Howard, I think your friend is somewhat of an alarmist, or had a cooling
problem that could have been easily fixed by finding/fixing the underlying
problem.

I've had my 1.9L '85 Westie for four years now. All cooling parts are
stock, though I did replace all the hoses (old and squishy) and the
reservoir (cracked it while changing hoses) when I bought it. I also
replaced the water pump about two years ago (when it commenced squealing).

I've taken this machine cross-country, so I've had it on long climbs, at
multiple altitudes and all seasonal conditions with no cooling problems
whatsoever... in fact, the high-speed fan has only needed to kick on a
handful of times (I hear it a time or two a year, generally while sitting
in traffic).

The short answer is that the cooling system has *much* more capacity than
your 1.9L engine needs, as long as it is working properly. The only real
problem is the length of the system, and number of hoses/connections...
this leaves lots of opportunity for a sudden coolant dump, especially if
you are still running the 20-year-old factory hoses. Overheated
wasserboxers can warp heads, so if the hoses are old, change 'em!

At 04:30 PM 9/13/2005 -0400, Howard Allen wrote:
>Wish I had an aircooled but since I don't I would like to get as much
>information about my "new" watercooled baby.  Talking with a long-time
>1.9L VW van owner the following opinions were expressed.  Would appreciate
>the List's feedback.
>
>1. The fan sensor switch is too low in the radiator to do a good job
>preventing overheating during low speed travel [therefore install a manual
>override switch]?
>2. The water pump does not flow enough coolant during idling in stop and
>go driving [this guy installed a smaller pulley onto the waterpump shaft -
>is this recommended?].
>3.  Radiator cooling capacity is insufficient during high ambient temps
>while endeavoring to climb 7% or greater grades [therefore install a
>larger radiator]?
>4.  Highway speeds of greater than 65 MPH will result in headgasket
>failure caused by overheating?
>5.  The factory temperature guage is not a reliable indicator of
>dangerously high coolant temperature - anything past half way actually
>indicates an over temp condition that should be addressed by pulling over
>and shutting down the engine immediately?
>
>Best Regards
>Howard Allen
>S. Portland, Maine
>
>"Don't tread on me."