Behind Front Grill

[Dartmoor]

Hi, the front grill on my 1981 Aircooled needs replacing as it flaps around like crazy making a racket - the bottom securing lip on one side is broken. I can get a new one from JK with new pins. But the cardboard-y square baffle panels on each side behind the grill also need replacing, and it seems they are unavailable. So, what purpose do these baffles have, and is it ok to put a new grill in without them? Any consequences? Thanks

[Rozzo]

mine doesn't have any so it must be ok

[Mocki]

its not like its there to direct the air into the radiator is it?

i replaced mine with two pieses of "for sale" sign, that was lurking outside a empty house!and painted them black

[quagmire]

^^^^^hahaha^^^^^^ i can just picture you steve wrestling with a 7ft piece of 3x3 with a "for sale" sign attached to it

[Dartmoor]

its not like its there to direct the air into the radiator is it?

i replaced mine with two pieses of "for sale" sign, that was lurking outside a empty house!and painted them black

Good idea - loads of unsold houses around, so plenty of signs to cut up ! LOL. But what purpose do the baffles serve on an a/c van? Like you say, there's no radiator to cool.

[dugcati]

Hi, the front grill on my 1981 Aircooled needs replacing as it flaps around like crazy making a racket - the bottom securing lip on one side is broken. I can get a new one from JK with new pins. But the cardboard-y square baffle panels on each side behind the grill also need replacing, and it seems they are unavailable. So, what purpose do these baffles have, and is it ok to put a new grill in without them? Any consequences? Thanks

i think they are/were for stopping road dirt/rain bird's etc from becomming jammed behind the grill

[Mr Bean]

I don't think those carboard flaps do much - mine just seem to fall about in there. But I thought my grill was rattling in the wind and made up little tufnol blocks which I nut and screwed in the small rectangular hole wher the original plastic bit had broken off. This tightened up the whole effort and I set off for a test drive only to find the rattle still existed. Although I was convinced the noise was coming from the front it materialised that it was the nearside rear engine hatch air grill making the noise. I simply placed a couple of stiff foam washers over the top locating pegs and cured it at a stroke. I know it seems unlikely but give them a wiggle and see if it is that.
Cheers
Wolfie

[Dartmoor]

well, an update, and some frustration. The previous grill had one of the lower plastic lips broken - so I have fitted a new one from JK. It seems much tighter than the previous one, but it still rattles! More to the point, it still make a racket when you get speed up and the wind has a go. There's nothing else loose, and the vibration is definitely there on the plastic grill. So one thought - was there supposed to be any kind of rubber seal/cushion behind the grill? There's nothing on mine - the grill just goes straight onto the metal surround - so this may be the problem?? I am trying to look at parts from the JK website, and I can't see whether a rubber seal part exists or not. Can anyone help??

[Mocki]

there shouldnt be any cushoning or seal, but you know that cheap and nasty draft excluder for round old wooden doors? that'll do the job methinks

[Dartmoor]

there shouldnt be any cushoning or seal, but you know that cheap and nasty draft excluder for round old wooden doors? that'll do the job methinks

Thanks - yep. may do that. But I think I may have been a dunce and have now found the cause. There is a plastic fine grill behind the front main grill - and that should attach to the lip at the top - and mine wasn't! So I am hoping that's it. But even though I have new grill pins for the main grill, three of then won't bite at all. I guess the clips behind are fairly worn. It's these flimsy parts that show there age at 27 years.

[Dartmoor]

there shouldnt be any cushoning or seal, but you know that cheap and nasty draft excluder for round old wooden doors? that'll do the job methinks

Thanks - yep. may do that. But I think I may have been a dunce and have now found the cause. There is a plastic fine grill behind the front main grill - and that should attach to the lip at the top - and mine wasn't! So I am hoping that's it. But even though I have new grill pins for the main grill, three of then won't bite at all. I guess the clips behind are fairly worn. It's these flimsy parts that show there age at 27 years.

An update - tried everything, but at speed the 'flapping' vibrating noise at the front of the van was horrendous. I bought a new grill, lines it at the back with draught excluded, put new pins in - nothing worked.

Then, I through what about the roof? Well hey presto that was it - the front fiberglass over cab bit (I have a westfalia pop-top) was the culprit. It was all secure, but at the very front the wind was lifting it a fraction and vibrating it against the cab roof. A temporary fix was more draught excluder, and the noise went. Has anyone else has a problem with the front roof section of their Westy? And what was your cure?

[murdoch]

had the entire front part of the rubber seal on my devon come loose on the m25 once, looked like it was trying to beat up the windscreen, made an awfull racket, god it was funny though, laughed for hours afterwards

[noss vanagon]

Theres a heavy rubber seal around the bottom of our westy luggage rack bit (I think) so flapping unlikely.
regards
steve

[Dartmoor]

Theres a heavy rubber seal around the bottom of our westy luggage rack bit (I think) so flapping unlikely.
regards
steve

Yep, mine has that too - but somehow the wind is finding a gap between the seal and tin, and then flapping the roof!