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Date:         Sun, 25 Jun 2017 20:02:49 -0700
Reply-To:     David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      refrigerator update
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Much thanks to Robert Keever, who drove over to Spokane from Seattle to help me with the refrigerator on my 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon GL Campmobile.

We spent all day and into the night Saturday. He pulled the refrigerator, Kept it upside down for several hours, cleaned the burner box, cleaned the propane nozzle, put everything back together, ran it outside the van. It started ok, but would never get really cold. I understand that the fins on the outside of the unit should get quite hot, but only the burner box, the exhaust, and the ammonia tank ever got hot, and then not really so. Then it would not start at all again. We repeated the whole process again. Would not start.

Robert suspected an occlusion, preventing adequate gas flow, but the nozzle itself was clear. He thought that rust particles from the old propane tank, recently replaced, could possibly have migrated into the refrigerator system. He removed the very small diameter propane line that runs from the push valve on the face of the refrigerator to the burner. The end fitting on the line was partially occluded by rust. We could only get air to flow through the pipe with difficulty. We were surprised to find that the line itself is made of steel. Why? All valves and fittings are brass, and all feed lines for the propane outside the refrigerator are copper.

We sprayed WD-40 through the tiny pipe, and a very rusty oil came out the other end. Repeating this process several times never got clean oil to come out, only rusty. Robert believes that the line itself is rusted inside. I suppose that over a 26 year period, some moisture could be introduced to the propane system and eventually cause enough rust to occlude the pipe. Air could be blown more easily through the line after cleaning, but it is still partially blocked.

We did get the refrigerator to start after these manipulations, and Robert reinstalled it. I let it run overnight, and at ambient temperature this morning of 58 F, the interior of the refrigerator was at 53 F. Not good.

Bus Depot lists an item for the refrigerator called the "gas pipe," with a part number, but no photograph, for $160. That sounds like an inordinately high price. Robert thinks he may have one from an old refrigerator, and will check. I will call Bus Depot and try to determine if the one they have is indeed this propane line.

Ideas?

mcneely


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