Date:         Tue, 30 Aug 94 19:14:15 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dcarment@ccs.carleton.ca (David Carment)
Subject:      Re: Heating the van (was misc.)

Sorry for the interruption....anyway the other option is to install prior
to the outlet for the passengers which would provide heat for them but
also detract from the fan's defrosting qualities. You can also augment this
blower fan with an oscillating fan that sits on the dash - this throws heat
backward from the vents and serves to cool in the summer. (All this would
be redundant if VW had designed the stock fan to blow both hot and cold air).

BTW the fan is good but not fantastic and I think the reason for this is
the really akward design of the distributor box - very little heat seems
to find its way to  the side vents unless you have the fan on full blast
and/or travel at sixty...Blocking of the intake vent helps (as does making
sure the surrounding area is covered-see the FAQ).

An alternative is to get a second oil cooler which acts much like a heater
matrix on water cooled cars. The heat is vented inside during the winter
and outside in the summer. JCW has these as well. A big difference in the
quantity and quality of heat in this case is having the heater flaps
connected to the
thermostat because this also effects the temp of the main oil cooler. IMHO.


I have also heard talk of water-cooled heaterboxes that replace the OEM
heater boxes...

You could also consider painting your van black as this
would absorb heat.....


On an unrelated topic. I also have  in my possession (courtesy of JCW) two
items designed to boost oil pressure: a) an annular pressure valve piston
with extra strong
spring (claimed 15% drop in oil temps) and b) a dial-in pressure adjuster that
fits below the pressure
valve piston. Any ideas or opinions on these would be appreciated before
I install them at the next oil change. DC

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
David Carment
School of International Affairs
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 5B6
voice - (613) 788-2600-6662
fax - (613) 788-9882
Email address: dcarment@ccs.carleton.ca
----------------------------------------------------------------------