Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 15:42:16 -0500
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: FRONT HEATER / BLOWER FAN - Removal Instructions - EXTREMELY
VERY LONG
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
Had to trim some of Joel's stuff because post was
too long once I stuck my oar in...naturally what
*I* wrote is much too valuable to trim. <rolls eyes>
Early vans have the clips instead of
welds. Slide the heater trim panel off -- there
will be a clip mounting point centered between
the two down-facing ducts. If there's no clip
installed there then you need to buy eleven clips
p/n 321 819 059. I'm pretty sure that both Bus Depot and Van-again carry them.
>Having the Bentley guide will also be helpful.
>Below are some basic instructions for doing the
>job: Disconnect the battery: You will be working
>without the dash and with exposed [live]
>terminals so it is best to disconnect the ground
>connection. To do this move the passenger seat
>forward, remove the plate under the rear of the
>seat protecting the battery and loosed the
>ground connection. Pull the ground wire off the
>terminal and fasten it so that it does not flip
>back and touch the battery terminal again.
>
>Instrument cluster removal: Pull the [instrument
>cluster] cover off, by pulling [straight upward
>on the two finger notches on the forward
>(windshield) side of the cover]. The cover is
>clipped in with springs. You will have the
>instrument panel exposed and you will need to
>remove all the wiring plugs to the
>switches. [It may be easier to remove the
>switches themselves, by squeezing the tabs on
>each side and pressing them gently from the
>panel face.] There are 4 Phillips #2 screws
>holding the plastic tab of the instrument
>cluster. Be careful, these tabs can get brittle
>with age. They will break and shatter. Once the
>4 screws are loose / out the cluster will wiggle
>and you can now remove the rest. Wiggle your
>hand behind the speedometer and unclip the
>speedo cable. Just squeeze the single clip on
>the connector and it will slide out. The
>cluster is now really loose and you will see one
>long [plug] underneath that slips into the
>bottom connector. [Remove it.] Next pull out
>the switches by pressing the tabs to release
>them from the cluster [unless of course you
>already did]. The cluster should lift out and
>remove the big wire connector plug. [Better to
>remove it yourself deliberately.] This will
>provide you room to get under the dash board.
>Put the cluster in a safe place that you will
>not sit or lay other components on.
>
>Vent lever removal: Release all the vent levers.
>If you pull on the black slider control knobs
>they will work off the lever. You may need to
>spray some silicone [from the panel opening or
>the ashtray hole] to juice things up. They
>break!!! be gentle and patient. [Two things can
>happen here -- you can pull the rubberized knob
>off the shaft, so grasp only the shaft, with
>pliers if necessary. And if you don't control
>it once it starts moving, you will break the
>thin faceplate strip that separates the knobs.]
>Once you pull these off, you will be able to
>remove the face plate. It hase two plastic pins
>- that break and can be brittle - wiggle that
>off and you will be able to see the mounting nut
>after the lever panel is removed. I would
>recommend using a thin strong tool like a
>metallic plaster knife/scraper to wiggle under
>the plastic face plate and slowly work the
>plastic pins out. Juice it up to help the
>wiggling. there are two pins holding this on
>the dash. One in the upper right and one in the
>lower left. They break!!! be gentle and
>patient. [I've reattached those pins by gluing
>with clear epoxy and then drilling the pin to
>accept a thin sheet-metal or plastic-type screw
>from the end.] [Now remove two screws at face
>and one at left side holding heater control levers to the dash.]
>Radio: Remove the radio you are on your own
>here. [Or leave the radio installed in the dash
>and unplug it...there's a brace in the rear
>that's *not* part of the dash, with a rubber
>plug that will either go with the radio or stay in the brace, or fall out.]
>
>Remove the Glove box: press the retaining tabs
>at the top back end and lower the box to the
>floor board. Slide it off its pivot. [Or unscrew
>hinges if needed -- Bentley doesn't mention
>being able to slide it off.] Be careful not to
>press the retaining tabs to much or too hard, they could be brittle and break.
>
>Syncro dash plate: (Applies to SYNCRO Model)
>Remove the Syncro dash plate and Differential lock switch(es).
>
>Steering column: Remove the two bolts holding
>the steering column to the dash frame. These are
>safety bolts without a head because it is meant
>to snap off when the bolts have been torqued at
>the factory. I used a pair of vise grips and was
>able to turn these bolts loose. I replaced them
>with normal bolts. [I hate to point back to an
>old controversy, but those headless bolts are
>actually an anti-theft measure, to keep thieves
>from dropping the steering column. The bolts
>from the dealer cost $8 each ten years ago and I
>think they're worthless -- apparently they
>don't/didn't have Vise Grips in Germany.] I
>think they are a thread of 8x1.25 mm and 25 cm
>long. There are two other 8x1.25 bolts on the
>lower end of the steering column. Loosen those
>to give it some play. The steering column will
>drop/lower to the driver's seat and that is ok and out of the way.
>
>Dashboard attachment: Unbolt the dashboard
>a. 6 or 8 #2 Philips head beloww the windshield
>- these could be rusted so use your charm and
>tools. [The big fat tempting #3s are holding the wiper linkage together IIRC.]
>
>b. 4 bolts along the door jam[b]s. You will
>need to be able to open the doors wide enough to
>get your wrench/screwdriver/bolt driver in there
>
>c. there are two metal U-Shaped brackets on
>each side of the master cylinder holding the
>dash to the frame. There are two 10mm bolts
>within this U shape bracket located at the top
>of the dash and at the bottom. You will need to
>use your fat fingers and hold a wrench in there
>to loosen these. I loosen the lower ones first
>and was able to wiggle each bracket to help
>loosen the upper bolts. [Joel, could you review
>this? I *think* you're talking about the upper
>steering column supports, made of flat-U channel
>and having a slight bend (which is the actual
>steering column safety device, ensuring that
>they will fold at that point in a
>collision). If so, then removing the two "shear
>bolts" from below is all that needs done here.]
>
>Dash removal: Ok, the Dash should be loose and
>ready to pull off. [Almost. Remove the top
>defroster vents and a. Lift it up slowly. b. I
>did it by myself but with an extra person it
>sure is easier to lift and pull the dash out one
>side or the other. [Remember you'll need a van's
>width or more room at one side or the other.]
>
>[Now if you wish you can remount the steering
>column with all four bolts. Replace the
>switches on their plugs if necessary and the van
>is now perfectly drivable for the rest of the
>job. Could be a useful feature...]
>
>Review the heater unit: There is a smooth
>factory mold gluing the upper and lower half of
>the heater unit sealed from the factory. You
>will have to run a blade or knife along this
>edge to separate the two halves. [Bentley says
>that there are 18 separate welded tabs that
>stick out from the edge -- set a knife blade on
>the edge and whack it with a hammer.] b. Heater
>unit support: Ok the heater unit is held in
>place by 4 fat Philips #3 screws, into the
>firewall. Spray some lubricant before you try
>this at home. Depending on the year of your van
>there could be 2 long #2 philips accessible from
>the outside firewall by the headlights. You will
>have to remove the front upper grill to get to
>these. Once you remove the grill you will see
>against the firewall just the Phillips head
>holding a felt or soft washer. These should be
>the upper supporting screws for the heater unit.
>They may be rusted to where you cannot get your
>screwdriver into it. Just work it and don€™t
>strip it or rush this part. On the inside the
>screws should be easier. You may need a long
>Phillips #3 screwdriver. David Beierl adds: The
>big M6 screws holding the heater box in are
>Phillips #3. What I've actually done is use the
>longest #3 I could get, and clamp one of the
>special Vise-grips made for hex nuts on the
>plastic handle to turn it with, then lean into
>the end with as much body weight as I can manage
>to keep the driver from coming out. With that
>combination I could get enough force in there to
>either remove the screw or twist the head off --
>not as good obviously but far better than
>buggering the head of the screw. [And now he
>says: Try a hand impact tool with a #3 Phillips
>tip. They're not very expensive, maybe $25 at a
>FLAPS. But never never never use a bit that
>isn't impact-rated. For best effect, use the
>largest hammer (3-4#) you can swing -- little
>hammers spend more energy beating up the end of
>the tool rather than turning the screw. If
>necessary for length use carpet tape or similar
>to attach a piece of 1" hardwood dowel -- now
>one of you can hold the tool while the other
>whomps on the end of the dowel.] [I always
>replace these internal #3s with regular M6 hex
>bolts to save all this foolishness in
>future.] There are two additional #3 philips
>screws up in the frame support of the heater at
>the bottom holding a small L-shaped
>bracket. Remove either the screws or the 10mm
>nut off the brackets. c. Coolant hose removal:
>You will also need to remove the coolant hoses
>coming up from the housing to the heater
>core. Be neat and try to capture any coolant
>drips before they get to the rug. I used lots
>of newspaper rags and paper towels. Not too
>much came out when I did this, but the heater
>core is full of coolant so be careful when you
>take the actual heater unit out be aware that
>some coolant may drip. I put a couple of corks
>in the pipes to keep them as sealed as I could.
>[Clamp them off instead or use a plug secured by
>a hose clamp if you're planning to drive the thing.]
>
>Removal out of the van: Plug the coolant pipes
>from the heater core and also the hoses to not
>loose too much coolant on the front rug in the
>van. Also keep all of the control wires hooked
>up so that you see where the flap controls go.
>[Lube the Bowden wires while you're there,
>especially the heat-control one (and straighten
>it if it's bent even slightly -- Bowden wires
>are better at pulling than pushing, and they'll
>fold the open end of the wire given a chance)].
>Servicing the Heater Unit: a. Separate the two
>halves: with the heater unit in your work area
>(kitchen sink or garage floor) you can now
>separate the shells and get to the big resistor,
>fan motor or heater core . See the seam between
>the two shells and try to run a knife or a blade along that seam.
>b. Replacing the Heater Fan: With the two
>halves split you can now service the fan
>motor. I recall that it easily comes out and is
>held in with rubber inserts/bushings. You will
>probably have to remove the squirrel cages from
>you old motor and insert them on the new
>motor. It may take a very small Allen wrench
>for that… don€™t know? [No wrench. The
>(single) blower wheel is pressed onto the motor
>shaft -- support the lower edge of the wheel and
>drive the shaft out with hammer and drift. Be
>sure to make arrangements to catch the motor so
>it doesn't drop on the floor. Be very careful
>with the wheel, it's carefully balanced to spin
>without vibrating. At this point you are
>probably looking at a motor with commutator in
>good shape, very little wear on brushes, and dry
>bearings, stiff to rotate. Such a motor can be
>resuscitated by using Marvel Mystery Oil to work
>into the bearings and start getting them freed
>up -- if you bung up the shaft with pliers then
>file the hills down before replacing the blower
>wheel, which incidentally mounts flush with the
>end of the shaft. Once you have it running
>freely soak the felt pads on the inner side of
>the bearings with good-quality light machine oil
>and run the motor for a day or two (battery
>charger) to make sure it stays happy. It's an
>excellent idea at this point to install a cover
>of some sort over the end of the rear bearing,
>which is right in the stream of incoming
>dust. When you press the wheel back on, be very
>sure to solidly support the other end of the
>shaft, lest you drive the shaft out of the motor
>instead of the wheel onto the shaft.Use a hammer
>and a wooden drift to bring it down flush with
>the shaft end. The assembled blower, with its
>case installed but running in free air, should
>draw about 12 amps from a charged battery -- if
>it's noticeably more something is probably
>amiss. Also make sure the blower runs without
>any vibration -- one of those things you hate to
>find out after everything's back together!]
>
>Mark the orientaation of all the parts to fit
>back in place properly and in the right
>direction. Refit the new fan motor and test it
>out with a 12-volt source. Make sure it works
>and spins in the correct direction. c. Wiring
>the Heater Fan/Ballast Resistor: Once separated
>you will have access to the heater fan blower,
>the heater core and the heater fan ballast
>resistor. . The wires are connected/soldered to
>the big resistor- the Ballast Resistor. The
>resistor takes the 12 Volts and reduces the
>voltage down to provide low and medium fan
>speeds. High speed is direct 12 volts and
>bypasses the resistor. If the resistor is
>cracked or blackened it will need to be replaced
>as well. Test it out on all three speeds. Make
>sure that the ballast resistor is good, now's
>the time to replace it. To test the 3 speeds
>and ballast resistor you will need a 12v power
>supply/battery, the fan switch and some
>wire. Ground from the 12v power to ground
>connector on the motor. 12v to the input of
>the switch. Wires from the ballast resistor to
>the switch. Wire from the ballast resistor to
>the motor. Switch all three positions.You will
>also note the three or four wires coming from
>the switch to the big resistor. Do you
>soldering tricks and remember where the yellow,
>brown, black wires go. The resistor is p/n
>171.905.051.B with the additional markings
>of CF21X80W < I read that to be 80 watts.
>[That's about what's needed.] Resistance is: O.7
>Ohms & 1.4 Ohms. It has a fat yellow wire on
>one end a fat yellow/black in the middle and a
>white wire on the other end. These 3 wires plug
>to the blower motor and running out of the
>heater unit to the round black female socket
>plug on the dash for the fan switch.
>
>d. [c. got lost, I believe...] Front Heater
>core servicing: You may choose to service other
>components of the heater unit such as the heater
>radiator core of the vent flaps. You can check
>the heater core for any leakage, which you could
>have smelled as sweet maple syrup prior to
>taking this job on. There should be signs of
>corrosion if the core is leaking. You can remove
>the heater core and flush it out or look for any
>signs of leaks. In which case it would be very
>very wise to change the heater core as well if
>it shows any signs of leakage. The front
>Vanagon heater cores from VW are No Longer
>Available--have been for about 3 years. This ad
>on TheSamba provides a good
>replacement
>http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=830594
>e. Vent Flaps Servicing: (Excerpts from Frank
>Condelli with my comments) While you are at it,
>check the foam seals around all the flaps. The
>foam seals on the flaps originally covered
>the entire flap. These are usually burned out
>after 10 + years in service, and may need to be
>replaced. You cannot get this from VW so you
>have to custom make this. All that is really
>needed is around the perimeter where the flap
>touches the edge of the box to make a
>seal. Remove all the flaps from the
>housing. One set of flaps will require removing
>the glued on cover plate which can be
>reinstalled with small screws, the screw holes
>are already there. Once the flaps are out, you
>can make replacement foam seals. I made all the
>replacement seal from foam pieces that I had
>laying around from old packaging. Remove all
>the old glue that is left from the original
>foam. Get "Weather Shield" peel and stick foam
>insulation for use around windows at the Home
>Depot or similar place, 1/4" T x 3/8" W and or
>3/16" T x 3/8" W. Get both sizes and see which
>works best. I think I used the thinner
>thickness on the flaps and the thicker one
>around the motor and heat exchanger. Install it
>around the perimeter of each flap where the
>flap will touch the edge of the box on the
>side where the old foam was. Re-install the
>flaps. Use the same peel and stick insulation
>around the motor and heat exchanger in the same
>place where it was after removing the old one
>of course. The important flaps to check are the
>lower flaps. This seal is what stops the
>outside from coming into the cab and warming up the Van in the summer time.
It's also vitally important to check, and repair
if necessary, the little plastic pin hinges of
the two free-swinging flap doors. They tend to
wear triangular and also wear out the little
plastic gapped-O supports built into the box. If
a door drops off the fan will simply blow air out
the front of the van, instead of inside. They're
a bloody nuisance to fix, access is very cramped;
but I've done it. I recall the fix involved
building up the pins with filled epoxy to make
them round again, and driving heated brads
through in the right place to close off the bottoms of the hangers.
>Reinstallation: OK you are done. Refit the
>heater flaps, the heater core, the fan motor and
>cage, the resistor and reassemble the two halves
>using the 11 clips. If you look carefully you
>will see there is a specific location for these
>11 clips, and maybe a little silicone glue
>[shouldn't be needed unless the case leaks
>somewhere]. [Those little clips are "gee-whiz"
>clips because you'll say "Gee!" when they whiz
>past your ear and land 20 feet away.] Refit the
>heater unit in the van, refit the coolant hoses
>on the heater core. Check the vent cabling to
>ensure that all works well inside the box. Refit
>and remount everything in reverse order like it
>says in Bentley, fill the coolant and bleed the
>circuit as described on the list or in Bentley. All done.
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