I will back up Ron 100% on this.  I have Brazilian made 321 837 581
cranks on both my 84s (on the Westy for the past 12 years in fact).

Good ole fashioned preventive maintenance lubrication of the
regulators on a periodic basis is a must and not just on a Vanagon.
The same applies on Beetles, Type 3s and Bays that use this style of
regulator.  It also helps to have to felt channels CLEAN and a spot of
silicone spray so they glide just right.  Channels that are ragged
with old age with definitely cause the regulator to bind and then POP
goes the handle.
-- 
Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
75 914 1.8 "Nancy"
Full Timing Since March 1999
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
***********************************
On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 8:58 AM, The Bus Depot <vanagon@busdepot.com> wrote:
>> the list vendors will argue that if you pay
>> about 8 times as much for the OEM ones
>> they will last longer
>
>
> Well that depends on the list vendor, I suppose. To the contrary, I argued
> that our $1.99 ones will generally be just fine as long as your regulator
> mechanism is well lubricated and not binding.
>
> - Ron Salmon
> �The Bus Depot, Inc.
> �www.busdepot.com
> �(215) �234-VWVW