Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 15:14:36 EST
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Subject: Fwd: Tip: Westy LP regulators
** Reply to message from David Griffin <DavidRGriffin@compuserve.com>
on Thu, 24 Sep 1998 14:25:00 -0400
The propane regulator for the reefer/stove was made by Marshall Brass
(but no longer). It was rectangular and completely covered by a
protective box. The new one is a little longer and resembles in
profile a cookie attached to a moon pie. It has a snap-on cover which
only covers one side of the low-pressure (moon pie) regulator. It's
fine for BBQ use, but not protected enough for the van.
My solutions:
1) length -- no big deal, just bend the tubes going to the reefer and
stove a little. I didn't use a bender, so the existing right-angle
bends started to crimp a little, but not enough to matter. You only
need an extra inch or so. The elegant way would be to remake the
tubing ends where they attach to the tee fitting.
2) The regulator must be mounted with the vent facing down. This
means that the snap-on cover faces the tank instead of the outside. I
installed the cover to the regulator, then taped around the part of
the cover which protects only three sides of the vent tube, using
several layers of aluminum auto-body tape to close off the fourth
side. I then caulked all around the edge of the cover with (vinyl, I
think) caulking compound and installed the whole thing onto the tank.
Remember that the regulator-to-tank connection is a POL fitting with a
left-hand thread, just like older BBQ tanks. It's been on for a
couple of years now in RI, minimal corrosion of the body tape. When
it does get shaky, I'll just put on some more tape. Since the
tape/caulk are exposed on the outside of the van, you can easily
inspect it every time you fill the tank.
Nota bene:
1) I think that the regulator comes in two configurations, not sure.
The one you want is long and straight, with the vent tube
perpendicular to one side of the larger disk.
2) When you take off the old one, there may be some oil present. If
so, it will have absorbed a lot of the perfume they put in the gas and
will be *extremely* smelly. Don't drop any indoors or you'll be
remembering it for a while... :)
3) You have to use a two-stage regulator, can't get away with the
(cheaper and smaller) single-stage.
If I didn't explain anything well enough, just yell...
Regds
david
David Beierl <dbeierl@ibm.net>
401 274-5827 voice, -6349 fax
OS/2 V4, FP7, JVM 1.1.6, JSM 98.6.3
David Beierl <dbeierl@ibm.net>
401 274-5827 voice, -6349 fax
OS/2 V4, FP7, JVM 1.1.6, JSM 98.6.3
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