Date:         Sun, 20 Nov 2005 06:00:45 -0500
Reply-To:     "Daniel L. Katz" <katzd54@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Daniel L. Katz" <katzd54@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Honey I shrunk the coolant pipes

wait a minute!! when it's cold the whole van shrinks, but the plastic pipe
shrinks less in proportion because plastic has a smaller coefficient of
expansion than metal, and rubber, of course, expands when cold.

dan

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:19:52 -0600, Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET> wrote:

>Has anyone had this happen?
>
>For the second winter in a row, my 90 carat with plastic pipes
>developed a drip where the rubber radiator hose connects to the long
>plastic pipe at a connection visible just aft of the spare tire tray
>but above the tire.
>
>And for the second year in a row, I can see exposed white plastic where
>the pipe has been pulled out a bit, about a quarter inch or a bit more,
>from where it normally fits into the rubber hose. Both times I have
>loosened the connection, slid the hose back to its previous position on
>the pipe, and tightened the clamp again with nary a drip till cold
>weather strikes.
>
>Obviously, there is some amount--looks like a quarter inch--of
>contraction in the pipe in cold weather. It seems though that rather
>than pulling out of the rubber hose, the pipe would simply move the
>rubber hose, which I am sure was meant to compensate for the
>temperature-caused movement of the long plastic pipe.
>
>Anyway, it's probably fixed at least until next year. I was wondering
>if it was a common phenomenon.
>
>Jim