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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16886
Location: sticksville, ct.
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 Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:03 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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welp...
the boxes turned up today. at a 100mph glance they for sure seem stout. i do see the concern about sealing with the multi piece design. i'll blow the apart and seal anything that looks like it may be a problem.
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| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7925
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
looks like you're in Canada? is there any difference in USA spec vs CA spec vans? mine is a 84 US spec that really has not been fooled with and my van didn't have any elbow there. |
My USA 1990 had the elbow.
_________________
~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16886
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:28 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| Howesight wrote: |
Skills - - the GW units are not junk. |
good to know. they don't seem to sell junk but you just never know these days
| VdubVanner wrote: |
Kamz is correct in saying that it isn't necessary but there was obviously a reason that VW designed it that way and installed an adjustable elbow. |
looks like you're in Canada? is there any difference in USA spec vs CA spec vans? mine is a 84 US spec that really has not been fooled with and my van didn't have any elbow there.
looks like a good idea, no doubt.
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| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3274
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 6:27 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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Don't forget to put some kind of sealant at the base of each of the screws attaching the outlet/inlet boxes. Water wicks along the threads of the screws to the body metal where the screw has metal-to-metal contact with the body metal and rust then follows. This is picky work.
The factory foam "gaskets" were also hopeless and required careful attention to sealing. Dum-dum or butyl tape, carefully applied, will work here.
Skills - - the GW units are not junk.
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX |
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VdubVanner
Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2017
Posts: 734
Location: Cowtown AB
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:47 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
^^^^
any reason for the elbow on the water vent line? seeing i am going thru this now and i am right here mine didn't have one |
My van was set up like that originally so I simply followed what was there. However, I will say this: I deliberately didn't silicone one side of that elbow so it could be adjusted somewhat. The original set up was the same and I noticed that if I had siliconed both sides it would've kinked. I played with it before the final installation to watch how that hose moved when getting put into position. I'm glad that elbow is there.
Kamz is correct in saying that it isn't necessary but there was obviously a reason that VW designed it that way and installed an adjustable elbow.
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0 |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7925
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:26 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
^^^^
any reason for the elbow on the water vent line? seeing i am going thru this now and i am right here mine didnt have one |
To prevent it from kinking. Is it necessary to have? Nope.
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16886
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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^^^^
any reason for the elbow on the water vent line? seeing i am going thru this now and i am right here mine didnt have one
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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VdubVanner
Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2017
Posts: 734
Location: Cowtown AB
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:35 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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Regular silicone sealant gives off acetic acid as it cures. Once cured, it doesn't. If you're putting it on bare metal that might be a concern but on a painted surface that's less of a concern. I used 3M Strip Caulking https://www.amazon.ca/Install-Bay-3MSTC-Caulk-Stri...8&th=1 around the outside of the utility boxes and silicone on the prepped painted surface inside when I did my van makeover.
Stands up to car wash pressures and works like a charm. If anything looks amiss, it's easy to fix from the outside.
BTW I went with the traditional Delta Six boxes.
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0 |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16886
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:09 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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your average silicone is typically acidic and will cause rust. here is a good article on the subject
https://www.allmetalsfab.com/galvanic-reaction-caulk/
had it been an automotive seam sealer, it would have most likely been a non issue
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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DeLvxe
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2019
Posts: 106
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:52 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| MayorMcCheese wrote: |
Sealing them with silicone isn't the best idea.
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Can you explain? What failed here?
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1991 manual camper with EJ25 |
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NorthOf50
Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2020
Posts: 102
Location: Campbell River, BC
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 4:16 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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a PO of my van replaced the stocks w/ GW years back and they are still in top shape. slapped a set of the GW decals on them and they looks good as new. I suspect they've been on my van over a decade, no indication of water ingress and it's not particularly dry where I live! I also appreciated that the GW have the American shore power setup as opposed the Canadian version with the pull out cord, far superior design.
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'84 1.9WBX Camper (Penny)
'88 2.1WBX Camper (Martin) |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16886
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| valvecovergasket wrote: |
For the foam, I would take some butyl rubber and string a thin bead around the back part of the foam. No need to modify anything. I've only read a few limited negative comments about the leaking from what I can tell from early-ish adaptors. Like I said no issues on mine but I did throw then butyl on the foam backer just last week - had them off to take a peak behind them when I was redoing my top recently |
thanks for the input. i suppose it would make sense to make 1 frame and swap guts. i'll take a peek when they turn up.
I have the lifetime supply of 3M 'window ribbon' you speak of and that was my initial thought when people were complaining about leaks... roll up a thin worm of it and seal the seal....
anyway still a bit crappy you need to go thru this on a supposed 'upgrade' i know, i'm just bitching now. guess after 30+ years playing with vintage junk i should just come to expect it...
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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| Back to top |
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valvecovergasket
Samba Member
Joined: October 10, 2018
Posts: 1492
Location: pnw
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:33 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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$10 lifetime supply in one roll from Mr Bezos hah
_________________
MegaSquirt resource - SpitfireEFI.com
gone, but not forgotten: '83 tdi westy - swap thread |
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MayorMcCheese
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2009
Posts: 660
Location: Lancaster PA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 10:45 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| Butyl rubber is what I'll be using when I fix the rusted mess posted above. |
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valvecovergasket
Samba Member
Joined: October 10, 2018
Posts: 1492
Location: pnw
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 10:31 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
dschaftlein~ what do you mean by "took them apart to seal them" are these multi piece units? kind of hard to tell in the photos.
any alternatives to their foam seals? total bullshit that they have to be modified. i'll look at them when they get here. if they look like crap they're going back and i will put the effort into rebuilding my boxes. |
The boxes are kind of multi piece - the center "function" part differs depending on which box functions you ordered, but the outer flap and frame are common throughout. There's a seal there where those two meet.
My impression was that perhaps some early boxes had issues there. Mine look great where those meet and I've seen no leaks.
Also, should note at least in my experience that any leaks in the center section would only come into play if they were wide open in the rain.
Otherwise at least on mine the doors are tight enough at the top that they act like a nice seal from any splash on water. So I guess how carefully you examine that center seal maybe depends on how much you plan to have them open fully in sideways rain
For the foam, I would take some butyl rubber and string a thin bead around the back part of the foam. No need to modify anything. I've only read a few limited negative comments about the leaking from what I can tell from early-ish adaptors. Like I said no issues on mine but I did throw then butyl on the foam backer just last week - had them off to take a peak behind them when I was redoing my top recently
_________________
MegaSquirt resource - SpitfireEFI.com
gone, but not forgotten: '83 tdi westy - swap thread |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:58 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| dschaftlein wrote: |
| I really like mine, however I found that they are not very water tight. I ended up taking mine apart and sealing them up with silicone where needed. They are now water tight. |
ditto
i had to pull mine out and use liberal amounts of silicone to seal them. there is no gasketing between the modular components, so expect to disassemble and seal.
they are sturdy and well made, just lack proper sealing for those of us not in southern Cali
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16886
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:51 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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| bene wrote: |
| dschaftlein wrote: |
| I really like mine, however I found that they are not very water tight. I ended up taking mine apart and sealing them up with silicone where needed. |
That was my experience as well. The included foam seals wouldn't compress evenly around the edges of the frame and left gaps when the screws were tightened down. During the first solid rainstorm quite a bit of water leaked past the seals.
A bead of GE Silicone II on both sides of the seal during reinstallation resolved that problem, and the ports themselves have been durable and troublefree. |
wonderful. so yet another product that almost works, but not really. dam it....so tired of having to modify/tweek/rebuild "new" parts and it's not like they give these away at 50 bux a pop plus shipping.
well, i already ordered them as well as a few other things to bundle shipping.
dschaftlein~ what do you mean by "took them apart to seal them" are these multi piece units? kind of hard to tell in the photos.
any alternatives to their foam seals? total bullshit that they have to be modified. i'll look at them when they get here. if they look like crap they're going back and i will put the effort into rebuilding my boxes.
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32634
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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MayorMcCheese
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2009
Posts: 660
Location: Lancaster PA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 4:33 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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Sealing them with silicone isn't the best idea.
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wv2yb0252gg092706 |
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3274
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:57 am Post subject: Re: GoWesty Westfalia hook-up boxes |
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I have the GW water filler connector and find it to be a very well-designed product. The Delta-six units were thinner plastic. Time and UV makes them brittle.
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX |
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