I simply don't trust the hoses because of the tendency of the Vanagons
to burn.

I put all new hoses on my van in January of 2000. I have since had 3
fuel leaks in the main hoses - one due to a hole being rubbed through,
one due to rot, and one due to a split - and why it split I don't know.
Currently I have one injector hose leak. For me 5 years seems a good way
to go. $60 over 5 years is pretty cheap insurance - $12/year.  A single
oil change with Mobil 1 15W50 cost more than that. I would rather err on
the conservative side.

I also change my manual tranny fluid - Redline MT90 - every two years,
regardless. I also flush my brake lines every two years if no
maintenance has been done. CV's get a couple of shots of grease every
year, and removed, cleaned, regreased every two years. Coolant gets
changed every two years. Biodegradeable orange stuff - non phosphate
DexCool.

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Mike Miller wrote:

>Do the hoses really need to be changed every five years?  The originals
>lasted almost triple that so 10 years should be safe?  Or are hoses replaced
>not as good as hoses original?
>
>
>Mike
>
>On 2/8/05 9:18 PM, "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET> wrote:
>
>
>
>>Peter wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Hello again,
>>>
>>>So all I need now for my first oil change is a drain plug gasket. My
>>>overpriced overfriendly local VW dealership does not have them on
>>>stock, in fact, they couldn't locate a dealership in the bay area that
>>>had one. How strictly should I keep to the specs on this part? Anyone
>>>know any suitable substitutes or a good FLAPS in the bay area that's
>>>likely to have one? The part number I have is N 013 8293 and I need it
>>>by tonight so internet isn't going to cut it. It's for a '89 Westy.
>>>
>>>Cheers.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>What you want to use ideally is a copper crush gasket. It has a fiber
>>center and crushes flat to make a tight seal. It should not be used a
>>second time but discarded each time the oil is changed and a new one
>>installed. The regular seal for the 1.9L and 2.1L WBX is a solid copper
>>seal, but I prefer the crush type gasket.
>>
>>Just ordered up a bunch today from Ken Wilford at Vanagain.com. along
>>with a complete hose kit for the fuel system on my 88 GL. It's been 5
>>years on the hoses. It's time for a change.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>John Rodgers
>>88 GL Driver
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>