'89 200 heater box removal.

[Igor Kessel <e6941tb@ix.netcom.com>]

Hello, listers!

There are two projects left to be done with the 200, before the new queen arrives and
demands the undevided attention.

One of them is a repair of a chirping heater fan.
The subject has been extensively  described in the posts of STEADIRIC and others, 
I have them saved.

Several questions:

1. When the fan starts chirping, what's going on in there: a dried out bearing, which
may be replaced cheaply or the squirell cage starts hitting the surroundings?
In other words, can I get away without buying the whole motor+fan for some $120?

2. How reliable the heater cores are on 44 chassis Audis? I am unlikely to hack the box
with a steak knife, so I'll be pulling the whole heaterbox out of the car. By that time
I'll have the heater core disconnected and the coolant drained. Would it be a good idea
to replace the heater core at that point as a preventive measure? It's another $120 to
be spent.

3. I am seriously thinking about switching to the high boiling point MECA coolant.
I know, I know, I talked with Cris Sanborn about his fire. I searched the archives, it
appears that only Jeff G. (AudiDudi) ever tried it. Any good impressions, Jeff?
The idea of running the coolant sys a 0 pressure is very appealing to me.
Does anyone have numbers on the Ethylen Glycol (regular antyfreeze) and Propylen Glycol's 
(MECA) flash points?

Thanks for any feedback.


Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ - 18psi (TAP)
'97 A4TQ - on the dealer's lot
Philadelphia, PA
USA