Date:         Tue, 24 Oct 2006 09:06:52 -0400
Reply-To:     Jake Beaulieu <jbeaulie@ND.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake Beaulieu <jbeaulie@ND.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Possible funky smell solution.

On Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:56:46 -0400, neil <goofymuso@YAHOO.CA> wrote:

>--- Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET> wrote:
>
>> Tracing down the funky heater smell problem I see
>> what a previous poster
>> meant about numerous places where oil can get inside
>> these things (and hot
>> air can get out). I also see that they are lined
>> internally with fiberglass
>> cloth, which presumably wicks up said offending oil.
>> Some bright chap had
>> cut one of the boxes open, removed the glass, and
>> welded it back together.
>> I'm thinking of doing the same with the other one,
>> but reassembling it with
>> bolts and hi-temp silicone so that if it ever gets
>> dirty again I can take it
>> apart and clean it . The boxes are in too good a
>> shape and too expensive to
>> replace to just throw away. Has anyone ever done
>> this? Are there many folks
>> on this list with the old aircooled vans?

Hello,

I also drive an air cooled van (1982 Westy) and have struggled with
the "stinky heat" syndrome.  I replaced the drivers side heater box
because the original was terribly rusted out.  I thought this would give
me nice clean heat, but it turned out that the new box stinks horribly.
It is not the oil burning smell that I get from the original box on the
passengers side, but more like a chemical paint burning smell or
something.  It has gotten a lot better over time, but 3 years later I
still have that side wired shut and only use heat from the passengers side
box.

I also insulated the black plastic riser tubes (the accordion looking
things just upstream of the baffles) and the hot air tube from the front
of the gas tank to the dash (using the Bulley-Hewet method) and this has
helped a little.

Last week somebody suggested disconnecting the duct work at either end of
the heater box and hitting the inside of the box with engine cleaner at a
car wash.  I like this idea and will give it a shot this week.

I have also noticed the fiberglass matting inside the heater box.  I
suppose it was originally installed to help retain heat.  It makes sense
that removing them may eliminate one source of contamination, however I
would worry that you would loose a lot of heat through the seams if you
simply bolted the boxes back together rather than welding them.  I would
try the power spraying first as it is the easiest solution.

jake