Date: Sat, 23 May 2009 18:51:34 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Coolant hoses most likely to fail?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original
you might appreciate knowing that the plastic parts fail too, not just
hoses.
Top on that list is the thermostat housing....
In addition to that plastic part ........right behind the firewall just
ahead of the engine, a largeish ( 7 inches tall or so ) there is black
plastic 'water distributor' with about 5 hose connections on it.
those defenitely get brittle and crumble, like under the hose where a hose
is clamped on.
Not that fun a part to change either - you have to get up in there pretty
far dealing with spring clamps.
- something you would much rather do now in the restoration phase than
broken down somewhere.
there are several versions of that part .........about 3 or 4.....so you
must get the new one by knowing the part number of your old one.
a few early 2.1 engines have a plastic nipple with a small hose on it, right
below the alternator - on the right head. I've seen those break or leak.
The 'normal kind' is metal there, but some engines have or had a plastic
one, so check that.
I can't think of a hose on a manual trans 2WD 2.1 engine vanagon that fails
more than the others.- all about the same .....
and darn good hoses too.
the ends of the plastic main coolant pipes get out of position, and often
leak, before any hoses fail ......in my experience.
so check those , both ends of both main coolant pipes.
Rear heater cores love to slowly leak - most by now have been either
disconnected or replaced.
( On an auto trans one, yes, there is a hose that fails more than the other
ones................- the hose that goes across the top of the bell
housing - heat and oil fumes coming out of the torque converter area make
those hoses get soft. I either put a heat shield of some sort on them -
like metal tubing ......that flexy stuff used for hot air intake on air
filter boxes on some cars.....
or I make that hose into 3 pieces - metal pipe for most of it, with short
hoses on each end. )
on the hose clamps , I usually get rid of the springy original ones.
I don't use 'american style' hose clamps either .....the ones with a 5/16ths
hex head screw on them, and sharp edges where it clamps on the hose.
I use german ones with a 6 mm hex head screw, and rolled up edges where it
touches the hose.
or .....what I call 'swedish style'.........I find them on volvo cars - 7 mm
hex head screw, and rounded edges where it touches the hose. .
either of these last two make fine, fine hose clamps on vanagons.
I also believe that they can only be gotten really well tightened enough
with a small quarter inch socket, and not with just a screwdriver.
hope this is of some help.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Reynolds" <kayakjr@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 10:23 AM
Subject: Coolant hoses most likely to fail?
Re: 86 Canagon - 2.1 Manual trans - 2WD
Does anyone know which coolant hoses are the one most likely to fail - in
other words what hoses should absolutely be changed first?
( I searched the archive to no great luck)
Also were spring clamps used on all the hoses?
A few of my hoses have the typical cheese grater clamps - all the small
(7mm?) lines and some short hoses, like the one under the alternator after
of the 90 deg pipe.
Seeing it's Memorial Day weekend and the van is not on the road yet, I'm
postponing the overhaul of the entire cooling system including replacing all
the hoses ( I do have a hose kit) - it's just looks like at least an entire
weekend job, when you factor in with cleaning up old spring clamps, removing
metal pipes to remove the beginnings of surface rust and paint.
I do plan replacing the long heater hoses (rear heater is removed),
installing the GoWesty plastic pipe repair kit when it comes in and I have
to replace my thermostat. Have replaced the two temp and gauge sensors
already in the T-Stat - gauge now works - yeah!
Thanks to all
John
LiMBO
86 Wolfsburg Westfalia " Weeknder "
aka: the VW WWW
