Hello all. With winter just around the = corner...

AC (alternating current, not air = cooled) block heaters have previously been discussed here from time to = time over the years. In (brief) summary, it seems there are 3 = approaches:

1) "Frost Plug" Heater - a = heating element inserted in place of one of the frost plugs in the = engine block. Postings regarding these heaters mostly seem to concern = what to do about coolant leaking from around them.

2) "External Tank" or = "Coolant Circulating" heater - a heating element and pump = inserted into the cooling system plumbing which warms and circulates = coolant. Postings included speculation as to how effective warm coolant = circulation is through the Vanagon's massive hose run.

3) "Plate" style heaters - = an aluminum heating element plate bolted beneath the engine block. = Postings included references to magnetic heaters bonded (glued or = duct-taped(!?)) to the block.

I'd really prefer not to deal with = leaking coolant or add any more complexity to the cooling system, so = I'd personally rather avoid type's 1 and 2 (heaters, not = VW's).

Of the type 3 (plate) heaters, there = seem to be two different models in use (excluding the = magnetic-glued-to-aluminum-block affairs)...

1) VW part "ZVP 289 104", = available from VW. VW specifies that this model fits all Vanagons = EXCEPT SYNCRO. Bummer, because I have a syncro. On the list, one = posting reinforced that this model would not fit on a syncro, but = didn't indicate whether this advice came from personal experience. = Through a p-mail, I learned of a fellow syncro owner (same year - a = '90) who did in fact install this model on his van, though he seems to = remember having to drop the skid frame and (possibly) bend some part of = the heater to make it fit. He also let on that it was "a little = tight". A check with my local dealer indicates this model is still = available.

2) This seems to be a Canadian model. = It's part number has been reported as "VW  PN LR20976" = on the list and as "CSA Model OP8 LR 20976" in a p-mail to = me. The p-mailer indicated that while he thought initially that his = heater was a VW part, upon closer inspection he concluded it was not. = It seems to have been deployed on syncro's without problems. Calls to = two Canadian VW dealers returned no leads as to where this heater came = from or how one might obtain one.

My questions to the list are...
1) Has anyone else used the ZVP 289 = 104 heater successfully on a syncro?
2) Does anyone know who manufactures = the "Canadian model" or where one could be obtained?
3) Are there any other bolt-on = (non-cooling-system, no-glue) heaters out there?

I've read about all the workarounds - = the 100W light bulb, the 1500 watt heater in the cabin, Weba$to parking = heaters, bales of hay, etc. I'm looking for a clean, permanent and = fairly affordable solution! (Yeah, I suppose I *could* build a heated = garage...) And yes, I will be adding a battery warmer as well. I just = can't stand turning the key next winter when it's -12F and hearing that = AWFUL sound, then getting out and watching the oil and coolant dripping = forlornly on the snow 'til the engine warms up. Poor Vana!

Your help is much appreciated!

Doug Fitz-Randolph
Yarmouth, ME
dfrandolph@talkam.net
'90 Syncro

ps. I suspect I may be responsible for = contributing HTML garbage to the list - sorry. I can't get it to stop - = it's a global setting on our network and I'm lobbying to get it = changed!