Rusted Coolant pipes near engine question.

[woggs1]

New member, new 83.5 Westy owner, first time VW owner.

I did a search but didn't find much. I bought an 83.5 Westy a few weeks ago for $2000 with a rebuilt engine and it runs great. However, I was reading up on it and decided to change the stock fuel lines, then I looked at the heater hoses, and decided to replace those, then I checked the radiator hoses, so I now am replacing those. Same with the brake lines, and the gas tank seals. I then noticed that the metal coolant pipes are very rusty near the engine, but are in great shape all the way back. I am considering just cutting the pipes below the rust, and then running a hose to the cut, with some kind of connector between the stock replacement hose and the new hose to the pipe. Has anyone tried this? will it work with no lip where the new hose will attach? Sorry if this has been covered.

Mark

[hiram6]

check some of the vendors who sell stainless steel coolant lines. Thy offer a kit specificlly to address this issue tith the early waterboxers. I know that Terry Kay, who posts on here often has them for sale in the classified section. Click above on "classifieds", and then look in the Vanagon parts section. I'm sure he or someone has some on there for sale.
_________________
1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning.

[hiram6]

Heck, look at me, I even did the leg-work for you. Click on this

http://community-2.webtv.net/VanStuff/VanagonWestfalia/

and scroll about half way down the page.
_________________
1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning.

[Terry Kay]

Take a stroll over to the samba.com Vanagon parts section--you'll find the cleanest, simplest way to solve the rusted out pipe problem ---

Chop them out--slip the new sections in--your done.

Good Luck--
_________________
T.K.

[Christopher Schimke]

Is anyone else concerned about the potential galvanic corrosion caused by the use of stainless as cooling tubes?
_________________
"Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)

*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected]

[woggs1]

Thanks for the info, it looks like I will be ordering the stainless steel kit. As for galvanic corrosion, is coolant an electrolyte? Even if it is I will take my chances

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion

After I change the brake lines, the heater hoses, the coolant hoses, and the fuel lines, is there anything else I should change out. I need this thing to be dependable. Also, there is an '84 Vanagon with a complete AC system at the junk yard, Is it possilbe to install this in my 83.5 non A/C westy?

Thanks,
Mark


http://jet-man.com/playervideo.swf?video=jetman2007.flv

[Terry Kay]

<<Is anyone else concerned about the potential galvanic corrosion caused by the use of stainless as cooling tubes??>>

Yes, I am very interested in the galvanic corrosion properties of 304-L stainless tubes within a cooling system.
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T.K.

[skaaudivw]

Bought Terry's SS repair sections for my 85. Nice quality and a must for those rusty rear end pipes. Also easy DIY job.

[0to60in6min]

I don't want to hijack this post but on the same subject, I wonder why VW switched from steel pipe to plastic pipe (87 to 91)?

My thinking is the steel or stainless steel (as Terry Kay) would help to evacuate the heat of the coolant, steel may get dings but won't break, plastic get brittle with time and heat and UV.... any idea? thanks

dan

[Terry Kay]

<<I don't want to hijack this post but on the same subject, I wonder why VW switched from steel pipe to plastic pipe (87 to 91)?>>

Dan,

The answer for this question is simple.
The steel pipes rusted out and sprung leaks.

<<My thinking is the steel or stainless steel (as Terry Kay) would help to evacuate the heat of the coolant, steel may get dings but won't break>>

Your right---
The stainless does help cool down the engine.
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T.K.

[levi]

I thought they switched to plastic in 85?
As far as galvanic corrosion, I think the pipe would need a connection to the frame, as in a metal plating tank. This electrical connection is broken though, with the pipe going into rubber. And with T.K.'s tubes, even if it had this electrical connection nothing would happen.

[0to60in6min]

yup..yup..

steel rust, yes... why not galvanized steel, stainless steel, copper, teflon treated steel...?

oh well..... to tell you the truth I don't trust plastic... I even hate it... a Nikon or Canon camera in the '70 are wonderful in my hand.. solid, strong feeling... a Nikon or Canon camera in the '90/2000 is light and feel plasticky...if if you drop it.. it's gone... I dropped my 70' Nikon a couple time and it still working in 2007...

sorry for the rant or the "expression of my feelings toward plastic"

dan

[Terry Kay]

[quote="90vana"]yup..yup..
<< why not galvanized steel, stainless steel, copper, teflon treated steel...?>>

M-O N-E-Y
The galvanized pipe might have caused some problems with the zinc plating and the aluminum.
Copper is too soft, teflon caoting is expensive so is stainless.
They wanted to maximize the profit statement---
Even tough the Vanagons' pretty much flopped.
Here in the midwest they did anyway.

The steel 83.5 to early 85 pipes were 1.25" thin wall steel.

Somewhere in late 85 they went to the 1.50" plastic pipe.

Cheaper?
Probably.
And maybe they went to the larger diamter for more fluid volume.

It was only a matter of time before the plastic dried up and failed.
They knew this.
_________________
T.K.

[Crankey]

[Terry Kay]

The plain jane steel coolant pipes would have been more guilty of causing an electroletical reaction in the aluminum than the stainless pipes.

A good grade of stainless won't hurt your Van or the engine.

This is why all food processing plants,& milk production facilities use stainless tubing, tanks, vats, etc.

It is impervious to acids, bases, and salts.
_________________
T.K.

[kayakwesty]

it's why we use stainless steel in our nuclear plants, it's not affected by much.

you are worrying about nothing
_________________
1984 Westy 2.0 Jetta ABA Motor/1.8 head converted to auto tranny, with 180,000 on body, 55K on engine and transmission

B.5.5 Passat Wagen with 30v V6-67000 Miles

DAS AUTO

CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES!

A post without pictures is useless

http://www.kayakwesty.com

http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/

[Christopher Schimke]

[woggs1]

So if I install these pipes, how long before my engine crashes and dies? How many miles can I go before the disaster?

[Christopher Schimke]

That's a difficult question to answer because there are just too many variables. It's like asking "If I drive my van down a salted snowy highway, how soon before it starts to rust?". Who knows?

I'm not implying that your engine will suddenly start falling apart the minute that you install a stainless tube into the cooling system. I'm not even trying to tell you what to do with your own van. The point is, you can do things to help prevent corrosion in the cooling system but eventually you will have some no matter how small. Aiding the corrosion process just isn't something that I am interested in given the choice.
_________________
"Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)

*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected]

[mr_vanagon]

Why not just use long runs of rubber hose held up by zip ties? Cheap, easy to install and easy to fix if needed?
_________________
'68 Autostick Bug Mom bought new
'89 Tintop Vanagon Dad bought new