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Date:         Tue, 13 Nov 2001 06:48:38 -0800
Reply-To:     Michael Snow <mwsnow@HOME.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Snow <mwsnow@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Diesel Exapansion Tank Problem Solution
Comments: To: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Ken, we are thinking along the same lines. I want to do this to my '82 diesel. From what I can see in ETKA, the '84-'85 diesel Vanagons use the same plastic coolant pipes as the waterboxers. Hoses that are made for the plastic pipes will not work with the steel coolant pipes found on the diesel. The plastic pipes are much larger at the ends than the older steel version.

In addition, the '82 diesel has different steel coolant pipes than the '83. They are the same diameter, but they do not terminate in the same location in the engine bay. It appears to be an all or nothing conversion. The hoses, expansion tank, and coolant pipes must all be from the same year vehicle. I agree that this is a worthwhile conversion, but the expenses and the amount of work involved are greater than a simple hose/tank replacement.

Mike Snow '82 Westfalia diesel '83 ASI diesel

KENWILFY@AOL.COM wrote:

> The diesel Vanagon owners on this list know that some of their coolant > parts have become no longer available. One of the parts that is the > most elusive is the original diesel coolant tank. These are no longer > made and any that you may come across would be NOS only. This has been > a problem for a while and people have been epoxying their old tanks or > buying used tanks to keep their vans going. Now I have a possible > solution. > > I have found that with the use of a newer style big hose (that large > hose that has two "T" connections built into it) and a newer style lower > hose, you can retrofit in the expansion tank from an '84-85 Vanagon. > These tanks are much cheaper than the old tanks ($29 vs $95) and much > easier to get. I have the parts available for someone to do this > retrofit. Here is what is needed: > 1- Expansion Tank w/cap- $29 > 1- Upper coolant hose (big one with all the "T"s)- $120 > 1- Lower coolant hose- $90 > 1- Sender for coolant level (needed to plug the hole for this in the > tank)- $9 > Your total before shipping- $248 > > The mounting of the expansion tank is a little different, however if you > could get a bracket from a junk Vanagon (84-91) or just fabricate one > yourself the mounting is quite simple. > > This is just a suggestion. If you balk at replacing these hoses along > with your tank, understand that at this point your hoses are probably > almost 20 years old (if they have never been replaced) and one of these > hoses (the larger one) is no longer available at the dealer. Now would > be the time to replace these hoses as well since their availability is > not going to increase over time, only the opposite. > > Thanks, > Ken Wilford > John 3:16 > www.vanagain.com > Phone: (856)-765-1583 > Fax: (856)-327-2242


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