No one is suggesting taking the heater core to a radiator place and having it
pressure tested.  Would this not be a logical step prior to buying a new one?
 Malcolm S

Brad wrote:

>         That leads me to believe that the heater core is leaking, right?
> It sure does. I just replaced mine a week ago. Start by getting a
> replacement: I got mine from a junkyard. Make sure it is incredibly clean
> and doesn't have visible corrosoin between the vanes. Also, inspect the
> valve housing for any apparent leaking; I understand there is a gasket in
> there that can be replaced, but I haven't done that. BTW: Any edits by you
> wrench-heads are welcome by me! Do what I did: *       Pull fuse from
> panel for rear heater to isolate the electrical stuff. *       Remove
> wooden kickstrip from seat frame (four self-tapping screws) *       Remove
> fiberglass cover (six screws); this is not easy, it goes around the output
> vents. A good amount of pushing and pulling will free it. *       Remove
> mounting screws (2) from fan/heater housing. Disconnect wiring. Place a
> pan under unit to catch coolant. *       Clamp hoses with something to
> stop the flow from the cooling system. If you use Vise Grips or something
> like that, protect the hoses by wrapping the teeth in duct tape. Clamp
> them upstream enough so that you can back the spring clamps off the
> fitting. *       Release spring clamp on lower hose and remove; allow to
> drain in the pan. Release spring clamp and remove top hose. This will
> allow the rest of the collant in the core to go, so be ready with the pan.
> *       Remove core from housing (2 screws). Clean housing as best you
> can; coolant left in there will smell like a leak later. At this point, I
> reattached the mounting brackets (the riveted ones) that got loosened
> during removal with screws after drilling out the rivets. *       Install
> new core and reconnect hoses. Start engine, allow coolant to heat up, and
> check for leaks from core and hose fittings. I needed to trim back one of
> my hoses to get a good seal. Be carefull if you have to remove the hoses
> because the system is hot and pressurized! *       If there are no leaks,
> attach unit to floor and reconnect electrical goodies. *       At this
> point, I hacked off the section of the cover that goes underneath the
> vents to ease replacement. You can't see it anyway. Replace the cover. *
>     Replace kick strip and fuse and you should be ready to go!
>
> Good Luck!
>
> [Brad Anderson]
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tony [SMTP:cogbox1@XMISSION.COM]
> > Sent: Monday, June 28, 1999 2:29 PM
> > To:   vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject:      Heater Leak
> >
> > Hey all,
> >
> > Just a quick question that I saw addressed here a while back but didn't
> > pay attention because I didn't have the problem at the time :) The '90
> > that I am buying does have a wet carpet in front of the rear bench. That
> > leads me to believe that the heater core is leaking, right? What is the
> > fix on that? Is it in the archives? If so, when was it listed and under
> > what?
> >
> > thanks you guys
> >
> > I LOVE VW'S (and the tattoo proves it!)
> >
> > Tony
> > '90 GL (tonight)