Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:23:15 -0400
Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: Cooling system overhaul?
""After a couple of failures of plastic connectors
on my cooling system,""
Well, thats it! plastic! i often say i hate VW but love Westfalia. But, if
VW did something good on those vans, it's the flex hoses! on most of them
you can just cut the section where the old clamp was (about 1/2 in) and the
rest of the hoses should still last for a long time. But it is true that
some plastic part (mostly on the 2.1L) are degrading. I can't imagine that
heat in AZ.
But remember 1 thing, even if you change everything coolant wise, you may
end up with some other kind of mechanical problem. Ex.: Brake master
cylinder, slave & clutch master cylinder or torque converter, any FI
componants... i think that anyone who drive/buy a westy as to live with that
fact, unless you have $1000's to invest on a 15+ year old van.
Let me give you a good exemple:
I'm almost ready to leave for Everybus in NC (i'm in Montreal Canada, about
950 miles) in one of the Westy i restored
http://www.benplace.com/83westy.htm
(customer in Europe, left the van at my home for rest of winter, and he is
please that i can do a 2000 miles road test).
It's an 83.5, new head and new rings, engine re-seal, FI completely redone,
many new parts (Pump, starter, ALT, all senders, some hoses, all new brake
including cylinders and many many other NEW or rebuilt part)
So, last week i started to drive the van around and the following happen:
Rear shock (not a must but still) and gas cable broke, after, a small
coolant leak under the back of the engine, from a metal tube (cyl# 2 TO #4
at pump), it was only the clamp, after, the van was on my "lift" and i was
looking at the 2 metal "T" connector that goes to the rear heater (Removed),
i put my finger on it and one started leaking... rusted to the bone,
replace, after that, i was doing a quick bleeding and the resr bleeder (top
of engine on a 1.9 broke, wile trying to repare this one, the lower "nipple"
broke also... i change the whole part! ok, so i think i'm ready to go... so
the van is pack, i got home... and the brake pedal went to the floor!!!!!!!
(everything was replace except for the master cylinder!!! so, this morning i
have to change this one.... and that is something i have to live with when i
start restoring vans! you strengthen some part of a system, often the rest
fail, later or sooner! when i started that van for the fisrt time, the
cooling syteme regain normal pressure, so every weak point failed, like the
front heater valve, one hose...and last week the other parts i just stated.
I don't want to scare anyone here, but i hope you get the point!!!
I miss my very reliable and trusted 73, hey hey hey
It's a 15-25 year olf van, and it's a VW...
Best regards, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/
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