Marla,
For peace of mind, just spend the $100 and put in a new heater core.  Chances are yours is defective and leaking since you are smelling it and finding the moist foam around the flaps.
Clean it all up, put new foam and a new core and you should be good for another 15 years. Or until the fan or the resistor need to be replaced.

I Love it! Vana Morrison!  are you in Morrison Colo?

Joel
89 Syncro Westy  "CinnabarVan"
Rochester, NY

Pat Callaghan <patcal096@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
Remove it & take it to a radiator shop. They can pressure test it for you
but it is most likely the problem.

Pat Callaghan
87 Westy GL
Portland, OR.
http://home.comcast.net/~patcal096

----- Original Message -----
From: "Marla Stelk"
To:
Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2003 7:49 AM
Subject: Front heater core

> Hello listees,
>
> So I've been getting the sweet antifreeze smell coming from the front of
my
> van, especially when I turn on the fans. From everything I've read in the
> archives, that indicates that my front heater core is leaking. So I
printed
> out instructions I found in the archives and disassembled my front
dashboard
> and opened up my heater box. The clips were already on it, indicating
that
> it had been opened before. The foam all needs to be replaced, and it
feels
> somewhat moist, so I'm assuming that my heater core is leaking, although I
> don't know if there is any way to test it to make sure. If anyone can
offer
> any advice here that would be great! And then lets hope I can get it all
> back together again!
>
> Peace,
> Marla
> '87 Westy GL "Vana Morrison"
>
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