Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 19:10:23 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Check your rear seat heater for leaks
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re
We have a big trip planned this summer and I am so glad I found the problem
before our trip started.
For summer trips you remove the rear heater anyway, to get more under the
rear seat storage room. ........
or I do anyway. The fewer parts there are, the fewer the chances for leaks.
here's a related thing very worth checking ........the T hose connectors
that supply coolant to the rear heater.
In the starter area more or less.......kinda jammed up in there.
there are two kinds of T hose fittins used..........metal ones, and later
type plastic ones.
Either type, with age, can get quite weak.
the metal ones are mostly badly rusted now where the hoses attatch,
and the later model vanagons with plastic T fittings .........those can just
crumble and break.
A real good way to reduce the sheer number of places that can leak, is to
replace those T conectors with straight new pieces of metal or plastic to
join the regualr heater hoses, eliminating that T ..........and with the
reat heater remvoed for the summer, that gives you a whole extra cubic foot
of storage space under the rear seat . ( or, here's a fun idea...........I
always wanted to make a rear heater into a 'auxiliary small radiator' by
ducting the hot air output right through the floor of the van. That would
supply another prehaps not quite !0 % more engine cooling capacity for hot
summer trips and long climbs. )
It anyone wants to upgrade a vanagon without a rear heater, like a diesel
vanagon ........I have complete rear heater units in stock, good used.
and I have a brand new rear heater core in stock on the shelf I'd sell too,
at a fair price .
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Harold Teer" <teer.vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 6:10 PM
Subject: Check your rear seat heater for leaks
> So here I sat pretty smug in knowing that I was taking good care of the
> rear
> heater core of our 1991 westy. Having been on the list since 1996, I have
> read all the conventional wisdom on how to keep the core from leaking so I
> change my coolant every 2 years and leave the valve in the open position
> year round so that coolant constantly flows through the core. In my
> demented mind, that would guarantee a sound core forever.
>
> On our overnight trips, we keep our clothing under the rear seat so every
> time I open the back seat, I look for a visible leak and have never seen
> one
> until last week. I
>
> was surprised to see a small amount of coolant behind the floor of the
> rear
> seat, so I removed the protective cover from around the heater. Looking
> down, there was no obvious leak and everything looked fine. I then went
> to
> remove the two screws holding the heater assembly to the floor. One of
> the
> screws had rusted in half while the other screw was completely sound. I
> removed the assembly, disconnected the hoses and then inspected the heater
> core. It was obvious that the core had been leaking for awhile,
> collecting
> in the plastic housing, and must have been dripping and collecting on the
> screw on the side nearest the fridge and eventually rusted it through. Of
> course the van tilts in that direction so that makes sense. However, we
> never noticed the "sweet smell" that others have reported.
>
> Anyway, if you have not checked your rear heater core in awhile, I advise
> taking the five minutes it takes to remove the protective cover and remove
> the two retaining screws and just inspect the housing assembly even if you
> don't remove it completely from the van. You might catch a problem before
> it gets too messy.
>
> We have a big trip planned this summer and I am so glad I found the
> problem
> before our trip started.
>
> Harold
>
> ___
> Harold Teer
> 1991 Westy (Vangaux)
> Harrisonburg, VA
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