it squeaks no more!!

An alchemy of sparks, copper wire and earth

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

Locked
User avatar
ermie571
Registered user
Posts: 4970
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 11:11
80-90 Mem No: 2129
Location: Minster-on-Sea, Kent: Member 2129 07784052288

it squeaks no more!!

Post by ermie571 »

Well, yesterday was fun!! With VWcamperfans help (again) we de-squeaked 2, yes 2, fans in the heaters in my busses. One was particularly noisy, and the other one was just starting to go out in sympathy. So, with Mark leading the way in Ermie, John and I followed in Ritchie! Disconnect battery for safety now.

1. Dash off......only undo the LITLLE screws in front of the dash (or your windscreen wipers will fall off!! ok, the motors will...) Couldn't do it by hand, but the electric screwdriver did the job well. Remove anything mounted on the dash, and the assorted tat that gathers there! Strip the cowling from the instrument panel and remove the instrument panel as well. Remember the fun you had putting the stereo in...well take it out - you get to put it back later! Now the heater control panel and sliders....pull the 3 or four plastic knobs towards you....they come off, honest. Then the switch itself...pull off the bit you turn. Right, with a small screw driver, slowly prise off the cover, bottom left and top right. Slowly slowly here. The three screws (poss 2) to release the slider gubbins from the dash. Got a cigarette lighter....remove the connections. Remove the glove box. Hand underneath at each end, pull off the two air hoses. 2 screws or bolts on the pillar on either side...remove and the dash should now come away. Sorry - missed a bit....the bolts that hold the steering column on. Right - these are special sheer bolts....but we were able to remove and reuse, but you do need decent mole grips, and attack the bolt at the one straight part of the bolt. You don't have to take the steering wheel off....but it did give a little more space to work in.

this is what revealed itself under Ermie's dash
Image

HELP!!!!!!!! Sure there is some genuine original wiring in there somewhere!!

2. Remove the fan heater unit....screws and bolts all over the place. Remove the front grill (yep fixes in from the front too!). IF you have clips around the heater unit, unclip and seperate the box. If not....and we didn't in Ritchie you are going to have real fun working your way around with a small screw driver to get into the thing. PS - you will need some silicone sealant to stick it back together!! Once its unbolted and you are in you get this....

Image
that skinny thing on the bottom right is the resistor that controls the speeds apparently!

3. Oil the bearings. Right in the middle of the picture is the fan. you can see the first bearign you need to oil - its that brown spot in the middle of the fan. A little bit of WD40 followed by a manual spin of the fan will clean any gunk, then a drop or two of engine oil will lubricate that bearing.

Now look round the other side...
You wlll see a plastic drill with letters on it. Now be brave as you are going to drill next to the letters, aiming towards the centre as the other bearing in lurking beneath:
Image

and after drilling (we used a 5mm bit)
Image


Now, with a little screwdriver dipped in engine oil, offer some lubricant onto the bearing....
Image

Give it a good dose....u don't want to be doing this again next year!!!

Spin the fan...drop more oil on both bearings and you are good to go! It should be silent now!!!


Now, put it all back.....oh - just to mention...when we put the dash back, and were at the putting the instruements back, we both found that the speedo cable had gone walkabout....dunno how, but they were both up in the same place....right up under the windscreen....need little fingers to hook it out. May be worth hooking it round something to stop it wandering off!!

Hope this helps someone....there are instructions in the wiki but no pictures!!

Em
xx
Last edited by ermie571 on 18 Oct 2010, 14:16, edited 4 times in total.
2.1 DJ 1990 Caravelle (died and gone to heaven)
2.0 AGG (1997 ish) 1984 transporter LPG

User avatar
Titus A Duxass
Registered user
Posts: 5777
Joined: 24 Nov 2007, 08:22
80-90 Mem No: 4475
Location: Cologne

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by Titus A Duxass »

Cheers Em,
I'm due to do this task myself over the winter.
Your little guide is most helpful.

Andronicus.
VW T3 GTi Camper 2,0l

User avatar
Ian Hulley
Registered user
Posts: 12661
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 08:08
80-90 Mem No: 1323
Location: Wirksworth, Derbyshire ... or at t'mill

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by Ian Hulley »

Likewise, cheers.

Ian
The Hulley's Bus
1989 2.1DJ Trampspotter
LPG courtesy of Steve @ Gasure

User avatar
ermie571
Registered user
Posts: 4970
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 11:11
80-90 Mem No: 2129
Location: Minster-on-Sea, Kent: Member 2129 07784052288

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by ermie571 »

No worries, fellas

Em
xx
2.1 DJ 1990 Caravelle (died and gone to heaven)
2.0 AGG (1997 ish) 1984 transporter LPG

User avatar
CovKid
Trader
Posts: 8411
Joined: 30 Apr 2006, 13:19
80-90 Mem No: 3529
Location: Ralph - Coventry (Retired)
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by CovKid »

WIKI'd

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Co ... ater_box_2
Roller paint your camper at home: http://roller.epizy.com/55554/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for MP4 download.

Rich Tea
Registered user
Posts: 35
Joined: 14 Apr 2010, 19:10
80-90 Mem No: 8190
Location: Bristol

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by Rich Tea »

Cheers Em and helpers,

Good to see it in pictures, I've got both a siezed fan and plenty of non original wiring. Last time I tried the fan I had a puff of smoke from from a melting scotchlok. I've pulled the fuse now and the fan's joined the list of jobs to be done.

Rich
1987 1900cc DG

User avatar
CovKid
Trader
Posts: 8411
Joined: 30 Apr 2006, 13:19
80-90 Mem No: 3529
Location: Ralph - Coventry (Retired)
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by CovKid »

Also, for those with earlier T25s, the wipers and blower are on one fuse (not great as a fault with either can render the other one out of action). I added a mod to split them from each other here: https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Co ... KILLS_FUSE
Roller paint your camper at home: http://roller.epizy.com/55554/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for MP4 download.

silverbullet
Trader
Posts: 17229
Joined: 08 Jun 2009, 09:51
80-90 Mem No: 6908
Location: Surrey Syncronaut #156
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by silverbullet »

Well done you! I think I know what I'm doing this weekend...is no screen blower an mot fail these days?
I know it's certainly a pain in the posterieur...
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys

User avatar
CovKid
Trader
Posts: 8411
Joined: 30 Apr 2006, 13:19
80-90 Mem No: 3529
Location: Ralph - Coventry (Retired)
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by CovKid »

Blower not working is not a failure but failing to keep your screen clear is an offence. Use of a rubber window clearer squeegy thing would satisfy plod but to be honest, driving without a heater blower in winter is just no fun at all.
Roller paint your camper at home: http://roller.epizy.com/55554/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for MP4 download.

silverbullet
Trader
Posts: 17229
Joined: 08 Jun 2009, 09:51
80-90 Mem No: 6908
Location: Surrey Syncronaut #156
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by silverbullet »

More pics and info (Wiki request made to admin) after my stalled attempt:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=76957
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys

dansimpson
Registered user
Posts: 1339
Joined: 20 Jul 2010, 20:54
80-90 Mem No: 8552
Location: Cheddleton, Staffordshire

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by dansimpson »

Cheers for this info. Blower started sqeeling last week, so I thought I might as well get it done before it seizes.

Took me 5 hours!! in all to get the dash off and open the heater box. Both sheer bolts on the steering column were like cones, no flat bits, (finally managed to hammer an Irwin bolt remover over them) and 2 of the screws holding the dash on were rusted solid, had to resort to careful drilling to get them out (heart in mouth hoping not to damage screen)

Would have taken a couple of days though I reckon if I hadnt had your pics and info to go on

Hopefully it''l go back together and everything will work first time

Gonna do earths, wiper linkage and Covkids mod to fuses for wiper/blower before I re assemble anyway.

Just one question, the hole drilled in the casing for the rear bearing on the blower, do you block it off or just leave it?

Dan
1990 1.9dg tintop....back in the fold.....

User avatar
VWCamperfan
Registered user
Posts: 993
Joined: 08 Jul 2007, 19:47
80-90 Mem No: 4000
Location: Sheerness, Kent.

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by VWCamperfan »

Just leave it! It will make no difference to the efficiency or running of the fan or motor.
Mark.

I'm Not A Complete Idiot... Some Bits Are Missing!

1.6 Modified CT engine.

dansimpson
Registered user
Posts: 1339
Joined: 20 Jul 2010, 20:54
80-90 Mem No: 8552
Location: Cheddleton, Staffordshire

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by dansimpson »

Was thinking of doing something similar to the mod on p.2 of this topic with the little blue cap and pipe thingy,

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... ng&start=0

I really really really dont want to go through this too often, so I had already considered options to make up something to re oil the bearings without removing the dash
1990 1.9dg tintop....back in the fold.....

User avatar
ghost123uk
Registered user
Posts: 6855
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
80-90 Mem No: 2585
Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by ghost123uk »

I did the hole drilling thing to get at the bearing, in fact I drilled 2 holes, one to look through and one to get the thin tube up to the bearing.

I used a bit of that stiff advance / retard tubing fastened to the aerosol tube with the advance retard rubber sleeving

It is pretty essential to have an indicator bulb soldered to the end of a bit of wire, hanging inside that void from the gap at the top, so you can see what you are doing.

As mentioned on that (very friendly ) Samba forum (and I think by Mr Baxter) this is not a proper cure, but if it works for a year or 2 then hey (It worked so far on mine, though I did have to re-do it recently, no big deal - used some more suitable lube this time = moly grease on a stick !!)
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here

User avatar
chuckle-bus-tom
Registered user
Posts: 2818
Joined: 07 Nov 2007, 17:37
80-90 Mem No: 4368
Location: Hackney, London
Contact:

Re: it squeaks no more!!

Post by chuckle-bus-tom »

All safe to lavish some space foil insulation in there whilst the dash is out?

Locked