Date:         Wed, 1 Nov 2006 21:10:13 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike Bucchino <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Bucchino <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: sodium valve idea
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

Sorry, wrong reply.  I'll try again here....

  US VW's from 1962 to 1979, used a hose connected to the spare tire's valve
stem to pressurise the top of the windshield washer bottle.
This, instead of an electric pump to do the job. It conveyed the pressurized
washer fluid from the bottom of the fluid reservoir (mounted to the spare
tire rim), through the wiper switch (on the earlier dash or the later
steering column), then to the squirter nozzles.  IE; lots of hose and places
to leak!
But no switch, wiring or pump to fail!  Cheaper too!  The cap with the hose
had a pressure-sensing shutoff that wouldn't allow the spare to drop below
26 psi at he lowest, IIRC.  After that, your washer ran out of pressure to
operate, just to save your spare tire, in case you really needed it.
Earlier cars (optional) and busses (Original equipment) had dealer and
aftermarket washers that operated with a hand pumped bellows-type switch or
knob. Many vendors now sell the late model Mexican-made washer reservoir w/
electric pump as a retrofit to German-made 12V cars.  But, now you'll need a
switch, too!  An expensive, later column switch stalk assembly is what's
needed, but a cheaper, momentary toggle or pushbutton switch will also do
the job quite nicely.

HTH,

Mike B.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bostig Eng" <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:58 PM
Subject: Re: sodium valve idea


> Early 60's(??anyone who knows more??) bug had this? Good story, someone
> that
> knows more than me please spill it!!
>
> Jim
>
> ________________________________________
> Bostig Engineering
> Engine Systems Voodoo
> http://www.bostig.com/
> 617.272.3800
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Fisher [mailto:refisher@MCHSI.COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:05 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: sodium valve idea
>
> I don't get it either way. Sounds like a history lesson is in order.
> Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?
>
> Cya,
> Robert
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Bucchino" <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 3:44 PM
> Subject: Re: sodium valve idea
>
>
>> <the first spare tire powered windshield wipers..>
>>
>> I believe you meant 'washers'........
>>
>> Mike B
>> .
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Bostig Eng" <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 6:08 PM
>> Subject: Re: sodium valve idea
>>
>>
>>> No way... TRW had the first sodium valves.. although VW did introduce
>>> the
>>> first compound curve multi layer PCB with surface mount LEDS for shift
>>> indicators when they could have used a setup a thousand times cheaper
>>> with
>>> light pipes and the same results, and don't forget the first door hinge
>>> bolt
>>> that has no access for removal unless the whole crash bar and dashboard
>>> come
>>> out first... oh and the first spare tire powered windshield wipers.. I
>>> think
>>> VAG has something like a 1 in 10 good/crazy idea ratio. The vanagon as a
>>> whole was a 1, specific parts of it definitely in the other 9 :)
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>
>>> ________________________________________
>>> Bostig Engineering
>>> Engine Systems Voodoo
>>> http://www.bostig.com/
>>> 617.272.3800
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: don spence [mailto:dkspence@TELUS.NET]
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 5:31 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: AMC heads (part 2)
>>>
>>> John/Neil
>>>  If I remember correctly, the Corvair engine, at least the 140HP (4
>>> carb) and 180 HP (turbo) had sodium cooled exhaust valves. Just
>>> another bit of "engineering advice" GM picked up  from VW?
>>>
>>> On 1-Nov-06, at 1:35 PM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
>>>
>>>> Date:    Wed, 1 Nov 2006 11:08:13 -0600
>>>> From:    John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
>>>> Subject: Re: AMC heads (part 2)
>>>>
>>>> Neal, interesting post!
>>>>
>>>> I never knew that the V-dub engines had sodium filled valves.
>>>> Interesting info.
>>>
>