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Subject:Stumper: Can you use a gas radiator in a diesel Vanagon
Date:Tue, 15 Jun 1999 18:13:11 EDT

I have a customer that wants to buy a Radiator for his diesel Vanagon.  The
van is a beater and he really can't afford to buy a new diesel Vanagon
Radiator ($450).  I suggested a gas Vanagon radiator at first ($175 from me),
but after looking at the Bentley I noticed that there are several
differences.  The radiator fan switch is actually two switches on the diesel
(this can be adapted easily), the hoses hook up on the diesel radiator in
different locations (one wierd hose goes all the way to the top of the rad!
However I think I could adapt this too without much trouble.), it mounts
differently (this is my real concern.  The gas rad mounts with little feet
that stick up into the body on the top and then rest on some mounting
brackets on the bottom.  The diesel Vanagon has a bracket that is fastened to
the body via rubber shock mounts.)  So I would like to hear from anyone who
has done this before, or anyone who knows diesel Vanagons intimately enough
to know if there are the same mounting holes in the diesel Vanagon as there
is in the gas (on top).  Then I could just send the guy a pair of bottom
brackets and he would be all set.
Any ideas or help would be appreciated.
Ken Wilford
Van-Again
John 3:16
PS I just sent a diesel Vanagon to the crusher last month not dreaming that
the radiator could actually be worth keeping.

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