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Date:         Sat, 8 Dec 2007 10:39:10 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      converting    an 81 AC Vanagon to water cooled
Comments: To: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <c4e7c5f90712080955ld889e95n393832f3c3c3be19@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

The radiator top mount method changed drastically in 1983 when the radiator and fan shroud changed. The 83+ top bracket can be removed from a donor with enough effort but why bother? It is simple enough to make top brackets to do that job and allow the needed support for the upper pegs of the later radiator. The 82 and older radiator used thread in rubber mounts on brackets top and bottom. These older brackets and rubber mounts don't work with the 83+ radiators.

Every time I post about this I get a pmail or 2 reminding me that watercooled started in 83.5. False of course, since VW started building diesel engine models in late 81 and these are watercooled.

Mark

neil N wrote: > Hey Robert. > Thanks. I know you have the nice I4 setup, so I appreciate the info. > > I tried drilling out the spot welds but ended up chiseling because there > were 5-7 inaccessible spot welds that were only visible from the top from > inside the van (dash removed) I couldn't get my drill at them because of the > angle. > > There is no stock upper mount on my 81 Westy. > > I bought it in Canada and am pretty sure this is a Canadian model. > > Thanks for direction on the two 10 mm holes for lower grille. I'll keep my > spare parts van long enough to "measure twice" and transfer that to my 81. > As for lower rad mounts, I've harvested the clip-on nuts and L brackets for > the lower mounts. > > In hindsight, (and I'll be posting all this on my other website) I think one > alternative for the upper mount is to get some angle "iron" and make the > part. For that matter, one might just make it out of two pieces. It didn't > take too long to get the part out, but one has to drill quite a few holes. > Regardless, several of them will serve as holes for screws to mount the part > to my 81. I'll post rough measurements of the stock one for anyone that > wants to attempt making it. > > And to the list: > > For the record, I posted all that other stuff in jest. I just thought the > sight of a hacked out upper rad mount bracket would make people laugh and > was good Friday material. > > I will finish what I started, and am certain I'll have no regrets! ---:^) > > Cheers, > > > Neil. > > -- > Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - > "Jaco" (Bustorius) http://web.mac.com/tubaneil > > Engine swap beginings: http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/ > > On Dec 7, 2007 9:30 PM, Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@yahoo.com> wrote: > > >>I converted a 1980 Westfalia to a water-cooled >>inline -four and I don't understand what all the >>chiseling is about. >> >> The two holes for the two top ten mm bolts are >>already in place- all you need to do is make a >>grille template from a water-cooled Vanagon, >>trace it onto the air-cooled and cut the lower >>radiator grille opening . >> >>The top mounts are there from the factory in the >>air-cooeld models. The bottom has two brackets >>that bolt to the frame and the radiator. >>Assuming that the Canadian model is identical up >>front to the American one.. >> >>Robert >> >>1982 Westfalia >> >> >> >> >>


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