Gowesty coolant pipes install

[obvan]

I'm in the process of overhauling my cooling system (after a failure this summer) and have the gowesty stainless steel coolant pipes sitting in my garage ready to be installed. I was wondering if I'll be able to get away with not lowering/removing my fuel tank for this job? Has anyone gone through this process, what is your experience?

I'll also be installing a new AT cooler.

Thanks

[djkeev]

Lower your fuel tank anyway and renew the rubber bits on it and your vapor tanks.

Just do it right the first time and be done with it.

Dave
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[greebly]

Hey, is Terry Kays timeout over?

[hozbee]

It can be done without lowering the fuel tank. Installed the GW kit several years ago and remembered it took some cussing and finagling the pipes around before it slid in by trying various angles and twisting carefully just right to get it to slide through the frame members up front. Never had to worry about the plastic inserts coming out and ruining my day again after that. Good luck....

[obvan]

[obvan]

[Mellow Yellow 74]

[obvan]

[Vanagon Nut]

x2 on extra finagling to install the 2 pc pipes with fuel tank not lowered. I replaced the heater hoses when doing the pipe job. Can't recall which I installed first though. WD40 helped to lube between pipes and heater hose during install.

In hindsight, using a safe means to side light the area about the fuel tank would help. Pretty obvious to say but a LED bulb in a trouble light produces a LOT less heat than incandescent. A good flashlight might be better (safer)

Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[SCM]

I'm about to take on this job too and, from what I've read hear, the consensus is that the 2 piece pipes can be installed without dropping the tank.

That said, along the lines of what Dave suggested, double check to make sure your gas tank and grommets, etc. are up to the whatever standard you're happy with. It would be a drag to wrestle with the pipes while the tank is in place just to drop the tank next year if you develop a fuel leak. Dropping the gas tank isn't that big of a job - but I hear you, I'm glad that I shouldn't need to do it this time around too.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine

[obvan]

Just an update. I got the new pipes in on sunday without removing the gas tank (though an hour in I considered if I should).

Some tips: label left and right, top and bottom and put them both in at the same time. You'll have to turn them both a couple times but once they're in the right place you can slide them forward and back freely as needed.

That said after connecting all the hoses I realized that I installed the left and right pipes reversed as it isn't clear until you attach the rear sections which one should go where. I'm considering if I should go through the trouble to remove and reinstall or more likely just cross the hoses in the front that go to the radiator. But as an exercise I wonder if it if matters?

[cmayna]

When I did mine, as I removed each original pipe, I marked them L & R, and with an arrow pointing towards the front. Then matched the new pipes with the old pipes and then marked the new pipes L & R with front arrows.

As I was under the white turd yesterday doing a maintenance hose clamp check, before our upcoming road trip, I saw the L & R markings on the new pipes and smiled.
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'90 Westy / automatic.
If I'm not working on the camper or my '50 Chebbie truck, I'm either fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.


Craig

[Vanagon Nut]

[obvan]

[SCM]

God, what a disaster. I'm using RMW pipes so not sure if that's why my experience is different but...

Not only did I not manage to get them in place without dropping the tank but they are both now STUCK. What a weird puzzle it is. Luckily (?) I had to leave town for a 10-day work assignment so I have plenty of time to cool off.

I definitely plan to lower the tank but am wondering if it can be lowered enough without disconnecting the filler neck etc. from the tank. I resealed my tank a few years ago and don't want to risk damaging any grommets.

Meanwhile, it's getting cold in my unheated garage and the van is in the way of the snow tires that need to be installed on the wife's daily driver.

#vanlife
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine

[Brownj]

[cyclecast]

Well. This went nowher, until I quit and tried something now. Came back today and it took less than 15 minutes!

To get the stainless steel pipes over the gas tank (without dropping it)
1) pull out the heater hoses from above the tank
2) do the outside one (passenger side) first. Put it in upside down initially to get over the first lip, then flip it over to clear the 2nd, about halfway
3) repeat process with inside pipe (upside down about half way then flip).

Freaking amazing.
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1985 Vanagon Westfalia 1.9 L

[xflyer]

I replaced pipes a few times, before the stainless ones were available. Got new plastic ones from the VW dealer.
Learned a few things. All the Vanagons that I did this job on (replace failed plastic pipes) had a hose clamp around both pipes at the rear of the fuel tank. The clamp secured the pipes to a tab on the frame member. The screw on the clamp is not accessible with the fuel tank installed. The clamp can be cut with metal snips. However that's not the end of the story. Installing the new plastic pipes with the fuel tank in place was near impossible.
After finding that out the hard way I always removed the tank when working on the pipes.
A few years ago I replaced the plastic pipes in my 89 with the stainless pipes. Even with the tank removed it was a PITA. Neither pipe seemed to fit on left or right. Eventually got it all hooked up and working.
Probably would have been better if I had found this thread and followed the idea to lay the new pipes alongside the old plastic ones and label them. We'll never know.
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1989 Campmobile, 1984 7 passenger beater Vanagon
Both with cool A/C

[hardway]

There is a reason that clamp is almost always missing. Apparently there is something in the personality of a lot of DIYers that likes to give the finger to the experts. After all only wimps remove the fuel tank for access. They just had too many of those clamps at the factory. There is no real reason to support long heavy things in the middle, it is better to support them on the ends only and let them sag and vibrate.

But I have also seen many of those clamps missing on pipes that were installed by "professionals". I have installed lots of stainless steel pipes from GW, BD, and VC. They are all different and none of them fit particularly well. The coupling hoses in the center are a weak point, an additional point of failure. We always shim the pipes apart from each other near the hoses to minimize mechanical stress on the pipe/hose interface. It works best when they do not push on each other.

Every system and part has it's flaws. Factory stuff tends to be better engineered. But in the end, skill and quality control by the installer bring about the best outcome.

[xflyer]

"But in the end, skill and quality control by the installer bring about the best outcome."
Yup.
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1989 Campmobile, 1984 7 passenger beater Vanagon
Both with cool A/C