David,

Just replaced the rear heater core.  Now the kids find it to hot, so you
may want to just replace the core with a hose which is what I did while
waiting for the core to arrive.

The mess was not from replacing the core, rather it was from waiting so
long to replace it as it had leaked all under the rear foam or what ever
is under the carpet.

To replace just use 2 C clamps with two pieces of wood on each side of
the hose and clamp the thing off.  Then you can remove the core with
minimum leakage.  I just laid a bunch of rags down to catch the drips.

To install I reversed this proceure, had a four foot hose on  connecting
the in and out hose.  I undid the top one first to drain what was in the
hose, had replaced the clamps first, into a bucket outside the van.
Hooked up the lower hose to the core first, then ran the van briefly
until fluid came out the top of the core, hooked up the other hose and
off I was.

You may have to undo some of the rear seat to remove the cover on the core.

Good luck.  Reccomend ddoing this on a warm day.  I had frostbite once
putting a block heater in a truck at 10 below.  Another foolish story.

Brad

David Greenland wrote:
>
> on 12/28/99 7:29 PM, MOST,DAVID at most@UCLA.EDU wrote:
>
> > So, from this brief description, does it sound like a heater core leak?
> > Is the only real fix a replacement of the core?  If this is the case, the
> > job looks fairly simple though a bit messy.
>
> A cheap option would be the complete removal of the rear heater.
> My van came with that heater already removed, and I haven't missed it yet.
>
> Without the rear heater there's lots of space under that rear seat. which I
> filled up with a carver P4 and an 80ah deep cycle in a sealed box vented to
> the outside.
>
> Still to be tested stealth camping in Tahoe (if we ever get some decent
> snow!)
>
> Dave.
> '91 westy
> Napa, CA