-----Original Message-----
From: Backus, Brian G <Brian.Backus@PSS.BOEING.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 1998 5:45 AM
Subject: Re: Zerex phosphate-free coolant

>        Jerry @ Con Rod Northwest in Seattle, who has specialized in
>rebuilding Wasserboxers for years, said to me that if you extend the
>ground strap from where it connects to the left head, over to the block
>and then again over to the right head and then to the right side of the
>compartment you need not worry about the common pitting problem, or
>premature gasket failure.
>
>        He says the problem is not the antifreeze or lack of
>maintenance, but the electrolysis that is taking place from not having a
>proper ground.  He added that it doesn't matter what kind of antifreeze

This suggestion of more, bigger, better grounds on the cooling system sounds
like something that I was told by local VW mechanic.  He also mentioned the
need for grounds, but he went further to suggest also grounding the radiator
and heater cores!!  If any listees have experience with boats, you know how
aggressively electrolisis can eat nearly any metal.  Well, what hell, it
wasn;t all that hard so I did it.  That was 18 months and 22,000 mi ago.  So
far so good.  At the time that I was checking and adding grounds, I found
that the braided one on the left of the engine to the body was virtually
powder.  Touched it and it fell apart.  It is replaced with a huge stainless
braided strap intended for a truck.  As a result of Brian Backus's post, I'm
now going to add a ground to the other head also.

How many waterboxers might be out there with non-existent grounds eating up
their aluminum heads?  Wouldn't hurt to check.

Gary