1982 Diesel Vanagon Radiator and Cooling Upgrade

[bowditch]

found a 43 relay for the low coolant light today and wired that up (super easy) and I'll get back with the fan switches. My guess is that the lower fan switch has a gasser switch in it with the lower temp setting.
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82 Westy AAZ
82 Vanagon 1.6D

[MarkWard]

On the 82 diesel, the low speed did not have a relay, only the high speed fan used a relay. I just gave similar advice this am. Unplug the switches. Take a piece of wire and jump the two heavy gauge wires that you disconnected from the low temp switch. For low speed, the fan load runs through the switch. The fan must run on low with these two heavy wires jumped.

Now repeat the test with the smaller wires from the other switch. Because they are switching a relay instead of carrying the load, they are a much smaller gauge wire. With those two jumped, the fan must run on high. I am too busy to drag out my manual to look up the actual colors and if the key needs to be in the run position for those tests. In other words the key may need to be in the run position.

If you are able to get both speeds jumping the wire harnesses, then you need to look at the switches. They may look identical, but there should be very tiny print with the operating temp range. Happy testing.

[bowditch]

I replaced the relay and it still does it. All my contacts are clean. Any thoughts? Also has anyone shown how to upgrade the 82 coolant light to upgrade it with the coolant low warning light?
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82 Westy AAZ
82 Vanagon 1.6D

[bowditch]

So I thought it was appropriate to ask my question here since it is diesel related. I just swapped the steel pipes out for 86' plastic pipes (with some muscle I got both in fine, didn't have to widen anything ) and while doing a coolant flush noticed that when the fan comes on it blasts at full speed on stage two. I left my radiator stock and adapted the pipes so I still have the two fan switches. I replaced the low speed cause I thought it was broken at first but now realize it's coming on full blast at the lower temp. is the relay bad? what's going on? thanks in advance!!
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82 Westy AAZ
82 Vanagon 1.6D

[rotaecho]

Mark,

The shroud I got was apparently for the AC model. When I was doing the upgrade, I noticed the fan was too small for the mount on the shroud. I fabricated a reducer which isn't working so well (the plastic is giving), but worked in the pinch when I had everything out.

How hard would it be to install a newer AC fan to the 83+ radiator setup? It seems like it may be easier to mount the newer fan on the shroud than draining out the coolant again and lowering the radiator to replace the shroud with another.

Figure you'd have a good recommended course of action here.

Thanks!

[rotaecho]

I think I have the radiator lines burped, but I'm kinda curious if this is okay behavior of the gauge.

Before this upgrade the needle idling was a little to the left of the light and when on the highway it was a good smudge to the left of the light.

After the coolant upgrade (SS pipes, new radiator, new radiator hoses, and new temp-switch) the temperature of the needle on the highway stays on the line shown below. When I idle or hit 3rd gear it moves a tad to the right (still before the light). It has not got anywhere near where it used to be.

I'm in St. Louis at the moment (driving back tomorrow). I was curious if this looked to be normal behavior and better heating indication compared to before because of the upgrade? Or if maybe my thermostat is a bit off.

Thanks!

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-Will
1982 Westfalia mTDI (50deg) aka Betsy Bertha
http://www.tdivanagons.com

[rotaecho]

Thanks, even without upgrading the engine I would recommend this task.

After seeing how bad my radiator, pipes, and hoses were in, I am amazed nothing bad happened.

I have noticed that the temp gauge is lower than it used to be.

Now, to research/figure what the heater hose pipes are that come in next to the coolant hoses. Those were really bad too.

[Dave Wood]

Thanks for the clarification. Good luck with your upgrade
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL

[rotaecho]

Well, like many have said:

33yr radiator and pipes. It's ugly, REAL ugly.

My radiator was gunked up bad.

My pipes were rusted, patched, and real real nasty.

The goal is to put a larger engine which I want to do with a properly working coolant system.

It's going to fail, being 33yr, so better to be proactive esp if you plan a conversion or a lot of driving.

[rotaecho]

Mark that switch marking helped a lot! Mine doesn't have any of those, so this is a golden nugget. It's much clearer now.

Thank-you!

[Dave Wood]

what is the reason to swap out the cooling system? I'm guessing a bigger motor was put in? Or existing system needed replaced anyways?
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL

[crazyvwvanman]

Radiator Fan Temp Switch, 3 wire.
Notice the 2 beveled inside corners on the end labeled +

Heavy wire with constant +12 goes to pin labeled +
Heavy wire to fan low speed connection goes to pin 1
Light wire to fan high speed relay control goes to pin 2

Power comes in on the end + pin. Then when internal temp switch 1 turns on it carries the power out on pin 1. When the switch gets hotter it will also carry power out on pin 2, meant to trigger a relay for fan on high speed.

Mark

[rotaecho]

Okay, reread that Mark, and the post previously stating the center prong is the live prong for the switch.

That being said.

Should the 12v live wire of the larger set be placed on the center prong, then the non-live of the smaller & larger placed on the outside prongs? Of which the outside wires may need to be swapped if nothing works right?

[crazyvwvanman]

No, that is wrong. The small hot wire is the wire not used anymore.

Mark

[rotaecho]

Mark,

I have verified that connecting the large two wires together starts the low setting on the fan.

I have also verified that connecting the smaller wires fires off the high setting of the fan.

I’ve looked at page 97.82 track 137-138 of the Bentley to get an idea, but it really doesn’t indicate the pin location to me either.

Just to be clear that I understand what peopler stating is that the hot (live wire) of the smaller relay wire should be on the center switch pin. The non-live wire of the smaller pair is tapped up and tucked aside.

The two larger wires, of one being a hot (live wire) should be placed on the outer pins.

From the outside of the fan switch that you connect into I’m not seeing an indication that shows a labeled pin 1-3 on the fan switch. However, if it’s small enough I may not be able to see it. Here’s what it looks like in-case it jogs someone’s memory seeing how it’s positioned.

Meyle 1009598717

Just making sure I’m on the right page / before plugging in and buttoning it all up.

Thanks everyone!

[Terry Kay]

<<I had to widen the cross-member holes a bit as after a few hours of trying to make it through the original slot with the gas-tank loose, it was to not happening for me and my friend who was helping. >>

I know the original pipes are steel, I do know that the plastic pipes are bigger OD, I do know that you would have to hack open the crossmember
to fit, but the gas pipes ( post 85.5) are nowhere near the same configuration as the 82 diesel pipes.
How'd you get the outside pipe to kick up as the stock one does?
It's a mile away from even being close--
Only the inside pipe will go to the firewall close enough to fit.
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T.K.

[crazyvwvanman]

If you touch the ends of the 2 larger wires together the fan should run on low speed. Touch the smaller wires together and it should run on high speed.

The OEM quality rad temp switch has the 3 terminals labeled on the switch if you look very close at the pin area.

Mark

[rotaecho]

Of the four wires on the 82'

The two larger and the two smaller pairs.

I was able to get a 12v reading on one of the smaller wires.

I got a low (barely readable) voltage on one of the larger wires. Is this normal behavior? Or should this also read around 12v?

Thanks!
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-Will
1982 Westfalia mTDI (50deg) aka Betsy Bertha
http://www.tdivanagons.com

[rotaecho]

Rsxsr,

Thanks for the insight. I have the switch mounted to the radiator, so I guess I just need to figure how to determine which prong on the fan switch is 1,2,3. Since, I installed by screwing it in, it's rotated a bit so I would need to inspect it more to determine prong 1,2,3.

I also wasn't sure should one use plumbers tape on the threads when installing the radiator to the switch into the radiator? Or was that a bad idea?

Thanks everyone!

[rotaecho]

Terry,

This was an 82' diesel, which had the steel pipes. I just cut them out since they were bent in places, patched with external rubber hoses in others, and crumbling in other aspects.

I had to widen the cross-member holes a bit as after a few hours of trying to make it through the original slot with the gas-tank loose, it was to not happening for me and my friend who was helping.