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Hi,
I'm a new owner of a 72 Bus w/ Type 4 motor. One of the POs removed the thermostat and flaps(and bracket and cable and probably other things I don't know about). I'd like to reinstall them, but can this be done w/ the engine in place?

I'll be moving soon and I need the bus drivable for that. But it's a looong drive so I'd rather have the cooling system working properly, so I'm in a bit of a bind.

Thanks,
Tyler

Well I suppose it is possible, I wouldn’t even try as a first project under time constraint.

At the minimum the blower shroud needs to be separated...I don’t see that happening on fixed rear apron models. Add unfamiliarity, broken fastener, unknown parts list, supporting the power train after removing rear engine hanger it just sounds like a bad time

Ah, I was afraid you would say the blower should need to come off. I was hoping loosing the tin on top could give enough room to slide them in. Ah, well. I suppose that'll just be an early project at my next place.

BTW, it's not _quite_ my first project. I had a 63 bug about 20 years ago.
And on this one, I've already rewired everything under the dash, reconnected all the evap hoses, replaced a bunch of crumbling plastic bits, added an electric washer pump, and rebuilt the heater blower motor. Still no heat though as the PO also removed the heater flapper boxes AND supports. I think getting that together is going to have to wait too, which means it might be a bit of a cold move across the rockies in March...

Funny thing about the re-wire: it had literally about 30 feet of completely unused, non-original wires under there. That was fun disentangling, but I discovered the reason the wipers didn't work very well at first and then wouldn't stop. A PO had jammed the frayed ends of wire into the hole of the spade lug on the motor rather than use a connector or solder it in place. It was an intermittent connection at first, but eventually worked it's way to a short so the switch didn't function at all! Found the same sort of `craftsmanship` in the ignitions switch which explains the occasional key-seems-to-do-nothing behavior that would only hit me at very busy gas stations.

Thanks,
Tyler

The blower shroud is a clam shell, half can stay put.

Given the quality of PO work, collect core stuff