Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 21:32:27 +0000
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: vwbus@netbiz.net
Subject: HEAT EXCHANGERS ARRIVE
Well here's my official report, Nick Sinoeitz (sp?) came on over
with the exchangers for the '77 tonight. I had already removed the
good ones on it and had an old nasty pair and a nasty pair of flapper
valves to provide him. Nick is a real good guy, he doesn't know much
or care much about the asbestos recall thing but I'd say VW is paying
him handsomely in his retirement to go all over the east coast and do
this thing, I feel the pictures he takes are for his benefit as much
as the companies, good guy, VW since the 50's, in the US since 63,
knows his shit needless to say. Nick was quite happy to allow me to
do all the work myself, couldn't care less whether he or I ripped the
old stuff out. He considers his role as active or advisory or
neither depending on what the situation warrants. Well got the new
stuff, BSed he went on his way.
OK the new stuff is of course Dansk, made in Denmark as one
would expect. The exchangers that is, the new bellows tubes are
German and slightly changed with red silicone grommets, ala Vanagon.
The flapper boxes are the current ones available, who knows the
origion probably OEM just like origional except no asbestos on the up
flapper. An important and distressing note for '78 and '79 owners,
the flappers will not have the correct off takes for the tubes that
scrub the heat off below the engine. I don't like this but what can
one do. Also 4 gaskets and a bunch of M8 hardware. SO AN IMPORTANT
NOTE, no gaskets for the little covers over the joint between the fan
housing and exchanger (mine disintegrated and are also probably
asbestos, I may call LeCoz in terror to try to nab some replacements)
And no new hardware for the flapper valves or heater tubes, only the
valves themselves, Nick will give you bolts out of his stash but not
the correct sort, you know what I mean. Also no hose clamps for the
bellows, mine oddly were the crimp style on the '77 so I had to cut
and could not reuse. Now I'm not knitpicking here I'm just telling
you people what you better get if you want to be prepared to do this
right.
OK installation so far, fit is fair, Dansk stuff is fair not
great, I'm not saying new German would be any better but the Dansk
are a bit thin as well and don't have as big of aluminum exchanger
castings inside. Some quick tips, make sure you trial fit all the
heat tube metal to metal connection before you get them mounted,
particularly the output joint between heater box and tube that goes
up to the valves, these will need a bit of reconfiguring with a
hammer to get so they slip on nicely once you get them up there.
Other than that standard stuff make sure to leave everything a bit
loose till the muffler or crossover pipe or whatever you are using is
on. And here's a neat one, that little cover plate over the fan
housing to exchanger joint, those SOB's are slightly different side
to side, never noticed it before. The difference is important and
worth noting before you remove or you have to figure it out later
like me.
All in all pretty happy, felt like Christmas, could have called
him St. Nick. He is having difficulty finding the '81 parts
apparently but they and the set for the '78 will be coming shortly.
John
vwbus@netbiz.net
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