The 1.8 inline VW motor installed in my 84..it had none.  I think that was
factory for the 1.8l gas inline.. Many other older vws, probably most
(though I am not an expert) came with the oil/coolant heat exchanger...it
is supposed to help with warm up, yes.
   Google "VW oil cooler problem" or check you tube...These do seem to have
lottsa failures... some report a couple of leaking coolers in a row.... I'd
rather not risk that again, though I'm putting another one back,
temporarily, so I can drive my fun van till I get around to building a real
oil cooler for it.
   An Aside:. This morning, after two days of flushing the coolant system,
the expansion tank again has a thick layer of emulsified oil at the cap....
Nasty.

On Oct 24, 2017 8:29 AM, "David McNeely" <davmcneely40@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hmmm....... .  Isn't the entire system engineered to operate with the
> cooler in place and functioning?  And that is not just as an oil cooler as
> I understand it, but to help to bring the engine up to operating
> temperature after startup.  Of course, others with more expertise may
> correct me, but that is what I have always understood.
>
> Do these coolers commonly fail for the 2.1 as well?  My 1991 Volkswagen
> Vanagon GL Campmobile with 2.1 engine (manual transmission) has 180K miles
> with no problem so far from the cooler, so far as I know.
>
> mcneely
>
> On Tue, Oct 24, 2017 at 5:16 AM, Mbob1950 <mbob1950@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > What is the best way to eliminate the cooler? I was thinking of removing
> > it and connecting the coolant hoses together.  Any downside to that
> setup?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Bob McCullough
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > > From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
> > > Date: October 23, 2017 at 22:46:50 CDT
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > Subject: Re: Oil heat exchanger fail.. more
> > > Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
> > >
> > > Sure sounds like a messy job.
> > >
> > > Did you buy that 2 year old cooler new? Sounds like you put a lot of
> > miles
> > > on it?
> > >
> > > I guess I was lucky. The O ring on my oil cooler had started leaking so
> > > upon inspection of the cooler, noticed it was starting to craze or
> crack
> > a
> > > little.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 8:08 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > ......
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >>   I was hoping all the posts about the VW and the weak oil cooler was
> > >> wrong....but mine, about two years old, went out too...When I get a
> > chance,
> > >> I'll be taking that out and making a better setup... I never want to
> > deal
> > >> with another failure...and I'm lucky nothing more serious resulted
> from
> > it
> > >> blowing..
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Neil n
> > >
> > > Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
> > >
> > > 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
> > >
> > > 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.
> > com/>
> > >
> > > Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
> >
>