Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 21:44:24 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: AC to R134--more struggle, more cost, more questions
In-Reply-To: <4d1b79350805061701s24f04478u928f8b5530150387@mail.gmail.com>
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Jim,
That ductwork falling was such a problem that the NTSB put out a safety
bulletin and VW as required to fix it at no cost. Around 1998 mine fell
and I took it to VW dealership and they installed a kit that VW had come
up with the prevent it from falling.At that time it was free for the
owner. I thank that free thing has expired, but maybe not. You would
just have to check. Maybe someone can remember what the numbers were for
the fix and you can nail VW. My local dealer didn't believe me until I
pulled up the numbers for it. He looked it up and sure enough, as a
dealer he had to fix it. The kit itself was about $10 as I remember, and
was a big PITA for the mechanic because all the front AC plastic had to
come loose in order to get everything bck together right. with the new
kit in place.If you don't want to go through all that, make up two
external straps with some nice upholstery on them and anchor them to the
beams in the overhead with an adequate size sheet metal screw on either
size of the tunnel. Done well, it looks nice. That is what I did before
learning about the VW fix. I'm not sure but what that way is the better
way. Sure makes it a lot easier to take down the tunnel if you even have
to get into the tunnel for any reason.
Good Luck.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Jim Felder wrote:
> I had no problem getting the easy conversion done to 134 with stuff from my
> FLAPS. The AC was even putting out cold air. then less, then less. I shut
> off the engine and heard the hiss of refrigerant coming from the overhead
> box. I wanted to see for sure where the leak was before the hissing stopped,
> so I quickly pulled what I thought was the cover. Of course the whole thing
> came down, ripping out speaker wires. Then the whole center ductwork came
> down. Now I can't even drive the van because of all that crap hanging down
> in the back.
> I know which hose was leaking, I will pull it and have it re-hosed.
>
> My question is, how were those ducts mounted? I never got to see exactly
> before they hit the floor. Seems there would need to be some big washers
> under the screws to go in the square slots in the ducts, or that the metal
> plates on the ceiling would have the base of the ducts slide under them, but
> neither seem to be the case.
>
> Any idea?
>
> Jim
>
>
>
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