How was your 4th?

[Hamsterdiesel]

This is how we spent ours... actually more like the 3rd, 4th and part of the 5th...!

Replacing an A4 heater core is NO laughing matter...(you weren't kidding, Herm!)...it's a miserable job reserved for my worst enemies...

... and some unlucky mechanics that have no choice. No matter what they charge - if the job is done RIGHT and nothing gets broken in the process AND everything works when it's put back together - it's not enough...believe you me.

The happy news is that I no longer have stinky heat!!!

Thanks mrchill for the 'on the fly' technical support and jsrmonster for the tips 'n' tricks ahead of time!

 

[kromicacid]

WOW.

i want to do that, but for other reasons... (sound proofing, and other general tinkering)

 

[supton]

Wow, all that for a heater core???

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I need to do mine too

2000 new beetle tdi
I have to remove the ac core so same as heater core
I sure hope I don't have to go that far as taken the wheel off and all
I wish i could get on alldata or there was a write up on this job!!!
Thanks

 

[Phoenix42]

Yozzer!
It would appear that they start with the heater core and build the car around it.

 

[JettaJake]

Good god almighty! siss-boom-baaaa-aw hell!

 

[Hamsterdiesel]

Yozzer!
It would appear that they start with the heater core and build the car around it.

Ed Zachary!

...and no, there is no short cut... That BiiiiG crossbar? That must be disconnected and raised so that the heater/AC assembly can have the clearance it needs to be removed...and yes, it needs to be removed. You have to take that apart to get to the heater core and A/C...

 

[Hamsterdiesel]

WOW.

i want to do that, but for other reasons... (sound proofing, and other general tinkering)

No one in their right mind would want to do this voluntarily ... but then again, you are engaged... LoL... (congrats!)

 

[Lex4TDI4Life]

for all that work, i would simply opt to carry an inverter and an electric blanket in the car

 

[hevster1]

Toyota rav4 sucks as bad if not worse

 

[oilhammer]

You guys kill me....Volkswagen heater cases are easy to take out! Time consuming, yes, but easy. I would gladly do these over lots of other jobs on non-Volkswagens.

 

[TDIJetta99]

Toyota rav4 sucks as bad if not worse

That's a toss up.. I'm not sure what I would rather do.. Probably the RAV4 since I spent my ENTIRE Valentine's day doing my heater core in the Jetta.. It wasn't hard, just took some time..

There's a short cut.. Kinda.. I only took out the heater box side of mine, the A/C side stayed in the car.. I think it might have saved like a half hour if that.. next time its all coming out..

 

[oilhammer]

I am guessing none of you have ever done an MB evap core?

IIRC, the W140 car is about a 35 hour job. You read that right, THIRTY-FIVE hours.

Or doing cylinder heads on any Triton Ford truck engine... sheesh.

Nothing on any Volkswagen is hard to me after having to work on Fords. Well, sometimes I do have some words with the driver's SRS clips, but other than that, I like 'em!

 

[TDIJetta99]

but back on topic, I spent my 4th of July doing things like this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzZWRBUvfp8

 

[oilhammer]

I spent my 4th washing my new Golf. 383k miles of filth...but I found a pretty clean car under there!

 

[TDIJetta99]

I am guessing none of you have ever done an MB evap core?

IIRC, the W140 car is about a 35 hour job. You read that right, THIRTY-FIVE hours.

Or doing cylinder heads on any Triton Ford truck engine... sheesh.

Nothing on any Volkswagen is hard to me after having to work on Fords. Well, sometimes I do have some words with the driver's SRS clips, but other than that, I like 'em!

The triton heads are easy... I can get the cab off the truck in an hour, that's usually how I do it now after doing heads on a 6.0 powerstroke.. it's a pleasure to work on an engine without a body on it..

I haven't got a chance to tackle one of the W140's.. 35 hours is a lot of time.. wow..

 

[aja8888]

but back on topic, I spent my 4th of July doing things like this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzZWRBUvfp8

4th:

Hung around, changed oil in the Passat. Used M1 TDT CJ-4 with two ounces of ZDDP Plus. Watched the neighbor's dog while they went to visit in laws. Watered lawn Sunday as that was our day based on water restrictions.

Oh, and flaming motorcycle jumps/rides? Heck that was going on here without any man made bonfire since it was 103F in the shade....

 

[oilhammer]

Yep, we take the cabs off too. It is the Excursion and Expedition body lifts that are a PITA. The engine itself IS pretty simple. Just getting to it.

We do the E-vans with the engine in, but you have to snake the heads out with the headbolts in them, since there is no room to get them out. Again, I would MUCH rather work on a Volkswagen...and luckily I usually can.

FWIW, why is it so hard for Ford to make a OHC V8 that either keep the spark plugs in the head and don't spit out with all the threads, OR allow the spark plugs to be removed without breaking into pieces?

 

[TDIJetta99]

Yep, we take the cabs off too. It is the Excursion and Expedition body lifts that are a PITA. The engine itself IS pretty simple. Just getting to it.

We do the E-vans with the engine in, but you have to snake the heads out with the headbolts in them, since there is no room to get them out. Again, I would MUCH rather work on a Volkswagen...and luckily I usually can.

FWIW, why is it so hard for Ford to make a OHC V8 that either keep the spark plugs in the head and don't spit out with all the threads, OR allow the spark plugs to be removed without breaking into pieces?

ya the suv's are a little more of a pain.. The vans just suck.. I don't pull the heads unless I have to.. usually I can get the busted exhaust studs out in the vehicle, and I have the kits for the sparkplug threads, but sometimes they just have to come off..

I have to agree though.. I'd rather work on the VW's..

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I'm still here!! I just raised the dash and tied it to the roof and that way I didn't have to take the steering wheel and all off but I'm stumped can't seem to get any farther like got the halfs split and all the clamps off but wont still come apart. I'm wondering if just the expansion valve still bolted on is keeping everything on!!! 2000 new bettle here just need to replace the evaper it's hotter than hell here in the florida panhandle!!! I went on that all data and paid the price just to see if there was good pictures and only getting them off parts lists. Sure is a hard way to figure things out!!!! Sucks and still hotter than hell!!!! I guess Ill have to take the heater hoses off too.

 

[PeterV]

Yes all hoses for the heater. There are 3 bolts that hold the ac tubes on the eng side of the fire wall. Also the we detached the wiper motor to get to the bolt behind it on the fire wall. Also there are 4 nuts behind the 1/2 moon doors on the fire wall that hold the heater/ac box. We got everything done and I got the ac recharged MOnday morn and so far no leaks also the biggest item is NO codes were thrown and we had a clean Vag Com scan.

So nice to have a cool Hamster...
ps Thanks Jeff at RC & Mr. Chill.

ps we had to remove the heater box as it had to be washed out as G12 was pooled in there. Dawn & Greased lightening did the trick NO SMELL.

 

[Hamsterdiesel]

You guys kill me....Volkswagen heater cases are easy to take out! Time consuming, yes, but easy. I would gladly do these over lots of other jobs on non-Volkswagens.

That's why you're the mechanic, and I'm the Hamster...

It should be easy for guys like you!

 

[Antsrcool]

the volvo`s are a pita as well......but the MB are the icing on the cake for sure......that and there are no exposed screws everythign has a "trick"

 

[Hamsterdiesel]

There's a short cut.. Kinda.. I only took out the heater box side of mine, the A/C side stayed in the car.. I think it might have saved like a half hour if that.. next time its all coming out..

Did you just disconnect the heater side and swing it out? Or did you cut that stupid plastic box in half?

 

[TDIJetta99]

Did you just disconnect the heater side and swing it out? Or did you cut that stupid plastic box in half?

there are clips that hold it together in the middle.. at least that's how mine was.. the 2 on the backside were a pain, but they came off..

 

[oilhammer]

Some A4 cars have a 2-piece case, like the older cars, some are all one piece.

 

[Hamsterdiesel]

Now that explains it... thanks!

 

[ofhs93]

FYI...Jeep Comanders are no better...and THEY have a *rear* heating and A/C setup as well....so you get to rip the front AND back of the vehicle apart to track down the offending smell/leak. YEEEHAW!!

So...now that I have seen this...I will either suck it up and deal with the smell and coolant replacement OR it will be time for a "new" car if I need to do this in either of my cars

My father works for a Fix Or Repair Daily dealer and I have seen PLENTY of pickup and Excursion cabs hoisted high into the air to get at those motors

 

[MikeS_18]

I spent some of it rebuilding the carb on the econoline... it's worse than before, so I guess I get to do it again next weekend. air leak, bad fuel mixture, screwed up the float or something else. A much smaller job but I'm a carb newb...

 

[oilhammer]

Bleh....carburetors are for lawn mowers.