At 04:45 PM 6/29/2013, David J wrote:
>Thank you, Neil (and I love you too, Vanagon list) - That's
>*exactly* what these bands must be - multiple, regularly spaced, and
>attached.  They clearly weren't something floating through the
>radiator. Now the question is, what in the HECK are they there
>for.  It doesn't matter, but I'm curious, because it would seem they
>COULD break-off and

Looks to me as though they were to make it easier to install the
gasket, giving a stable width.  They've swelled up and gotten longer
while the radiator's been in service.

Yrs,
d