Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:43:35 -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: Solder cracked steel coolant pipe?
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the plastic pipes are larger outside diameter than the steel pipes,
so if you did find plastic main pipes...then you'd have go hose size
adapting.
sounds like you'll get it fixed though.
separate front and rear sections are a nicer set up - easier to work and
repair in the future.........with steel pipes.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Keezer" <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 2:01 PM
Subject: Re: Solder cracked steel coolant pipe?
Dave-that sounds better than just filling the crack. I'll have my friend
drill the two holes you suggested and make a patch. That makes more sense .
It needs to be good as this is above the gas tank- making tank removal
nesscary again if it fails.
I can't risk having it fail on a test run or after I sell it.
My other idea was to cutr the pipe off aft of the tank, bring it to be
welded, then reinstall with a section of rubber hose to couple them.
That way the tank doesn't need removing again.
If there was a Vanagon at my local yard I woul have got a used pipe already,
maybe the plastic ones. But I have already had the Van 3 years and I have to
sell it by May . I donb't have the time to add any more time to it- I stll
have to change the pop-top canvas and seal etc.
--- On Tue, 3/23/10, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
Subject: Re: Solder cracked steel coolant pipe?
To: "Robert Keezer" <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 12:19 PM
At 12:53 PM 3/23/2010, Robert Keezer wrote:
> Ok- So I have a friend who came over yesterday and soldered a one inch
> crack in one of the steel coolant pipes which cracked above the gas tank.
> I don't trust it, but he persuaded me.
Dear Robert,
I don't either. Whatever stress split the pipe may still be operating and a
soft-solder butt joint has very little strength.
If the split is along the length of the pipe I would recommend either
brazing (which may be difficult now that there's solder there) or making a
patch that fits the curve and extends a half inch or more beyond the split
on the sides and an inch or more on the ends. I would form this closely to
the curve of the pipe.
I would drill a hole -- 3/16 or 1/4 -- at each end of the crack to give
stress relief.
I would then polish the pipe shiny bright in the patch area and tin it using
plumber's solder and plumber's flux (OR some strong and fancy low-temp
solder from jeweler's supply house; I think the brand is Tix and the price
is $$$). Likewise shine up and tin the interior of the patch, and butter it
lightly with flux.
Put the patch in place and apply light pressure. Heat the whole with a torch
until the solder liquefies and the patch settles into place. Move the torch
around and don't let things get red hot. Feed more solder around the edges
until it stops accepting it, then let it cool.
I would expect that to last a very long time.
But if the split is around the circumference of the pipe, I think a
soft-solder patch would not be strong enough, and you would have to clean it
up and braze a patch on. The three common brazing metals are "bronze,"
"nickel silver" and actual silver which can be had in several melting
points. Any of them should work but the silver is easiest. Airco or other
welding supply house and ask for the proper flux even if the rods are
flux-coated. If you get low-melting silver, make sure it does not have
cadmium in it. A propane-air torch should be able to reach the necessary
temperature and a Mapp-gas torch might. An oxy-acetylene torch definitely
will.
An alternative would be to cut the pipe at the split and rejoin it with a
piece of 1.5" ID heater hose, silicone by choice (truck-supply place). In
van terms I would expect that to be "permanent" and it would relieve any
stress in that area.
Yours,
David