Date:         Wed, 15 May 2002 11:58:04 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Snow <mwsnow@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Snow <mwsnow@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: roadtrip spares
Comments: To: shaggyinseattle@YAHOO.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

PS would a radiator and cooling pipes from an 86' GL
fit in my 82'?
=====
Shaggy

I'll leave the spare parts list to some of our other long distance
travelers.
   To fit a 1986 cooling system in your 1982 van, you need to fabricate
a radiator mount.  I drilled the welds out of the factory mount on a
junkyard van and welded it in the proper position on my '82.  This is
fairly simple.  The difficult part is that nearly every coolant hose on
your van is incompatible with the '86 radiator and pipes.
   The inexpensive way of making the conversion is to use only the
radiator from the newer van.  You will still need to replace the hoses
that connect the radiator to the coolant pipes, but that is far less
expensive than replacing all of them.  Many older vans have welded steel
coolant pipes that are at or near the end of their useful life.  The
pipes rust at the welded seam.  One of my projects for next year is to
have some new pipes fabricated from seamless tubing, using stock pipes
as a pattern.
   As a side note, the '82 diesel Vanagon uses two thermoswitches to
operate the radiator fan.  '83 and newer models use a single
thermoswitch.  You will need to study the Bentley and modify your '82
wiring harness to match the '83+ system.  Even with the apparent
difficulty, the conversion is worth the effort.  I think '82 diesel
radiators are now more than double the cost of the later models.

Mike Snow