Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 12:44:26 -0900
Reply-To: Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject: Re: rear heater core in front, was: New thermostat funky?
In-Reply-To: <18590.208.27.111.121.1196868902.squirrel@webmail.offthehill.org>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Dan,
I have not tried, and it has been a while since I even looked at a rear core, but I do not think that it would be worth the effort to try. The front core has two hose nipples parallel to each other, the rear has the valve, and it's nipples are perpendicular to the core. The length and width is probably different as well. Pulling the dash and replacing the front core is not hard, nor does it take that long to do most of the job. The time consuming part comes once the dash is out and you have the heater box in your hands. It takes almost as long to split the case, install new foam on the vent doors, and replace the core as it does to remove or install the dash. In my case it took longer but that was because I modified the heater box and air intake system to improve the output for the front heater. The dash has two screws at each end(in the door jambs), five small screws at the base of the windshield(the larger ones are for the wipers), four bolts for the steering column
, 3 screws for the heater controls, four for the instruments, 2 screws for the column covers, plus disconnecting the wiring harnesses, speedo cable, etc. You also need to pull your radio, or leave it in and disconnect it when you pull the dash out, this won't work for all radios. Syncro's with diff. lock have a few more screws and a knob to unscrew. The lower dash trim/vent and glove box come off as well.
Mark in AK
----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Barrett <dbx@POBOX.COM>
Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2007 6:48 am
Subject: rear heater core in front, was: New thermostat funky?
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> All:
> This raises a question which I've been pondering since last
> winter, when
> the rear heater alone saved my bacon -- in a blinding snowstorm, my
> radiator clogged and the temp gauge spiked. I cranked the rear heater
> (my front heater blower is dead), the engine temp went down to
> acceptable levels, and I made it to my destination not long
> thereafter.
> This year, I'm thinking about finally doing the dreaded front heater
> blower / heater core dashboard massacre, but given the output of the
> rear heater core and the cost of a new front heater core, has anyone
> ever tried putting a rear core into the front heater box? I
> realize it
> would take some modification to get the rear heater core mounted in
> there, but do I recall correctly that the black plastic portion on the
> core which mates to the heater control valve is the same on both
> cores?
> Apologies if this has been asked and answered before.
>
> Best,
> d.
> 1990 GL -- "Mudskipper"
>
| 
