluminum
>core.  My guess is that there is some type of sealer between the two, and
>that is what is going.
>
>Can the ends be removed?  What is the sealer made out of, or what could
>repair it?  Sounds like UltraCopper time to me.
>
>Advice???
>
>William
>86 Vanagon
>340,000 miles and still ticking
>
>
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