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Date:         Thu, 24 May 2001 22:15:13 -0500
Reply-To:     Rich Propsom <Rich@PROPSOM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rich Propsom <Rich@PROPSOM.NET>
Subject:      Water Cooled Alternative Water Hoses
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

For those who have water cooled engines and are interested in alternative and less expensive solutions to the long metal rubber or plastic lines that run from your engine to the radiator, here is one possible solution.

For the record Bed Bug is an 82 diesel full camper converted with a base inline 1.8L golf engine. I won't go into all that has been done but the most recent was the replacement of all major water/heater hoses. After 19 years I did not trust the old rubber and steel sections. After some searching and looking at what was available through vendors and flaps I came across the following in a larger chain "farm / fleet" type store.

Thermoid Valueflex/GS 1.25 (31.8mm) which is a air/water general purpose hose rated at 150 psi working pressure 300# burst. ( see www.hbdthermoid.com) The original coming out was roughly the same size and had 1 reinforcement. This industrial hose of EPDM rubber had two belts and the rubber wall was nearly twice as thick and was prices at about 1.50 a foot quite a bit cheaper that the 3 or more dollars quoted at some local FLAPS. The only drawback was that it came on 50 foot rolls so some would be left over.

In the process I also upgraded the heater hose from 3/4 inch to 1 inch to decrease resistance and hopefully increase heater output for winters up here.

So far the only compromise in this setup is that the original radiator and heater hose had gone through the small hole above the gas tank on the right hand side. The larger diameter of the replacements did not allow all four lines to go the same route. I installed one large and one small through the original holes and the second large and small through the unused syncro shaft hole on centerline (2wds only). There is minimal interference on the forward end though you do have to tie wrap it so that it clears the steering box gear.

Time will tell if its a good choice but price and heft of the hose leads me to believe this will outlive the original. It is stiffer than original but still workable and continuous except for connections up forward and in the rear. I did save the metal riser coming from the top of the radiator down to the 90 degree where it turns aft. This had a shape that could not be duplicated with hose. With a burst pressure 20 times your normal 15 psi water pressure, I do not expect leaks to be any concern for a long time.

82 X Diesel Westy "Bed Bug"

Rich Propsom


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