I have heard this is a common failure of those pipes. At least the mechanic
I spoke with once said they were - and he had quite a few old broken ones
lying around. For what it is worth, he stated that they could not be
repaired.

As I recall, the danger is in the metal ring or plastic pieces clogging or
blocking the flow of water.

Todd
'88 Westy

Daniel Schmitz wrote:

> Hello list.
>
> This relates to my '87 camper. Today when I removed my old radiator to
> replace it, I noticed that on one of the plastic coolant pipes that run
> from front to back, the plastic ridge that secures the hose had broken
> away from the pipe and had moved with the metal reinforcement sleeve out
> of the end about 3/4". This is identical to what has happened at the
> other end of this pipe. It looks like someone had added a second hose
> clamp to address a possible leak here. Apparently, the plastic becomes
> brittle and fails at the ends due to the metal sleeve constantly heating
> (an assumption).
>
> Has anyone with similar damage been successful at leaving these plastic
> pipes "as is" and operating without problems? The van has been running
> with this damage for sometime, so I'm not sure it's a life or death
> problem.
>
> And, if I attempt to fix it myself, can I use CPVC pipe from the
> hardware store for this, or is there a "preferred" plastic I should look
> for? I understand CPVC is rated for 100psi @ 180 degrees, which I should
> think exceeds the requirements of the vanagon's cooling system.
>
> I realize the "correct" solution is to replace this pipe, either with a
> new one from VW (pricey) or with a fabricated one made from plastic
> pipe. Alternatively, I can probably fabricate new "ends" and attach them
> to the main pipe with 1-1/4" straight hose. However, I have an upcoming
> camping event (courtesy of Phaedra) at which I would like to use my van,
> so I'd like to let this go until I can work out a permanent fix.
>
> Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!
>
> Dan
> '87 Westfalia
> (will again be on the road after radiator, CV boots, new calipers and
> wheel cylinders, or I will be sleeping in a tent!)