I can vouch for the Go Westy Brass Insert kit.  I installed this kit a
couple years ago.  I'm in process of putting Subaru 2.2 in my 1991 GL.  I
pulled the hoses and inspected the plastic pipes.  They look great.  No
rusting, no protruding steel inserts.  Life is good...

On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 2:13 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> At 12:48 AM 3/22/2009, David Beierl wrote:
>
>> GoWesty make a kit of brass inserts and clamps to prevent/cure the
>> problem of the steel inserts coming out of the ends of the new-type
>> plastic fore-and-aft coolant pipes.  It's a very clever idea and
>> (based on installing 1/4 of the kit) should work very effectively,
>> effectively forever.  They didn't debur the ends of the inserts, so
>> be careful installing, or debur them yourself.  Cost this month is
>> $50 to treat all four pipe ends, usually $60.  Highly recommended.
>>
>> For those of us with A/T with a special tee-d hose connecting the
>> 2.1l coolant distributor to one of the pipes, installing
>> that  insert requires also getting from GoWesty a coolant
>> distributor kit with an extra nipple so as to use a straight hose
>> within which to install the insert.  The kit comes with the
>> necessary hoses and clamps for $80.  The straight hose (Gates) is a
>> lot stiffer than the original, so it's a bit difficult to install,
>> but not unreasonable.  The smaller hose (goes to the A/T cooler)
>> supplied is regular heater hose.  They also supply a VW-OEM hose
>> from the cylinder head to the distributor, because the relevant
>> nipple on the distributor is differently placed.
>>
>> As far as I'm concerned, this entire job (thermostat housing,
>> athwartships hose to distributor , distributor kit, insert kit)
>> would have been essentially impossible without NAPA SER 3444 hose
>> clamp pliers or equivalent.  That's their larger (14") size of
>> straight pliers meant for flat band clamps, actually made by
>> K-D.  An offset pair would have been handy, but I always managed to
>> find a way to make the straight ones work.  Without them it would
>> have been futile or dangerous or both.  They cost about $30+, which
>> is why I didn't get an offset pair.  My Craftsman pair, many miles
>> away in Maine, might have worked ok, but they are actually meant for
>> round-wire clamps.  I think these gave a safer i.e. more secure
>> grasp of the clamp.  Flying clamps = zero.  Damaged fingers =
>> zero.  Accidental clamp release = zero.
>>
>>  --
>> David Beierl - Providence RI USA --
>> http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
>> '89 Po' White Star "Scamp"
>>
>
>  --
> David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> '89 Po' White Star "Scamp"
>

--
Jim
Wilmington, NC