Stainless Steel Coolant Pipes

[Terry Kay]

[quote="redwinegeek"]

[ProvoCyclist]

i was looking on the bus depot site at the cooling pipe area, and found that the plastic pipe was started after 24-F-060001. My van is like 53013 or something and i still have the steel lines.

About Terry Kay, i ordered the shorty SS pipes from him (yet to be installed, ill do it when i flush the system), and terry was nice to me, id do business with him again.
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Clark
Current: 1986 Tintop GL 2wd, stock 2.1L, manual trans, Flash Silver LP7Y.

Past: 1985 Sunroof GL, 2wd, Subaru 3.3L, manual trans, resprayed to Diamond Silver L97A

[Busdepot]

[Terry Kay]

<<I have the rest (late style 1.9L, 2.1L, and Syncro) in Stainless on their way from Germany as I write this, and the should be here in about 3 weeks. Price will be about the same as the early style 1.9L ones I have now>>

And here is the question mark I have with the pipes offered by the BD.
I'm not implicating that they are of lower grade, or of lower quality material or workmanship.

What still eludes me is how can Ron have the pipes built, imported, pay the duty on them and still cost what I am paying just for the materials?
(and at a bulk price.)

I've inquired at least 4 times trying to determine what grade stainless they are, what the wall thickness is, and if in fact they have beaded ends, all to a deaf ear.

So Ron, I ask again---just outa sheer curiosity---whats the pipes made out of, whats the wall thickness, and do they have the correct beaded ends or just flared out ends to retain the hoses?

Hoses---your just using rubber hose for the splice---right???

This info would just about explain everything.

Hasta,


Terry
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T.K.

[Terry Kay]

For Some reason I didn't really expect a reply.

I'd be buying an item that the seller doesn't know what he's got, or publish what they are made out of.

Another Good Deal Direct from PA. --
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T.K.

[stumpy]

TK,What do you mean by-Beaded Ends on the pipes??? Do you use anything in the pipes between the pipes?? Would you post a pic of the ends?? Thanks

[otiswesty]

Now that we can get stainless coolant pipes, how about a stainless double crossover coolant pipe for the syncro. My ALUMINUM crossover pipe corroded through on a roadtrip at one of the weld points. A new one is over $200, I got a used one from Gowesty for $50, just waiting for a stainless option.

[Terry Kay]

<<TK,What do you mean by-Beaded Ends on the pipes???>>

A beaded end is a hose retaining bead on the end's to keep the hose & clamp from sliding off of the pipes.

<< Do you use anything in the pipes between the pipes??>>

I don't get this question---
You mean is there anything between the splice's?
Yes--air.
The pipes are only a 1/16th of an inch apart at the spliced area in the middle of them--at the most.
On the pipes I'm building anyway.
I have no clue what the Perkimonville pipes gap is--neither do they--ask them.

<< Would you post a pic of the ends??>>

I haven't had time to figure out how to get this feature to work here---
BUT--if you take an internet ride over to the samba.com Vanagon Parts section, one of the feature ads on the top of the list has just what you asked for---plenty on picture's of the pipes--and the beaded ends.


<< Thanks >>


No Problem
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T.K.

[Grizzly_black]

I have a set of the Bus Depot pipes on my 2WD Westfalia. They have the beaded ends and the hose used for connecting them together (Front/back) is a high grade marine hose that is wrapped in nylon webbing material. I priced the hose out at NAPA and they said similar hose was $17.95 / Ft. (not cheap) I am not sure what grade the stainless is but I can tell you that the bends in the pipes were not exactly like the originals! It took me a while to figure out witch pipes went together. The labels were in German so they didn't help much. When I called the Bus Depot to ask for help, they didn't have a clue! They told me to match the new pipes with the old. The bends and shape of old and new were completely different so that didn't help much. I installed a set on a friends Syncro and it was almost the same story. Now that they are on I am happy with them but they were a pain in the ass to install!

Grizz

[mysticalclimber]

I just got a set of stainless steel coolant pipes from Bus Depot. They are TP 304L stainless steel and the wall is 0.0635" thick. They have the beaded ends and come with all the clamps.

[captainpartytime]

For those of us running the older 1.25" diameter pipes ('82 diesel), do I use the 1.5" SS pipes or are there 1.25" SS pipes available. Or can I use the 1.5" pipes wit some sort of pipe reducer at the ends?
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-Kerry

1982 turbo diesel Westfalia

[Terry Kay]

The Vanagon Diesel Coolant Pipes are 1.25" diameter, and they are a much different configuration than the 1.9 1.25" pipes of the 1.9 gas Vanagon.

Same diameter,totally different bends.
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T.K.

[captainpartytime]

So... when should I expect those pipes to be available from you?
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-Kerry

1982 turbo diesel Westfalia

[Terry Kay]

The diesel pipes have been available for --uhh-- maybe 9 months or so.

I must have made 10--15 sets of them already--not near as many as the gasser's but I've been building them.

Whenever you want them.
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T.K.

[Terry Kay]

<< the hose used for connecting them together (Front/back) is a high grade marine hose that is wrapped in nylon webbing material.>>

Huh.
The pipes I installed for a customer who popped in with the BD pipes in hand. had nothing more than plain old black rubber hose with a cotton reinforcement--no clamps.
I pulled the stuff right outa the box, there was no reinforced hose, and the box wasn't broken,
and no kinda clamps.

Maybe he changed hose supplier's after he ran outa the old stock of plain jane rubber tubing.

Not sure what the deal is, but this is what came outa the box that was shipped from the BD.

<< I can tell you that the bends in the pipes were not exactly like the originals! It took me a while to figure out witch pipes went together.>>

I had a heck of a time getting the ends to match to the point of origin, as well as at the destination.

I had to stick them in my bender to get them to match the original pipe configuration.
I don't think they were tweaked in shipment, as the box they were in wasn't damaged.

I spent a bunch of time bending the pipes so they fit right.

<< The labels were in German so they didn't help much.>>

You have to look at the arrow's and the number's that are on the sticker's to figure out which end goes where--
When you get the number's to match this is the ends that are supposed to go together at the splice.

<<When I called them and asked for help, they didn't have a clue!>>

And this sure can be a big problem if your having dificulties installing the coolant pipes.
The guys that answer the phone over there don't know anything about the pipes, they just process the order's.

I might be busier than all get out, and be real grumpy after I just wacked my thumb with a hammer trying to get to the ringing phone, but you can at least get ahold of the manufacture of the pipes if you have any questions, or need some advise on how to get them into the Van.
I am available, one way or another.

<< They told me to match the new pipes with the old. The bends and shape of old and new were completely different so that didn't help much.>>

Exactly.
They don't match the factory pipes at all.
Your on your own figuring out which side is which, and with a tweak here and there they will fit eventually.

A large Wilton Vice would be a good thing to have if you don't have a hydraulic bender handy.
You can then lock the pipes down in the jaws and tweak them some, up, down, left, or right so they kinda, sorta, will follow the original pipe's path to fit.

Don't crank down of the vice too tight, or you'll flatten the pipes where you've grabbed them to bend them to fit the Van properly.
If the jaws of the vice your using has a pipe holding jaws in it--use that instead of the flat area--you'll be less prone to smashing the pipe as you bend it to fit into the Van.

If you wind up getting the plain ole rubber hose with your replacement pipes,I would suggest doing one of two things.
Seek out some high pressure, high temp slicone hoses to replace the stuff--it's a bullet proof, and the best splice you can use.
( If you want the silicone splice union's, get ahold of me, I always have long length's of it)
Or when you go and buy the clamps that aren't included, buy 4 instead of two--it's help hold down the rubber hose tight to the pipe's.

This is why I use the silicone, reinforced, double ply, high pressure, high temp, splice hoses with my pipes.

They are like the old Chinese finger handcuff's.
Once they are on the pipe's it's almost impossible to get them off--before you have the clamps on them.

I sure can't figure out why anyone would want to shortchange this important pipe union area under the Van where it would be difficult to keep an eye on it.

It sure isn't a good idea.
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T.K.

[Ron Mueller]

I just wanted to mention that if your putting together a split set of TK's pipes, be real sure you have the correct pipe matched to the correct pipe.
I made the big mistake of not reading clearly what pipe went where, and attached the blue silicone hose to the pipes.

My God.
I had one difficult time pulling the pipes apart at the splice to correct my error.

I have no fear of them ever coming apart under the Van.

I know that the area between the splices is no more than 1/16th of an inch.
I think the pipes actually touch at splice.
There should be no fear of ever having a splice failure.

And beyond all else, the stainless replacement pipes matched my old dried up and fractured plastic pipes perfectly.
They fit exactly as the factory pipes did.
No bending or adjustments necessary at all.

I'm happy.
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Ron

[Terry Kay]

Oops!

Sorry to hear that you had to play Jack Lalaine to separate them pipes Ron.
You musta played hell yanking them apart.

Soapy water or WD-40 would have helped you a bunch-- ~ 8 )-

Ya gotta be careful and read where I have the pipes marked prior to sticking them together.
For some reason the silicone hose is a bear to separate off of the pipe--or anything for that matter.

But--I'm glad your still happy.

Take Care,
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T.K.

[GWTWTLW]

Does anybody have any experience with the stainles pipes that GW is selling?

http://gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4210&search_phrase=coolant%20pipes&start=

Should I be more concerned with the age of my plastic pipes or the mileage on them? Mine were replaced in 98 and have about 60,000 miles on them. Am I flirting with disaster?

Thx!
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[need2boat]

[Grizzly_black]

Terry,

Do you have pipes for Syncro Turbo Diesel, or are they the same as the regular Syncro pipes?

Grizz