that's a really good suggestion Roger.
I've had an oil cooler hose blow out on a trip ......
and even just trying to bypass the oil cooler to take it out of the circuit
temporarily, was a real PITA out on the road all right.

There are 3 small oil cooler circuit hoses - the two by the oil cooler, and
the one going to the t-stat housing, all a pain to deal with, and a good
thing to have new proactively.  ( I'd carry spare used ones anyway on a
serious trip ) .
scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:58 PM
Subject: Re: Coolant hoses most likely to fail?

>I can't tell ou which is most likely to fail first - but I can tell you
> the ones that are the biggest PITA when they fail and you are on the
> road from nowhere to somewhere in the middle of the night. BTDT!!
>
> There are two short hoses with 90 degree bends that fit to the oil
> cooler. Both of these hoses have different sized ends. These are
> specially formed to have one small end and one large end. on each hose.
> If one ruptures, they are a pain to change because of where located and
> because you have to get these from a VW parts supplier.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
> John Reynolds wrote:
>> Re: 86 Canagon - 2.1 Manual trans - 2WD
>>
>>
>>
>> Does anyone know which coolant hoses are the one most likely to fail  -
>> in other words what hoses should absolutely be changed first?
>>
>> ( I searched the archive to no great luck)
>>
>>
>>
>> Also were spring clamps used on all the hoses?
>>
>>
>>
>> A few of my hoses have the typical cheese grater clamps - all the small
>> (7mm?) lines and some short hoses, like the one under the alternator
>> after of the 90 deg pipe.
>>
>>
>>
>> Seeing it's Memorial Day weekend and the van is not on the road yet, I'm
>> postponing the overhaul of the entire cooling system including replacing
>> all the hoses ( I do have a hose kit) - it's just looks like at least an
>> entire weekend job, when you factor in with cleaning up old spring
>> clamps, removing metal pipes to remove the beginnings of surface rust and
>> paint.
>>
>>
>>
>> I do plan replacing the long heater hoses (rear heater is removed),
>> installing the GoWesty plastic pipe repair kit when it comes in and I
>> have to replace my thermostat.   Have replaced the two temp and gauge
>> sensors already in the T-Stat - gauge now works - yeah!
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks to all
>>
>> John
>>
>> LiMBO
>>
>> 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia " Weeknder "
>>
>> aka: the VW WWW
>>
>>
>>