Hello Jimmy; I had the same problem with my 87GL in May, It was a small fracture at the base of one of those pipe nipples that go into that water distributor. I managed to slide the hose further onto the pipe, and delay the inevitable for about 2 weeks, but eventually the nipple broke off. In my case it was in my hands as I was trying to cinch the hose clamp up tight. All this happened in a public park with a gate that was locked at 8:00 PM. A friend helped us courier a part up from the nearest VW dealer on his credit line. I managed to drive out of there by 7:15 PM. The plastic dist. is a lame attempt at saving money on cheaper parts. The hose whips that nipple base, weakening it. I think anyone who keeps their Vanagon long enough, will end up replacing that Water distributor. The major hassle is dealing with the coolant, I needed 2 five gallon pails to handle it all. It seems to me that one of the bolt heads is in an awkward location where you only get 1/16th of a turn with each attempt. Let us know if I'm right. Larry Carter |
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