Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:43:51 -0800
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: Rubber...Our best friend...Our worst enemy
In-Reply-To: <314082.557.qm@web83608.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
hey, rubber failure may be a reason a lot of us are here on the list :)
happy friday
ab
'86 syncro 7 passenger
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/
http://shufti.wordpress.com
On 17-Dec-09, at 6:53 PM, Richard Koerner wrote:
Volks,
I am the original poster on yesterday's thread..."Audible" Idiot
Lights. Still plenty of room for discussions and solutions there.
But, I've been thinking. What is the main cause of Vanagon
catastrophic failures? Rubber.
Your alternator/water pump belt is rubber...it snaps, you may be
toast. Your coolant lines are mostly rubber...if they
rupture...you're in for it. Your fuel injection hoses are all
rubber...well, we know what that means. And tires....they blow out,
yes they do! All rubber. Anyone want to talk about gaskets?...more
rubber. Vacuum hoses in the engine compartment?: rubber, and they
can cause infinite frustration and poor performance if leaky, along
with that rubber thing to the air filter. Power steering and
suspension and wiper blades and shock absorbers...more rubber things
to fail.
Now, rubber is an excellent engineering material...solves SO many
issues. But, at a price...lifetime. The stuff just doesn't last
forever.
The logical solution: replace. And replace sooner than you think
you might need to. Nothing like a roadside breakdown in the middle
of nowhere to make you wish you had replaced "that" rubber
component. So easy in the garage with access to Van Cafe, Vanagain,
BusDepot, GoWesty, FLAPS...and so on (not meaning to exclude anybody
here). So EXPENSIVE and trip-ruining to do it on the road. Not to
mention major damage to your engine, your vehicle, or even your body!
So...I've personally had: leaking fuel injector hoses, broken belts,
rear tire blowout...next on the list is rubber coolant hoses; still
have MOST of the original there (mechanics have noticed some swollen
coolant hoses which were immediately replaced). And head
gaskets....ugh...time for a new peppy engine when that one hits.
I know I'm "preaching to the choir" on this one.....but still.
Rubber is going to be the downfall of these marvelous Vanagon machines.
Rich
85 Vanagon Homemade Camper Conversion with 180,000 wonderful miles
San Diego
