1981 rabbit heater core

yes, you are missing a repair manual! That said the heater box needs to be removed.

OK let me first of all establish that I do indeed own and read repair manuals.

I quote from MY REPAIR MANUAL #1 --- Figure 5.1 and 5.2 are exploded views (the pictures suck!! and don't show any clips or screws etc.) of the ventilation and heating system.

------- Once the hoses have been disconnected, you can remove the heater by working inside the passenger compartment. THAT IS ALL IT SAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I quote from MY OTHER REPAIR MANUAL --- The housing is held to the body of the heater by two metal clips which are difficult to locate and even more difficult to release. In the center of the clip is a tongue or retaining spring, this must be pressed in and the clip will come undone. There is a clip on each side of the housing and once these are free the housing can be drawn off the heat exchanger. Then it goes on to say how difficult it is and that I may want to hire a professional.

MANUAL # 3 was of no help at all.

Secondly, I would like to point out that none of my manuals showed illustrations or pictures of an air conditioning equiped car. AND -- the diagrams that were provided showed an already removed component diagram of the heater unit. In no way was it shown how to REMOVE the heater or core.

SO ------------------- My more specific questions are these -- How much of the dashboard do I have to disassemble if any in order to access the hidden and "difficult to locate" clips. Do I have to remove the top end of the unit (in the engine compartment, in order to split apart the part that I can see in the cab? If I do have to remove the air intake portion in the engine compartment, how does one remove the screws that are coated with "tar??" as I have found that when I turn the screws they do not back out.

I did find areference in the caddy owners web forum to this job and it turns out that the guy gave up and by-passed his core because he couldn't figure it out either.

If there is anyone out there who has done this job, could they give me a basic run down of the procedure?

Thanks, Craig

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I replaced the heater core in both my 1980 and 1982 Caddys. Both have factory air. Both are the same as the same year Rabbits w/m factory air. Both replacements were done the same way.

OK, this get a little violent.

That is how it's done. It is easy to cut the case with a short saw. I used a piece of sheet aluminum (available at Lowes, Osh or Home Depot or other hardware stores). I cut the aluminum with a tab on the bottom that slides into the case, and with wide sides so that it can be retained to the case with self-tapping screws. If the cores ever have to be replaced, just remove the screws.

Doing it this way means you don't have to take out the case or evacuate the AC.

Hope this helps.

I'm a Movie wrote:

cool way of doing things, but at the dealer level the customer would be TOTALLY pissed off he saw the car cut up like that. Personally I would do it that way on my own car if I owned one that old.

Who the f*ck cares? Dealer level? Oh, sure. 1981 Rabbits are stacked up

20 deep at the local VW dealer. Here's a clue, Gabby. I was not addressing you. Review the basics on how to follow a thread.

I don't think he was the clueless one.

I would care and I think a lot of other people would care if their vehicles were butchered without permission! Of course you can do anything you want to YOUR vehicle. YOU can even redesign the heater core box (fresh air box) like you did. Clever Tom! lol

I would add that the heater hoses be removed from the engine compartment first so the remaining coolant inside of the heater core could be blown out with some air. Then you don't have a lot of coolant draining onto the floor.

If the dash comes out then you >> cool way of doing things, but at the dealer level the customer would

Thanks Tom for the tips. I think that I will do it the easy way. I'll never understand some German engineering!!!!!!!

Craig O

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No problem. The real props go to the guy with that webpage. I think the fellows at the Caddy forum pointed me to it.