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Date:         Tue, 7 Nov 2006 09:33:47 -0800
Reply-To:     Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
Subject:      Re: Possible funky smell solution; report
In-Reply-To:  <20061107153121.C2RAFCNTLK@priv-edmwaa02.telusplanet.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Glad it worked out for you; as I've had ongoing engine issues haven't had a chance to check out my thesis yet. But no reason it shouldn't work, especially if you rub the cases down to shiny aluminum with steel wool like I did with mine. But since this is a never-ending problem with all all AC VWs, maybe I should patent some kind of refurb kit :)

On 11/7/06 7:21 AM, "Jake Beaulieu" <jbeaulie@ND.EDU> wrote:

> Hey AC vanagon drivers, > > I took Nathaniel's advice and opened up my heater boxes last week (see > original message below). As expected, the original box on the passengers > side was full of varnished oil from 25 years of oil leaks. The drivers > side box had been replaced 3 years ago and has had a nasty chemical smell > since the day I installed it. Turns out that the stench was coming from > the glue used to adhere the fiberglass mat to the inside of the box. I > threw out the fiberglass mat (there was one on the top and bottom of the > box) and scraped out all of the residual glue. A shame really, since the > mat and associated foil lining probably helped to retain some heat and the > glue was totally unnecessary. Well the results are wonderfull. The hot > air has just the slightest tinge of that formerly overpowering > oil/chemical stench. I took a couple hour drive last weekend in > temperatures that dropped into the upper 20s and actually stayed warm (at > least when I was at highway speed)! To anyone dealing with stinky heat in > an air cooled van I would reccomend Nathaniel's suggestion. After seeing > how strongly that old oil and glue was adhered to the inside of the box I > can say with certainty that there is no way that simply power spraying the > inside of the box at a carwash would clean it up. > > C-ya, > Jake > > On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:02:35 -0700, Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET> > wrote: > >> For all the air cooled iconoclasts lurking on this list I've just finished >> rebuilding my heaters and posted the results on Samba at >> >> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php? > t=200832&sid=e4c26bc6da53de3 >> 6e42afccabcb291fb >> >> If you scroll past the dishwasher divergence in the thread (which is funny >> enough) I've got some pics showing how I did it. It really wasn't > difficult. >> Nobody should put up with that smell or crummy heat. >> >>


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