When I replaced my core, I wriggled and wrangled and finally pulled off the
cover in the way Karl describes. In doing so, I pulled the rivets through
that fasten the mounting brackets to the (plastic) unit. No problem; when it
was in pieces I drilled out the rivets and installed short screws as
fasteners.
When I reinstalled the cover, I cut the piece that goes around the bottom of
the output vents off. I don't understand why it was there in the first
place, except to make the job unusually frustrating.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Karl F. Bloss [SMTP:bloss@ENTER.NET]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 6:18 AM
> To:   vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject:      Re: heater core replacement
>
> > I tried to remove the plastic cover over the rear heater core on
> > my 89 Carat.  I was not able to get it off. It looks to me that the
> > rear seat/bed needs to be removed in order to get the plastic cover
> > off of the heater.  Do you cut the plastic cover ?
>
> It does come off with out bed reassembly, at least in our weekender.
> Usually you need to peel the carpet back, maybe the pad, remove all
> the junk under the seat, remove the kick panel, and wiggle the
> plastic cover by flexing the tubular crossmember (again, it's a
> Weekender...dunno how it is on a non-Weekender) towards the front.
> It's a bit of a pain, but it beats removing the bed.
>
> -Karl
>
> Karl and Kristina Bloss, Trexlertown, PA
> '87 GL Weekender  "Beverley"
> Mechanic list: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/vwshops
> Busses by the Trail - Oct 15-17, 1999: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/bbtt