Date: Wed, 8 May 2024 16:51:21 +0000
Reply-To: "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Coolant hose blues, best replacement kit?
In-Reply-To: <E960C445-0771-4D1D-9CC9-9421C91AC7AF@comcast.net>
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Hi Eric.
If an 84, those pipes may be original. Plastic pipes came later. If pipes are rusty, it's a good chance they are original. The best change is to the stainless-steel pipes. The plastic ones are cheaper, but the ends the hoses attach to can fail with age and your hoses will disconnect. As far as hoses, many feel the silicon ones are best to use as replacements. If I remember you have had some experience with these and know the good and bad of them.Just which vendor to use to supply the kit is a mystery to me. Bus Depot and VanAgain are close, so shipping is quick and inexpensive, but I have never bought coolant stuff from them.. Let's see what others think.
Dave B.the Boston one
On Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 10:38:43 AM EDT, Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net> wrote:
Hi Listers,
On a short trip from home billows of steam came out the back of my 84. We quickly pulled into a safe pull off.
I found fluid on the ground, and an empty coolant reservoir and overflow tank. More drips by the rear passenger wheel, and a dissipating steam cloud.
I called my local vanagon shop and asked if I could drop it off. I wanted to call as they are so busy that there is rarely a spot in the parking lot for another van.
Not only did the office manager say yes but she offered to come help. I said know I would have them fix it. I was tempted to try to do a road side repair but my wife was not interested.
Not long later our friend arrived to rescue us, and as we waited for the toe my Vanagon mechanic and wife showed up. They wanted to be sure we were ok.
Next day the van was put back together. A original heater hose had split. He replaced that section and suggested I do a full replacement in the near future.
So, What kit for hose replacements are recommended by folks in this group?
This is a 1.9 set up on my GW 2.3.
Pipes are metal not plastic so wondering if those are original and need replacing, or if originals were plastic.
If needing pipes again what are folks recommending?
My radiator and the two hoses coming off it are new last year. So need all other hoses to engine. And, likely pipes unless someone did those. I’m not sure how to check.
For me to do the job this winter I’d need a full kit with clamps and such and a little help from this list.
Engine Compartment hoses look very good, and a few, like those on the H pipe I did replace. So need hoses from engine to the two hoses coming off the radiator, and pipes. And other hoses I may not know about!
As I’m doing the job in the winter I expect I’ll opt to also install an updated metal reservoir. So, recommendations on that appreciated.
But, most important now, is to find a complete kit to improve the coolant hose and pipe reliability.
I don’t know what I don’t know, so please share your recommendations and experiences.
VW should be ashamed the original hose only lasted 40 years and 250,000 miles.
Eric Caron
84 1.9 set up.
