The rear heater has several bits and pieces that can leak, on my
van they all leaked.

If the core is leaking, you'll probably be able to see a buildup of
gunk around the hole.  If the core looks clean, it's probably OK.

The shutoff valve that's attached to the side of the core can leak
around its valve stem and/or the gasket between it and the core.
Warm up the engine to pressurize the system and then wiggle the valve
to see if you can get it to leak.

The nylon bleeder screw on the top of the core can crack, or it's
o-ring can fail.  Again, give it wiggle and see if it leaks.  The
core that I got from  the Bus Depot included the screw and o-ring.

Here are the parts I replaced and where I got them; the prices may
not be current.

Item          Part #         price    from
-------------------------------------------------------
Heater Core   867 819 121A    89.95   www.busdepot.com
Valve         867 819 809     56.55   dealer
Valve Gasket  861 819 297      3.00   dealer
Bleed Screw   861 819 039      2.64   dealer
Bleed O-ring  867-189-037      1.44   dealer

Steve Green, Folsom, CA
Zefram, 1984 Wolfsburg Westfalia

On Thu, 20 Aug 1998 12:14:12 -0400, you wrote:

>2.)  Rear heater fills car with sweet, anitfreeze smell when turned on.
>I cannot see any leaking fluid however and don't want to change the core
>just for the heck of it.  Is the core expensive?  Best source?  Would I
>seek wetness or drips anywhere near the core if it is in fact leaking
>enough to cause the odor?