Date:         Fri, 17 Feb 2006 13:48:39 EST
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Heater Blower Motor Taking a Dump?
Comments: To: wb6otg@INTREX.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 2/17/2006 8:44:25 AM Pacific Standard Time,
wb6otg@INTREX.NET writes:

>Step  1: Remove everything forward of the gear shift!

>No, it's not an  easy job.  I need to do this myself and am planning on
spending an  >entire weekend doing it.



I did the job recently and it is definately a PIA, but not so difficult in
the sense that it challenges your scientific reasoning or mechanical ability,
just challenges your patience. It is LONG and you have to think the whole time
 "they" could have made this a much easier job. The most difficult part of
the  job for me was splitting the plastic fan housing to remove the old blower
motor.  Splitting the housing takes a little finesse.

 I understand some housings are clipped together, mine was glued. So  the
glue seam had to be split delicately. Then on reinstallation you clip it
together with clips that are either already there--even though it's glued--or  you
can get them from the VW dealer or vendor.

I got my clips from a junk in a wrecking yard. And in fact now I remembered
I actually "practiced" on that junker in the wrecking yard before I took  the
"knife" to my bus--removing the junker's blower motor to install in mine
turned out to be a good pratice run. Once I had done this I was lucky enough to
have a smooth approach to my own bus and was convinced NOT to install the USED
motor, opting instead for a new one since it was such a PIA to get to and I
didn't want to have to do it again for a long while. At that time--about a
year  ago--the new blowers ran about $100 I think maybe more like $120 from
vendors.  Looks like Bus Depot has them on sale for about $75 right now.

Having heat definately rocks. It's only 53 degress here today,  Brrrrrrr ;)

Best
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA