Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 10:45:01 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject: Re: How to replace blower fan
In-Reply-To: <000001c7b58e$32a92d80$020aa8c0@PAULSCOMPUTER>
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Paul,
There is a decent write up on this posted at vanagonauts.com, just follow the link at body/heater. The clips you will need are OEM VW parts and the author of the write up thoughtfully provided the part number for them in his article.
The short version of the job based on my experience with our `87 Syncro which may be a little different than your early model includes the following not necessarily in this order. Disconnect the battery. Remove the instrument cover and then the entire panel(4 screws and the connections). Remove the lower steering column cover and then unbolt the steering column and lower it. There should be 4 bolts holding the column two of which will not have hex heads, they are break away bolts and will just have a round head on them. Use a pair of "Vise-Grips" and they should come right out, you may want to replace them with hex head bolts during reassembly. Pull the lower center dash/heater vent panel off. Remove the stereo, heater controls, cigarette lighter, etc. The main dash panel is held on by screws in each front door jam and along the bottom of the windshield. Watch carefully for the ones along the windshield as there are two different sizes there and only one of them i
s holding the dash on, leave the others alone. As you pull the dash make sure to disconnect anything left attached including the dash vent ducting. Warning, the dash is heavy and while one can certainly pull it alone it is easier for you and less likely to scratch the door posts if you have help. Once the dash is out disconnect the heater hoses, be prepared to collect the coolant and plug off the hoses. Search the perimeter of the heater box for the mounting screws, according to the write up some of them come in from the outside behind the grill. this was not the case on mine but it is an `87 Syncro and I do not know what year the author was working on. If I recall there are about six screws holding the box in place. Once it is loose from the body you will need to split the case open only if no one has ever been inside of it since the van was built. Find the seam for the two halves and see if it has about a dozen metal clips holding them together, if so pop them off a
nd you are in. If not take a wide wood chisel or similar instrument of destruction and look for smooth, flat, rectangular tabs along the seam. Place the chisel into the edge of these tabs and drive it in between the two halves of the case. Once you have them all split the case will come apart and you are in. Many recommend while you have the dash apart to replace the blower motor, resistor, and the heater core as it is a chore to get in there. You should also replace the foam seals on the heater box flaps as this will cut down on unwanted hot air leaks from the vents during the summer months. As you reassemble the heater box you will find predetermined places along the case seams for the metal clips that you purchased from your VW dealer before taking the dash apart. Pop the clips into place and reinstall the box into the van. Reassemble in the reverse order, making sure to top off lost coolant and see that any air is bled out of the system.
Good luck, it is not as difficult a job as people make it out to be but it will take up a large part of your day to do it right.
Mark in AK
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Chubbuck <paul@TAKINGFLIGHT.NET>
Date: Saturday, June 23, 2007 4:08 am
Subject: How to replace blower fan
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Mine is a 1982 Vanagon. My heater blower fan makes terrible noises,
> probably shot bearings. I have a new replacement but when I tried
> to get
> the dashboard off a couple years ago, using instructions in the big
> greenVanagon repair book, they seemed incomplete and I couldn't get
> access.
> Also, I understand that to put it back together, I'll need some
> sort of
> clips to seal the heater chamber. Those are not available as OEM.
>
> Can anyone help with either of these problems?
>
> Thank you,
> Paul in Colorado
>
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