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Date:         Sat, 6 Sep 2008 08:53:01 -0700
Reply-To:     Evan Mac Donald <vanagon_dad@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Evan Mac Donald <vanagon_dad@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Airbox Q & A - Completed!
Comments: cc: camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <48C29E34.7070705@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

There are a couple of different factors to consider in this job. It gets complicated, but is not difficult. Except for  the shear bolt removal, only screwdrivers were needed! There are lots of things that are attached to the dash, and must be dealt with before it can come out, but none of the individual tasks are at all hard, there are just LOTS of them! I was rather disappointed in the Bentley's description. It left almost everything out!The map light on the passenger side needs to be disconnected, the cigarette lighter needs to be disconnected, all three screws for the heater control center need to come out (I missed the one in the instrument cluster hole, first time around!). And so on. The only point that is of any difficulty was removing the upper "shear" bolts on the steering column. I held off doing my dash all summer, because of fears of this aspect of the job. I got mine out incredibly easily. The round, nubbin-looking shear bolts have a small hollow in the center. I put an easy-out in that hole, and easily unscrewed those two. It turned out to be the easiest part of the job! If you do not have an easy-out set, this would be a good time, even if it a cheap set. It is MUCH easier than grinding flats, or even Vise-Grips! The lower pair of standard hex-head bolts only needed loosening, not removal.   The best thing there would be to do would be to have a helper, with a camera, and have pictures taken of spots you run into where you had difficulties. Masking tape and a magic marker are a big help for later, because you know there will be that one wire bundle you cannot remember where it came from, or goes to... Re-routing all the wires, cables and air ducts at replacement is going to be my personal ugly point, because I hate doing that!  It never looks right.   And other than wiper linkage maintenance, grounding star maintenance would also be a good few minutes spent, while the access is so easy.

--- On Sat, 9/6/08, Mike Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: Mike Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: Airbox Q & A - Completed! To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008, 3:13 PM

Hey Evan. Mellow Yellow's flappers need attention for sure. This is one job I've wanted to take care of, but the List sez that getting the darn box out is majorly difficult. So I've held back. How would you rate the job? -- Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano Bend, OR KG6RCR

On 9/6/2008 7:28 AM Evan Mac Donald wrote:

> Thanks to all for these suggestions on sealing the shell to the structure. Sealing the shell to the body structure is the easy one. That would be where the strip foam type arrangements would work fine. > > The problem I was having was finding foam to replace the stuff on all the flapper doors. The original, 1985-vintage had dried up, and turned to powder. It was no longer doing any sealing! This meant there was always air getting out of all of the openings in the airbox, regardless of the position of the controls on the dash. And, ya know, this may be part of the "hot foot" problem on some of the older vans. > > The type of foam I was searching for would be in sheet form, about 1/8" thick, and fairly soft. Too hard and the doors won't close completely, because the foam can't be crushed. I found some, that had been used in shipping electronics, in sheets about 9" square. This was carefully trimmed, and the holes for the little hold-down clips marked, and cut with a sharp hole cutter. Installation was easy, and only took about 3 hours, for 12 pieces, on 3 different sets of flapper doors. Later pictures at the end. > > And the airbox is back in the van! Saturday should see the last of this project, including some wiper maintenance, while the dash is out... > > > >> http://flickr.com/photos/vdubdad/sets/72157603053264843/ >> >> Anybody got any suggestions for the best foam to use for replacing the >> lost foam in the airbox? Or maybe better, any to really Avoid? >> >> And for the pictures with the kids under the van with me - out of frame in >> those pictures is a 35,000 lb. capacity ratchet strap, hooked to the rear >> bumber mount, holding the van in place on the ramps. It was attached to a >> BIG fixed object. And the van was chocked in place at the front wheels. >> >


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