Date:         Thu, 14 May 2009 07:29:46 -0400
Reply-To:     Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: GoWesty coolant repair kit vs SS pipes
Comments: To: kayakjr@COMCAST.NET
In-Reply-To:  <1450433321.9780621242265194050.JavaMail.root@sz0058a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

Definitely the stainless steel.  I guess I am just not smart enough to
understand how the Go Westy kit actually works.  I have been working on
these vans for over 11 years now and I have replaced my share of bad
plastic coolant pipes.  The failure mode is that the metal ends rust and
then break themselves out of the plastic pipes.  One day you drive down
the road and the metal end pops out of the end of the plastic pipe like
a cork coming out of a bottle.  Once you are at failure mode there is no
turning back.  Yes you can hammer the metal end back into the plastic
pipe and double clamp it just to get a bit farther down the road but it
is not a long term fix.  I know some guys who have used epoxy and
rivits.  However when this fails it is like getting stabbed in your
jugular vein.  If one of these ends pop out within 60 seconds you can go
from having a great engine to a toasted engine and there really isn't
much of a warning (I have had this problem on a road trip before so I
know).  To me it is worth the small amount of money (versus the cost of
a break down and new engine) and time it takes to replace these with the
stainless ones.  Then you should have no more issues with this problem.
Don't try to explain how the Go Westy kit works to me.  I am just not
that smart.  I guess you have to be an engineer to understand it.  But I
know how the stainless steel pipes work and they work very well.
Just my opinion.

Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com


John Reynolds wrote:
> I searched the archives and there are those who are happy with the GoWesty plastic coolant line repair kit.
> However, I still like to hear the pro's and con's vs stainless pipes (Other than cost).
>
>
> I was set on the Go Westy kit, but I noticed that the brass pieces do not actually replace the metal insert,
> which is what I first thought the kit was doing.
>
>
> GoWesty claims this kit is on every van they sell.  If I were spending $30K+ for a van or
> I had a syncro that I off-roaded, I personally would go with stainless pipes.
>
>
> John
> LiMBO
>
>