Date:         Fri, 23 Oct 1998 12:12:15 -0700
Reply-To:     Earl Smith <earlsmit@ISLANDNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Earl Smith <earlsmit@ISLANDNET.COM>
Subject:      waterboxer corrosion solution
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

First let me thank everyone for the continuous flow of help and advice with
problems.

I have been working my way through the archives on engine swaps.  A slow
business because I have one of those old computers with the big tailfins,
chrome bumpers and bubble-gum suspension.

Anyhow, been reading a lot.  Noted the comment in one post That the
waterboxer is really a good engine and the true nature of the corrosion
problem has not yet been adequately addressed.  Stopped in at my favorite
FLAR and chatted again with Tom about engine swaps.  He said that in his
opinion their was only two choices, either put in a brand new waterboxer
from the factory for $C2700 or a TD1 for mega bucks.  Said their isn't a TD1
conversion on the island.  (Sorry Bjorn.  Guess you don't exist :|))

Then we got onto the corrosion problem.  In Tom's view this problem can be
solved by installing a sacrificial anode.  He used to be a trucker and found
the Peterbuilt aluminum cabs suffered the same corrosion problem.  He built
a zinc unit to stop this problem on the trucks and has applied it to the
waterboxer.  Says it absolutely stopped the corrosion on the vans to which
he installed it.  Costs $100.

Any experience with this out there?

Earl from Sunny Sooke
84 ex-California Vanagon