auto transmission pan gasket and transmission cooler options

[hiram6]

[[email protected]]

[hatchb4ck]

This thread showed up at the right time for me as I just received my service kit from Van-Cafe and have been working some other issues prior to installing it. At the time of install I also plan to replace the stock cooler it with an external one, similar to Broseph's parts (Thanks for the list of parts by the way!!).

Thanks for this thread as it gives me some things to watch out for when performing this maintenance.

hatchb4ck
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1960 Ford F100
2016 Moto Guzzi Stornello


www.josephpugh.com

[camp]

I just received a EMPI 11X11" 96 plate cooler and am in the process of getting my parts and fittings together... to put on my 1990 Vanagon GL...A/T
I have a radiator fan from a passat part out that I plan to mount above the cooler.
Took spare pan over to the machine shop to have a weld in adaptor for sending unit for the temp gage...

So... I am wondering if I should use a -6AN or even a -4AN hose instead of a -8AN hose for the cooler...

My question is...
By using a large size and flow hose, will that lower the pressure of the fluid going through the tranny...?
If so, could some areas of the tranny that need it have correct pressure to function properly?

I know a lot of you guys go with the larger hose but, maybe some of you A/T experts can help me solve this question...
Thanks...

[jwallis]

[Milfordite]

I just installed a Go Westy trans cooler on my 90 Westy. It went in really easy, no problems. The reason I chose their kit is because of the thermostat included with the kit. For you guys and gals in the West or Southwest, it may not be important, but here in the Midwest I think it is vital. It operates on the same principal as the factory cooler, but I don't have to worry about mixing water and oil and it gives the trans a bit more fluid capacity, not a bad thing. I found all the pieces that their kit has, and could have bought the parts and did it myself, but the small savings wasn't worth the hassle.
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1990 VW Vanagon westy

[maryloucb]

I know this is an older thread, but I have a gasket leak on my 85 Wolfsburg Weekender (it happened after PO changed the ATF) and I am getting ready to replace the gasket (it is a pretty significant leak.) I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice--I'm a total newbie and a little intimidated by the whole process. Is there a way to drain out the fluid before I remove the pan so I don't get a AFT bath? Also, I don't have a garage, so I will be doing this in a dirt/gravel parking lot--do I need to worry about dust getting in there? And lastly, do most of you jack your vehicles up, or just crawl on under there? I don't have a floor jack yet, so I was just going to put a big piece of cardboard under there and crawl on in.

Thanks for any help!

[eeebee]

It is a good noob project. It can be difficult to get the gasket correctly positioned so just keep trying. There is nothing technically difficult about it. The torque spec on the bolts is pretty low (14 lb-ft?) So don't over tighten.

I'm not skinny enough to get under there without jacking up the van but go ahead and try. When you disconnect the filler tube the fluid will drain from there.
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Eric

1987 Vanagon Wolfsburg Special Edition
GoWesty 2.3

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.

[James 93SLC]

[edgood1]

The last AT van that I did this to gave me all kinds of hassles. I replaced the pan with a new gasket 3 or 4 times and it kept leaking. I finally broke down and replaced the gasket with ultra grey ATV and a few weeks later a pin hole leak developed right in the middle of the pan due to rust. ...

I replaced it without another pan, again using the Ultra Grey ATV and it has held up since.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[maryloucb]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have been thinking about getting ramps since I don't have a lot of space for storage and they seem easier for someone who doesn't know what they are doing.

What is this ultra grey atv that you speak of?

[heynanc]

Hi All,
You seem to be the folks to ask - IS there a transmission cooler on the 82 vanagon?

I notice everyone here seems to have bought later models. Well, I have what I have. An 82. I'm going KEG 2.2 Subaru legacy swap eventually.

Words of wisdom re: the transmission?

thanks!

[jwallis]

ramps are awesome.

[heynanc]

Hey All,


I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your great input and suggestions!

My Westy is sort of side tracked by a new foreclosure house (well, gutted), which will hopefully let me sell the mortgaged one and then have more money for my important things, like the VW!!!!

I am going to get the Bentley! Fear not! And using the search? Well, I'm catching on to that as well.

Again, so many thanks!

Nancy
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Nancy
2011 Subaru Outback daily driver
1975 “art bus” transporter “Cherry Garcia”
1984 Westfailia Vanagon EJ22 “ Guinness”
2006 Dodge Sprinter (long/tall)
2006 Winnebago View (in case the buses aren’t cooperating)

[jwallis]

glad to have you in the club : ). working on the vanagon can be really fun, and this site has an amazing amount of information. soon you'll be giving people tips!

I suggest you search something like "first things to do to your van" which include the famous "replacing the fuel lines" job (and buying a fire extinguisher anyway). gowesty has kits for everything which takes the guesswork out of a lot of jobs, almost feels like cheating sometimes.
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TheVanTracker.com - Kill Switch + GPS Tracker + Door-open alerts, made specifically for the Vanagon!
50+ YouTube videos - brakes, bearings, CV joints, 1.9/2.1 cooling system, mods, Bostig and more...

[heynanc]

Hi and again, THanks,

You know, I came across a site (it may be a subsection of this site - I just bookmark everything as a "favorite" v. relying on my memory) of "been there, done that" and one of its topics was things to do to your new old van, just like you said.

Somewhere early on, it might have been a GoWesty article, but I failed to book mark it, was an article on cleaning the interior top of the pop up. Without destroying it.

I'm open to suggestions on that too! It may not run, but I can still clean it!

Nancy
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Nancy
2011 Subaru Outback daily driver
1975 “art bus” transporter “Cherry Garcia”
1984 Westfailia Vanagon EJ22 “ Guinness”
2006 Dodge Sprinter (long/tall)
2006 Winnebago View (in case the buses aren’t cooperating)

[jwallis]

I have that one bookmarked too, probably a good list for any used vehicle purchase if you didn't get records from PO (previous owner). I paid 4k for my van, and am now in it for around 12k total. sucks, but i keep a record of everything i do and take a picture of every receipt (and put in a folder on my computer) in case i ever sell it, hopefully i'll recoup some of that.

http://www.vanagonauts.com/Things-to-do-for-new-vanagon-owners150.htm
_________________
TheVanTracker.com - Kill Switch + GPS Tracker + Door-open alerts, made specifically for the Vanagon!
50+ YouTube videos - brakes, bearings, CV joints, 1.9/2.1 cooling system, mods, Bostig and more...

[jwallis]

and here's a post Ben made about things to do to for a new owner. He seems a little overly cautious sometimes, but vans don't run on smiles and optimism so I'd never fault him for being so.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=457174&highlight=replace+coolant+ben
_________________
TheVanTracker.com - Kill Switch + GPS Tracker + Door-open alerts, made specifically for the Vanagon!
50+ YouTube videos - brakes, bearings, CV joints, 1.9/2.1 cooling system, mods, Bostig and more...

[heynanc]

Well, first of all, you must remember that you have the really cool side opening pop top. Something I didn't know existed until I joined the VW cult.

I have rebuilt a scotty trailer (1971), and I have gone to several vintage trailer rallies. One man I met at one also had the hobby of redoing old cars. He said that one time he kept every receipt, and tallied it all up at the end. And he said it took all of the fun out of it. So he never did that again. He suggested to me that I not do it.

But I'm barely organized enough to take pictures as I go : )

Nancy
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Nancy
2011 Subaru Outback daily driver
1975 “art bus” transporter “Cherry Garcia”
1984 Westfailia Vanagon EJ22 “ Guinness”
2006 Dodge Sprinter (long/tall)
2006 Winnebago View (in case the buses aren’t cooperating)

[jwallis]