I am no stranger to Vanagon 2.1 cooling problems, but I could use some
opinions as how to proceed with my daughter's 1991 GL.

She let it get low on coolant a year or so ago (weird leaks, she has
actually taken pretty good care of the car). But in a year and a half or so,
it is split two primary coolant bottles, popped a hose or two, blew a chunk
out of the rear heater valve housing, and blown the big bottom hose off its
plastic pipe. There have always been other explanations as to these blowouts
and such, but as always those can be rationalizations as much as
explanations.

It is the plastic pipe problem that I have been dealing with lately. Some
time ago the metal end pulled out of the pipe. I did what I have always
successfully done which is to epoxy it back in and never think about it
again. But today she was driving and it popped loose and drained all the
coolant. She refilled with water and got to my house and I put in an epoxy
lip around the end of the plastic pipe as I had done many years ago on a
1990, and never had another issue with it. I actually did a better job on
hers than I did on my Carat, yet the hose blew off with the epoxy lip
minutes after startup.

I suspect that I have a leaking head gasket overpressurizing the system, but
there are no other symptoms suggesting it. I have not kept coolant in it
recently long enough to tell exhaust gases are dirtying the coolant and I
have not done the overnight cooldown test where you start it up and run it
for 30 seconds to see if that puts pressure into the coolant system.

I am going to try this weekend making a wire lip that sits in a groove that
I will dremel into the end of the plastic pipe and see if that holds by
sheer mechanical force.

Any other suggestions? I especially want to hear from anyone who has
converted to coolant hose to replace the plastic pipe and has details to
share.

Jim