Nice advice in this conversation, and I'll implement the preventive
measures, but it's a few months too late for me. Our '81 Westie
unfortunately had to sit under the trees from November until last week. The
mice have gone now, but when the engine's running the mousepiss smell is
still overpowering unless the windows are open (in fact judging by the
stench they were bigger than mice? wood rats maybe?) so ...

> The wire mesh is to let air through to the vents, but keep mice out of the
heater box.
> Basically no matter what I do, mice will get in the van. I just want to
make sure they
> don't reside in the heater box and I have pull dash/heater box again -
well at least in
> the near future.

is there a good guide online to pulling out the dash, heater box, vents,
etc.?  Maybe Bentley tells all but the info I've found there (ch.80) is
terse.

I looked briefly at removing the warm air duct from the bottom of the
heater, from under the van, but it seems immovably attached. Is it glued?

Also, Bentley says the gaskets are glued to the chamber "with D 17" -- is
that obtainable, or is there an alternative? Do I need to get new gaskets or
other parts before starting?

The front heater vents have not produced any warmth since we got the van
some years back, but the "passenger compartment" outlet can melt plastic, so
I'm guessing there's been a blockage (mouse nest? but there was no smell
until this winter's infestation) in the duct somewhere between the passenger
outlet and the front heater. Working on the heater has been on the to-do
list since our beginning, but now it's critical!

thanks
Al