Radiator card board deflectors

[pbrown]

I have had the GoWesty version in my van for years. They've held up great. I did have to modify it when I upgraded to the crossflow AC condenser. I would recommend.
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Patrick Brown

1986 Westy Syncro EJ25
Flickr --> https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQNUXEF

[Backtotheeightiesagain]

I found strips of reinforced rubber.
Normally used to make cam belts.
Probably rigid workshop rubber flooring similar.
Pattern and sharp knife and it's done. Jigsaw cutter if really tough.

[kamzcab86]

[Ahwahnee]

Another baffled area that some may be doing without is the backside of the grille.

The original cardboard eventually succumbs to rain but a replacement set from election signs is easy and durable.

No idea if they help but given where I live and travel I'll do anything that VW thought was good.

[squeegee_boy]

[Kdj]

[?Waldo?]

For one of my Vanagons, I made a set out of coroplast political signs that were left over after the voting was done. They have lasted better than the stock/replacement cardboard.

[kamzcab86]

[dhaavers]

[Phishman068]

I've installed about ten sets of the Gowesty ones. They fit great, easy to install- absolutely great.

I wouldn't be spending time making them by hand given how good and easy the gowesty ones are.
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936

"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry."

[4Gears4Tires]

https://vancafe.com/radiator-baffle-set/

Van Cafe is $65, GoWesty is $60. But shipping with GW is probably going to far outstrip that $5.

For $60, that's right on the line of is it worth making it. I ordered from Van Cafe.
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'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[Kdj]

After my engine swap noticed these where missing. Do they make an improvement? No evidence yet, but I don’t think they will hurt as VW had then there from the factory. I struggled to find and accurate template with all the dimensions. There are a couple of older pdf files on different sites that samba members have posted over the years.

Anyway this is my template, hope it helps someone. Made them out of a plastic card type stock that I found in the garage. Original ones where a coated cardboard. I drilled the mounting holes in place. The dotted lines are bends about 45 degrees seemed to work for each one. Bends are opposite for the left and right sides. Once you get them in place it becomes obvious how they fit. Also go-westy has a Video showing installation.
82 diesel radiator without a/c. Yet!

[Vanagon Nut]

[tencentlife]

The way I see it the one across the bottom is the only one that even conceivably raises pressure on the front face of the rad, and even that would be negligible because the pressure there is already high and once it touches the front of the rad the air is too viscous to escape the fins. It would be like the diffference between going 50 mph and 50.5 mph. The side ones couldn't produce any effect to speak of, there's barely any gap for them to fill. Yet another of VW's solutions in search of a problem.
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Shop for unique and useful Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/
also available at VanCafe.com!

Please don't PM here, I will not reply.

Experience is death to doctrine.

[Pascal]

I've run mine with some of them missing and the original radiator. When I replaced the radiator I bought new ones from the Bus Depot and this year I discovered that one side of grill was missing it's deflector so I made one with several layers of roofing felt.

Bottom line thought is that I have seen not improvement in cooling with or without them.
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'84 Westy - 2.2wbx, GT Torque-Biasing Differential
'91 EA Cabby

[stevey88]

Just the comment I wanted to hear. Thanks 10c.
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Steve

87 Westfalia full camper 4 speed

[DAIZEE]

thanks.
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[tencentlife]

They do very little, if your cooling system is otherwise in good working order you would never notice they were missing.

I have a customer's van that is getting a new radiator and he ordered the panels new from VC. I'm going to install them but if it was my own van, even with a used radiator I wouldn't bother with them, with a new rad I definitely wouldn't bother.
_________________
Shop for unique and useful Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/
also available at VanCafe.com!

Please don't PM here, I will not reply.

Experience is death to doctrine.

[DAIZEE]

I don't know re the condition of mine as I did not know of their existance and if I even have them. Can the absence of these lead to coolant system boiling?
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[Volksaholic]

The guy at Van-Cafe suggested that roofing felt (folks call it "tarpaper") has been suggested, and I considered scavenging some from a roofing job and laminating it with contact cement to build it up to 3/16" or so. I decided the one used piece I had to reuse was good enough, though... it was tired but not disintegrated.

pd
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1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251