Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 09:17:45 -0500
Reply-To: Vanagon man <vgonman@MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Vanagon man <vgonman@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: Who Sells the Coolant Pipe Repair Kit?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Ken Wilford does make a valid point here.
The factory used the material they did for a reason. Sure, cost is one, but
other engineering/chemical reasons as well.
As i have posted before I used to run a large scrap yard/recycling facility.
Any idea how many different types of stainless there are? An awful
lot..........all used for different things for different reasons due to the
composition of the alloys. A lot of the use depended on what was going to
flow thru the pipes valves at the factory.
I am no chemist, metallurgist, or engineer, but I do know that there are
chemicals in coolant, and they have a flow rate of some
speed................whether or not over the long haul they will take
chemicals from the stainless steel is unknown to me.........but it would be
possible.
The factory probably went from steel to plastic once they realized the
stupidity of the steel under there. Plastic was a cheap rust free
alternative..........
Adam P
81 Westy "The Brick "
70 Single Cab "Whitey"
74 Beetle "Ol Yeller"
73 Transporter (STILL at paint shop)
1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg
1976 Transporter (New CA bus)
75 Campmobile "for sale'
Used Vanagon Parts for sale (mostly aircooled)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kenneth Wilford" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: Who Sells the Coolant Pipe Repair Kit?
> George, I have had this problem on my '91 Carat (plastic lines go bad
> at the ends!) and my '85 Westy (metal lines rust out!) and I solved it
> the same way both times. I went with the stock VW pipes. My question
> to you is: How expensive is a new motor? Even if you bought a good
> used motor you are talking at least $400 plus the labor to put it in
> ($1000-1500). To me it is worth the peace of mind to put back what VW
> put there in the first place. It will make the installation process
> much faster. And when you get done you should have something that will
> last another 18 years (realize that the this was the lifespan of the
> original pipes). This guys van is a beater, yes, but it is not yet a
> lawn ornament. To keep it from becoming that I would go with stock.
>
> Having said that you can go stock in a cheap way if you can find a 84-
> 85 Vanagon in a junkyard with good pipes. You can pick them up pretty
> cheap that way. That is what I did with my '85, I had a parts van from
> the west coast and the metal pipes were still wondering, 'What
> does "rust" mean?' Just my opinion.
>
> The other thing you have to think about is the thermal efficency of the
> stainless pipes. Did you ever stop to think that the long pipes under
> the van are actually part of the cooling system and radiate much of the
> engine's heat before it even gets to the radiator? What is the btu
> rating of these pipes? The thermal efficency? What about the
> material? Perhaps it is a alloy of stainless that would react to the
> special alloy in our waterboxer blocks. I think a 20 year study must
> be completed before you even attempt to go with this other material.
> Please begin at once and send us quarterly updates on your progress.
>
> Got ya!
>
> PS I was serious until that last paragraph :)
>
> Thanks,
> Ken Wilford
> John 3:16
> http://www.vanagain.com
> Phone: 856-327-4936
> Fax: 856-327-2242
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
> Date: Monday, November 4, 2002 11:09 pm
> Subject: Who Sells the Coolant Pipe Repair Kit?
>
> > It turns out my nephew is dumber than he looks. After witnessing
> > the agony
> > Vanagons have caused me, he was still stupid enough to buy a
> > whipped out
> > Sunroof '84 because he thought it was "sweet". Well, the only
> > thing sweet
> > about it right now is the coolant gushing out of the metal
> > radiator lines
> > where they kick up in the rear.
> >
> > When he called VW to get replacements, my nephew was given a
> > strong dose of
> > bitter reality: he found that the replacements cost almost as much
> > as he paid
> > for his "sweet" beater. Figuring that someday he may have to
> > change my
> > Depends, I carted him around today trying to find some of that
> > highly touted
> > marine wet exhaust hose to do a repair. We couldn't find any even
> > close to
> > the right size and after seeing how stiff the stuff is, I really
> > didn't want
> > to try to wrestle it into place under a dripping van anyway.
> >
> > Who is offering the stainless steel repair kits for these rotted
> > coolantlines? Someone please let me know as soon as possible. It
> > is getting cold
> > out there, my nephew is NOT pulling that thing into my garage and
> > I DON'T
> > want to lie under it for indeterminate amount of time!
> >
> > George
> >
>
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