Date:         Fri, 23 May 2008 20:30:31 -0400
Reply-To:     Doug Fitz-Randolph <fitzr@SUSCOM-MAINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Fitz-Randolph <fitzr@SUSCOM-MAINE.NET>
Subject:      How to "de-mouse" heater core before installing?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I'm in the process of replacing my leaky heater core. I've got a good used
one which I removed from another van. It's in great shape, except that the
van it came from had a mouse nest in the heater box. I flushed the heater
core with hot water, then soaked it in Simple Green... and it still smells a
little. I think soaking it in bleach solution might fix it, but I don't want
to contribute to it corroding, and I would think exposing it to chlorine
would be a bad thing. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

By the way, the whole dashboard and heater box removal thing was a lot
easier than I'd anticipated - thanks to Joel, Neil and others who have
contributed some excellent info on the subject. I lucked out on my van - the
screws that hold the box to the body came out easily, and the heater box had
already been opened in the past, so it was just a matter of removing the
clips to separate the halves. I wish I could say the same for the parts
van... I broke all 4 of the screws that hold the box to the front wall...
with a just a phillips screwdriver. Either the screws were very weak, or
I've got a lot stronger! I could not budge the infamous steering column
bolts using vise-grips, but they came out very easily with my Sears bolt
extractor - the kind with the flutes inside which you put over the head of a
rounded-over nut or bolt - like buttah!

Anyhow - mouse experts - your input is most welcome!

Cheers,
Doug Fitz-Randolph
Freeport, ME