coolant junction upgrade

[charleslabri]

hey all, im about to start my watercooled conversion, and studying the coolant diagrams:

looks like i need to grab a coolant junction for the rear.

should i just get the std plastic one? or are there upgrades or opinions about this?

[jlrftype7]

I believe both the 1.9 and the 2.1 have choices of standard or Metal Upgrades now. I have the 1.9 and went with the Metal Hose Junctions front and back for my engine. I'm guessing you have the later 2.1 engine?
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[VicVan]

Hello there!

Converting from which to what?

I assume you're talking about the coolant tower, or cooling junction:

(source: Van Cafe website)

Van Cafe sells a stainless steel version, which I've seen strongly recommended on the forum:
https://www.vancafe.com/KT-1982103-p/kt-1982103.htm
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[16CVs]

The plastic ones are fine. The SS is nice it just depends on how you are financially.
Buy the plastic one and with the money you save take your computer and have the the Caps key fixed. Caps are used in a sentence so that the reader knows when you begin a new sentence.

Stacy
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[charleslabri]

I am converting from nothing to something. Im building the whole cooling system out myself.

So when it comes to this junction, looks like I will only need 1 in (head) and 3 out (thermostat, heater loop, radiator).

Im undecided, but thinking of an EA288 TDI

[charleslabri]

[crazyvwvanman]

It has 2 "In" ports, not 1. That junction is only for VW waterboxer engines. The hose to it from the thermostat is really from left side cylinder head, so the junction combines the hot coolant from the 2 heads and sends it to the radiator.

Mark

[vanagonjr]

[crazyvwvanman]

The top diagram has a pretty big problem.
The purple hose shows an arrow going toward the thermostat housing but that is only when the engine is cold.
Once the thermostat opens the flow reverses had HOT coolant comes from the left head through the purple hose to join the hot coolant from the right head.

If you think about it you should get that both heads get hot and the small hose from the right side head isn't large enough for all of the hot engine coolant to go to the radiator.


Mark

[charleslabri]

ok, so to answer a couple questions:

FROM: aircooled, aka nothing
TO: likely an EA288 TDI, boxeer probably. Greg said that the standard 2 lines running into the bay would work fine for the hookups.

Anyone have a coolant diagram from a stock WBX?

[vanagonjr]

[minsk]

i actually blew had a plastic junction blow on me. i had other issues..but any hows i only do stainless now...think i got mine from vc...they are prettier too
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[charleslabri]

anyone have any pics of:

1. where the junction is mounted on the vehicle in the rear
2. where the thermostat is mounted in the rear
3. where the pipes come out into the engine bay for the heater and the rad cooling lines?

[crazyvwvanman]

Inline VW engines have different needs than waterboxer engines.
What engine have you decided to use?

Mark

[charleslabri]

boxeer VW EA288 TDI.

Greg specifically said i should bring them back into the compartment just like the WBX, but.. i just dont know where those enter in the WBX setup

[charleslabri]

so.. not many folks out there run stock '87 vanagons that can take a pic of where the coolant lines hit the engine bay and where the coolant junction is mounted?

ok

[crazyvwvanman]

Your proposed engine only has 1 head.
The boxer coolant junction isn't for you.
It is to allow the hot coolant from the left side head to join the hot coolant from the right side head so the joined coolant and go together to the radiator.


Search in the Samba photo gallery for photos of what you want to see.
That is what I do when I need details of things.

Mark

[SCM]

[Tbob]

Listen to the crazyvwvanman. Take that coolant diagram and ignore literally everything in the engine compartment. Since you are doing an inline conversion, all you will need is the main cooling pipes from the front to the back, and depending on what kind of heater you use, heater hoses to your heater. No coolant towers, no bleeder ring, no separate thermostat housing. No hoses, then, to any of that non existent stuff.
For hoses front to back, I used stainless pipes for my stock 1986. Then, the rest of the cooling system was modeled after the old Tiico conversion that put a 2.0 liter Inline in place of the waterboxer. There should be pictures of Tiico conversions in the gallery. Also, Foreign Auto Supply in Harpswell, Maine is the torchholder for these conversions, look at their website. And look op VanagonNuts posts, iirc, he did an inline conversion using standard hoses and custom fittings so he could find a replacement hose anywhere if he blew one. If no one else posts a picture of the routing of the hoses for a conversion, I can within a couple of weeks, as I am on the road and will not be near my van with the conversion until then. Also, the block you are using may need some different plumbing than mine, Greg at Boxeer can guide you, but either way, all you will need is the hoses going front to back. Nothing else from the waterboxer will help you.
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[charleslabri]

cool. thanks all.

I had never thought of looking at the pics in the forum. I always hated the overclassification when uploading pics- now im thankful..