Breathing Life Back into the Carbon Canister

Many Vanagon owners don't even know this component of the van's fuel system exists!  The carbon canister sits in the rear passenger side wheel well of '86+ Vanagons, out of sight, out of mind.  Actually, it is a key component of the evaporative fuel system that keeps the fuel left over after shutting your van down, from escaping into the atmosphere unchecked.  The activated charcoal filters the fumes and lessens your pollution.  However, after time, it loses its ability to filter properly and could lead to poor performance or failing your emissions tests.

After my Subaru engine conversion, I actually left it disconnected until recently.  The car runs OK without it, but if left unhooked it can lead to dust in the engine or fuel system and of course, you are not being environmentally friendly either!  That said, I still wanted to "do it right", meaning, clean that sucker before just plugging it in.  Since new ones are costly $180 or just simply hard to find, I chose to clean the carbon canister I had.

First, I cut it open with an exacto knife and disassembled the canister.  Note: I made the cut too far down.  I recommend cutting it only 1/2" from the end.  Once opened, the carbon smelled HORRIBLE - like fuel, of course.  I disposed of it.  There are two filters that needed to be washed. They were pretty black and clogged.  So, I washed them continuously and scrubbed them with an old toothbrush until I was satisfied I couldn't get them any cleaner.  Then, I cleaned the outside and inside with soap and water.  Finally, I bought new activated charcoal from PetSmart pet store and put it all back together.  The canister was glued with SEAL ALL, which is gas resistant.

Carbon canister (cut open like a clam), top breather hose, spring, and filters

There are a lot of parts inside it including a plastic tube and mini-plastic filter inside that I did not show here and another cloth filter.  I took that mini-plastic filter (not shown) out and washed it too.  The springs keep the carbon nice and compact when you put it back together.

Filters after cleaning

The filters took awhile to clean, but it was worth it.  Did you see how black the left one used to be!!?

New activated charcoal to freshen up the canister!

The two products cost about $16 total.  I used 5 of the 6 packets.  After filling it, there was very little "rattle".  It was packed in tight.  The charcoal must be "activated".  Don't buy anything else.

Carbon canister glued back together

After everything dried, I glued it back together with SEAL-ALL, which won't deteriorate from gas fumes in the canister.  

Next, I just need to plug it into my Subaru engine.  More on that in the next post...

PowerBright 1110W Inverter Faulty

On our last trip, we noticed only one of the AC outlets worked on the PowerBright inverter.  I figured before messing with it, I'd give a quick call to tech support.  Surely, just swapping out a fuse or something would fix it, I thought. But, NOPE.  They said return the whole unit.  PowerBright issued a RMA#, but since I bought it at The Home Depot, I just re-ordered another and returned the old.  The new one works fine on both outlets.

P1101 Code - Second Attempt to Fix

EDIT July 23, 2014 - Good and Bad results from test drive yesterday.  Good - The cheapo spare ECU runs great!  Bad - It also throws the P1101 code, so no luck resolving it yet.

According to Tom Shiels, "some ECUs throw 'P1101 - Neutral Position Switch error code' and some do not. It is not a science."  I guess either you get lucky or you don't...  I am unlucky in this category.  There are a few other wiring shenanigans to try to get rid of this pesky code, but I've opted for just trying a different ECU.  If it doesn't work, at least I'll have a back up ECU, which is a nice thing to have anyway.  I did not want to just get the same year/model ECU as I already have - I wanted to get a different one to make sure I had at least something different between the two ECUs.

I found this little unit on eBay for only $38 + FREE SHIPPING.  Wow - how could I go wrong?  That is cheap considering others are around $120 or more.

2000 Subaru Legacy M/T ECU

The part # was not the same as my 2001 ECU, so I called Subaru and they confirmed the two were compatible.  The only #s off were at the end.  The 2000 Legacy ECU had an additional "RA".

2001 Subaru Legacy M/T ECU code: 22611 - AD86F
2000 Subaru Legacy M/T ECU code: 22611 - AD86FRA

According to the Subaru dealer, the last two digits don't matter.  I replaced the computer and the van fired right up!  Now, I need to drive it for a good 100 miles or so to see if it throws the P1101 code as well.  I'll report back soon enough...

Brakes Pulse - Now What?

Last week, I got the GoWesty BIGGER-BRAKES kit and brand new brakes on the rear as well.  We took the van out to Leadville, CO camping and fly-fishing.  The brakes pulse each time the pedal is pressed.  After speaking with GoWesty and researching online, there are several things to check - enough that I'm just taking it back to Blazer Automotive to deal with it, since they did the install in the first place.  The things to check are:

1. Are wheel lugs over torqued?  Over-torquing warps the rotors prematurely.
2. Are the brake lines bled properly?
3. Are the rotors faulty to begin with?  Evidently, this can be the case with a lot of rotors!  They just aren't "true" to begin with.
4. Is it the front or the back?  You can figure this out by rolling the van and pulling up on the e-brake, which will tell you if it is the rear rotors that are pulsing or not.

Again - brakes are something I leave to the pros.  Looking forward to hearing what Blazer Automotive ends up finding with mine.

New OEM VW pedals

Left - new, Right - old, Top - metal pedal

Replaced my pedals today with OEM replacements.  It was minorly difficult to get the new one on.  It took some finagling with multiple screwdrivers to get it on.  Now, my foot doesn't slip off the pedals when they are wet - definitely safer and worth the $5 or so per pedal.

Replaced Front Turn Signal Lens and Lamps

I knew the front driver-side turn signal didn't work because the dash light blinked rapidly whenever I set the turn signal.  I opened up the housing and found a corroded disaster born from a cracked lens and the salty climate of the Pacific coast.  I dipped into the wiring skilz I learned doing my Subaru harness work and put on new spade connectors.  Finally, I replaced both the lights, housing, and lenses with parts from BusDepot.

Minor corrosion... NOT!

This lamp does not work!

New spade connectors replace corroded, broken ones

GoWesty BIGGER-BRAKES Installed

Last fall, I rebuilt my suspension and installed 16" GoWesty alloy rims along with GoWesty lifted springs :).  It looks like a SYNCRO now.  Hah!  Now, the 16" wheels are leading to some pretty expensive follow-on upgrades, unfortunately!  You see, this opened up the door to larger brakes.  I like GoWesty products because they just FIT.  So, I purchased the GoWesty BIGGER-BRAKES kit.

I like to say I do most of my own Vanagon work, but not when it comes to brakes.  I leave that up to the professionals!  Today, Blazer Automotive in Englewood, CO installed my GoWesty BIGGER-BRAKES and installed completely new *everything* on the rear brakes as well.  It stops on a dime now.  It was an honor to have Larry comment on my Subaru conversion as well.  Glad he enjoyed test driving those new brakes out! :)

GoWesty BIGGER-BRAKES kit

SHINY!

BIG!

Subaru ECU limited to 120 mph - Ask me how I know!

This Fourth of July I had the pleasure of testing out the new Subaru engine in my Westy on I-25 in Wyoming where the speed limit is 80 mph.  That said, I ran into a bit of a issue that lead my mind wandering in all directions from dying fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, bad fuel, and lastly to my Fast Forward VSS.  At 80 mph on the Vanagon speedo, it chugged violently until I laid off the gas.  I figured fuel starvation for sure.  But, once I got home, consulted the Interwebs, and ran a few more 80+ mph test drives, the VSS ended up being the culprit as it was registering speeds so outta whack that my Subaru ECU literally puked at what it thought was 120 mph!   Below is a photo taken of my OBD2 gauge showing 120 mph right as my van chugged on my last test drive.  If your VSS is showing highly volatile readings, get it replaced.  David from Fast Forward is sending out a new unit as I write this.  Looking for to getting it installed.  81 MPH here I COME!

OBD2 Gauges @ 80 mph in the van

BusDepot Canvas Pop-Top Ready for the 4th

This weekend we spent time getting the van ready for camping this summer.  Since the interior is completely gutted, we needed to have the pop-top canvas installed to have a place to sleep.  We pulled off the top, cleaned the inside with a concoction of bleach/water, cleaned the fiberglass top with Marine Clean, and then sprayed it with POR-15 clear coat to protect it once and for all.  To wrap it up, we put in a new BusDepot aftermarket canvas pop-top.  It fits perfectly - what a great product!  Don't waste your money on the super expensive OEM or acrylic.  Get this canvas!  

Hours to install canvas = ~8 man hours (two people for most of it)

Pop-top Removed

Inside BEFORE.  I think PO's kids exploded a Coke inside!

   

All cleaned up

 

Tania giving it the rinse down!

Baxter helping me wait for the interior to dry

Waiting for the POR-15 to dry

Front View

Side view - the 3 windows are great.  My old '83 only had the front vent

The pop-top's sun-roof seal was ruined (it tends to happen after 27 years).  In the last minute, I cut out closed cell foam and sealed it up tight.  Note: it rained and this sucker held dry.  Highly recommend as a quick/cheap fix for a leaky sun-roof.

Cut-Out Closed Cell Foam

P1101 Code Resolved - NOT!

EDIT July 7, 2014: IT'S BACK!  Grrrrrrr.....  Onto the next thing to try!  I'll keep you posted.

My 2001 M/T Subaru ECU had been throwing a P1101 - Neutral position switch circuit low error for several weeks now.  In simple terms, it means the ECU is not recognizing whether the manual transmission Neutral or in gear, which is understandable because there is no transmission sensor on the Vanagon to tell the Subaru ECU what it's doing.  I got advice from Tom Sheils on how to resolve.  The fix was to put a 470 Ohm resistor between the Neutral SW B26 wire on the ECU and GND.  Note: On other years of Subaru, this may not be the B26.  It was an easy modification to make since RMW had labeled the proper B26 Neutral SW wire.

With the resistor in place, I test drove the Vanagon on several trips that had previously caused the P1101 code and it did not appear.  So, I'm calling it fixed!

Resistor wired up and then heat shrink (on left) sealed it up

Protected by glass fuse holder and wired between the B26 Neutral SW wire & GND

RMW "Tank" Installed!

There is so much that can go wrong with the plastic coolant bottles.  For instance, my original VW coolant bottle had a crack in it, caps don't seal or maintain pressure, and the seams often split as well.  After my Subaru conversion in which I bought a brand new bottle and cap, the cap leaked several times. So, about the 4th time, I tightened it real good, which stripped the cheesy plastic threads and then NO cap would hold!   To add insult to injury, I also had a brand new sensor installed, which leaked as well.  Again, probably a stripped threads issue.  Before my important Fourth of July camping trip, I decided to call RMW and upgrade to "the Tank".  It arrived in 2 days and installed in 2 hours.  OMG am I glad I did it.  The Tank is da BOMB!!!!

RMW Tank installed (without sensor hooked up)

Overhead view: The RMW Tank is narrower than the VW coolant bottle

This product is solid A+ construction as expected from RMW.  There is no way it is leaking - end of story!

1. The package includes instructions, wiring connectors for sensor, bracket, tank, cap, and all the bolts necessary to install bracket to the van and the bottle to the bracket
2. RMW changed their sensor and the new sensor is super easy to wire-up
3. The bracket is solid and the holes match perfectly with the RMW bracket for the regular VW coolant bottle, so no re-drilling is required when you upgrade.  Well, to be honest, I had to open up the the holes in the engine bay a weeee bit for the Tank's bracket bolts to fit.  But, I didn't have to re-measure and completely re-drill new holes.
4. The bottom nipple is a standard size, so no weird reducing heater hose or adapter is needed.  Awesome!
5. The Tank is narrower than the VW coolant bottle, so fits easier in the engine bay and looks fantastic.

Total install time (removing old & adding the Tank): 2 hrs for a beginner mechanic on a mission, less time I'm sure, for a pro.

Vanagon's Auxiliary Battery Design

Here is how I set up my auxiliary battery, battery charger, and power inverter.

1. Starter and Aux batteries are connected via the Sure Power 100A battery separator (location: under driver seat) with 6 AWG cable.  Sure Power battery separator is grounded as specified in their manual, using a 10A inline fuse.

2. There are 80A fuses close to each + terminal to protect most of the 6 AWG wire from melting again on a voltage dump.

3. I bought a new 12V fuse block (location: under driver seat) for under the driver seat.  This prevents having to mess around more under the main Vanagon fuse panel when hooking up other 12V accessories in the future.

4. A 50 Amp circuit breaker (location: under driver seat) protects the whole 12V fuse block's accessories from complete melt down while each has their own fuse, of course.

5. ProSport 12 battery charger by ProMariner (location: under driver seat) plugs into the Sure Power battery separator and charges each from shore when available.

6. PowerBright 1100W Inverter (location: back of Weekender Jump Seat) is hooked up for AC outlets in van. The inverter's + cable is protected, as recommended by manufacturer, with a 100A mini ANL fuse.

Updated Cruise Control Page

With the summer camping season here and my interior completely ripped out, other projects are taking precedence over the cruise control project.  However, I've gotten several questions on it from folks, so I figured I should get it updated with my latest approach.

Tonight, I edited my Subaru Vanagon - Cruise Control page modifying the logical design diagram to better reflect how the cruise control is shaking out after getting the van running this month.   Also, I instead of using the Subaru cruise control stalk I am now going to be using the Vanagon turn signal w/ cruise control that I luckily found on TheSamba classifieds.

Installing the VSS & OBD2 Connector

I ran the VSS and OBD2 signal under the van to the front so I could do a digital, speedo-based VSS and OBD2 connector up front as well as hook in the Subaru cruise control brains up there to it.

In this video, I recorded how I made the final VSS/OBD2 connector which connects to the ECU in the rear of the van.  This connector is for the cable that runs under the Vanagon to the dash.  I wired it to an weather proof connector so it is safe from the elements in the engine bay.  Then, to ensure the aluminum shielding properly dissipates the interference it collects under the van, I wrapped a wire with an eye-let on it and connected that to the van's engine bay where it is grounded.  Finally, (not shown), I sealed it up by wrapping it non-adhesive black vinyl tape and black wire loom.

Finishing Touches on the Wiring Harness

After testing the wiring harness last weekend, I felt safe putting on the finishing touches to it.  I loomed it and detailed the end result in my video here:

Finally! Starting the Vanagon with Subaru engine

The virgin start of my Subaru/Vanagon conversion went like this...

With fire extinguisher in-the-ready, Paul told me to give it a shot.  The first key turn was a dud.  Paul asked "did you do anything around the fuse box?"  Why yes... Yes I did!  I put in high-powered head light relays under there and ended up dislodging the main power cable from the battery.  Ooops!  With his electric sorcery, Paul troubleshooted the issue and we figured out where to re-connect everything.  To my defense, the Vanagon fuse panel blows.  Haha.  Literally.

On the second key turn, it fired right up.  As we celebrated, it puked gas all over the shop floor!  Evidently, I didn't tighten the fuel return hose very well :)  Thankfully, I turned it off before we needed the fire extinguisher.

But, as they say, third times a charm!

Check Engine Light Modification for Vanagon

I followed the instructions from my RMW manual to turn my outdated OXS light (e.g., lower left LED on instrument cluster) into a check engine light for my Subaru engine.  The engine bay is modified to connect the Subaru ENG LIGHT wire into your VW round connector's 7 pin.  That's pretty easy.  For the under-the-dash stuff, though here's the photos of the steps I did for those of you, who are visual learners.

First things, first... get your instrument panel off and accessible - not covered here!

The photo below shows the 14 pin connector that goes into the blue foil on the back of the instrument cluster.  Some are different colors depending on the year of your van, so either reference your Bentley or RMW manual, which has it listed.  The pins read right to left in this photo (1 on far right and 14 on left).  My 14 pin wire color was blue/green.

1986 VW Weekender 14 PIN for Instrument Cluster

If you are still confused about which pin is 1 vs. 14 when doing this mod, look at the connector.  You can see the numbers on it.  Pin 14 is on the top in this photo.

Numbering is on the connector, if you are confused.

Following the RMW instructions, I cut the 12 pin (yellow, high oil pressure light) wire and the 14 pin OXS wire (blue/green on my '86 Weekender). Note where I cut them, to make it easier to connect during the next step.  The yellow wire on pin 12 will be left hanging and the pin 14 blue/green wire that dropped back off the connector will be left hanging.

After cutting each wire

I connected the yellow wire coming from the engine bay to the blue/green wire going to pin 14 with a non-insulated butt-connector and "heat shrinked" it with clear heat shrink.  Then, I used liquid tape to cover the end of the unused pin 12 yellow wire and did the same on the unused end of the blue/green wire that dropped off when I cut it off of pin 14.

Yellow High Oil Pressure wire connected to OXS light

There you have it.  A visual demo of how to make the OXS on your instrument cluster into your CEL light for your Subaru.  Total time: 30 minutes.

Transmission-Main Seal "Cover" Won't Fit!

This was another, albeit minor, BUMP in the road on my Subaru/Vanagon conversion (~1 hour of my time to modify it).  The part is not a show stopper to the conversion, but it is reasonably important.  It is used to cover the gap between the Vanagon transmission and the Subaru engine (under the main seal) - keeping the main seal area nice and clean.  It did not fit properly because the oil pan was in the way.  I have a stock Subaru oil pan and I would have thought the manufacturer would make a cover that fit OEM parts at least.  RMW currently distributes the cover in their kit even though it is from a third party manufacturer.  They should just start making it themselves, because if they did, I know the quality would be better and it would fit! :)

To do this little project I needed a grinder.  Had I been in my own garage, I would've been screwed and this simple thing would've been an expensive endeavor.  But, as luck would have it, Paul's shop has one!  

Mark the area to grind out

After grinding it down, it looks like this.

Sealant for good measure before installing it

Giving the Van a face lift

I took the grill off for various reasons - check radiator, wiring, check out the condition of my A/C condenser, etc. and now was as good of a time as any to give it a fresh coat of paint.  I just gave it a bath, let it dry and then sprayed it with black auto trim paint.  I had the same can from when I spruced up my '83.5 and that worked out great.

Wash'n them up good before the paint job

Never did like that chrome around the edge.

Coolant Bottle and Sensor Install

EDIT: June 27, 2014 - Install the RMW Tank.  Much of the advice below still applies to installing the RMW Tank, so read on, but honestly, I'll never install a regular VW plastic coolant bottle again.

My review of the product/install is here:  RMW "Tank" Installed!

Today, I installed the coolant bottle for my RMW Subaru conversion.  It's a standard Vanagon coolant bottle.  RMW recently changed manufacturers for their kit's bottle because the old ones had quality control issues (e.g. leaked).  Despite thinking this was a slam dunk, it turned out to be more than I bargained for and I had to do a number of modifications to install it.

First, I learned that you should drill your holes BEFORE you install the engine.  I followed the 2011 RMW manual to a "T" and this was not mentioned.  With the engine installed, a normal drill will not fit to drill the holes for the bracket.  Luckily, Paul had a mini-drill and it worked wonderfully to drill the holes despite the engine being in the way.  Also, a "right-angle" drill or adapter for a normal drill would also work.  The DeWalt adapters at The Home Depot are only $18.

Needed a small drill because engine was in the way!

Second, when I eye-balled the bracket and bottle placement, it looked a little too close to the engine lid.  I drilled the bracket holes a finger's pad lower than specified in the RMW manual (e.g., directly under the tab).  Even after installing the bottle 1/2" lower than RMW specified, it still hit the deck lid when I put it on.  Notice the black foam crusting off the deck lid after I put it on.  Always measure before you drill!

RMW says install directly under tab, but I had to go 1/2" lower.

Third, while the new coolant bottle from RMW are better than the old ones (caps don't leak and bottle is more solid), the cap screws on to 9 o'clock instead of 3 o'clock.  This leads to a weird hose routing from the overflow tank to the bottle  It has to do a wrap-around to get back over to the nozzle on the cap.  Oh well.  

Cap tightens to 9 o'clock, leading to weird coolant hose routing

Last, I have an '86 Westy, which has an old style coolant level sensor and connector.  VW released an upgraded sensor/connector for late models.  The late model coolant level connector uses a metal spring loaded wire that keeps it snug on the sensor.  The old style connetor can easily pull off the sensor rendering it useless.  Funny thing is... the new, better style sensor is cheaper than the old style sensor!  To get the proper connector for it, all I had to do is go to the salvage yard and pull one from a mid-90s Jetta ($2).  I will solder this one on to my coolant level sensor wires in the Subaru/Vanagon wiring harness.  BTW:  I purchased the new, cheaper coolant level sensor from Van-Cafe.  I'm all set with upgraded parts!  So, happy...

Connector I pulled from a  mid-90s VW Jetta

Fits great on the newer, late model Vanagon coolant sensors

Subaru ECU Placement - Rear Passenger Tail Light Compartment

I've decided to re-position my Subaru ECU in the passenger tail light compartment that is opened up when the VW engine, relay and air snorkel are pulled out.  Here's a basic photo of the protective ECU box I'm installing and its location in the engine bay.

ECU box placement in rear passenger tail light compartment

Many people do not want to put their Subaru ECU in the engine bay, citing things like "the elements will ruin your ECU" or "VW engineers did not put ECUs in the engine bay and they know best".  Well, that was the 1980s and things change as technology and innovation advances.  Besides, if VW engineers know "best", why am I replacing their engine with a Subaru?  :)

Subaru/Vanagon conversion experts likeVanaru (Vanaru.com), Ben @ (benplace.com) and Paul Guzyk (BoulderHC.com), do every conversion this way and are quite successful at it.  I personally chose this location for many reasons:

1. The wiring harness ends up clean and straight forward - essentially, the wiring harness becomes a true plug-and-play, turn-key installation.  Initially, I went with a RMW harness (their default location for the ECU is in the rear bench seat), but this solution ends up being two harnesses, one for the main engine and another separate sub-harness for the ALT, voltage sensor, AC compressor, starter, fuel pump, and coolant level sensor.  After seeing the slick turn-key solution provided by Vanaru that easily combined all these into a single harness, I just had to redo it that way!
2. This single, wiring harness is visible 100% from the engine bay rather than having some portion of it tucked away behind the firewall.  I like being able to easily inspect my harness without getting under my van.
3. The wiring harness wraps around the back and top of the engine bay, staying out of the way of road hazards.  In contrast, when locating the ECU in the rear bench seat, the wiring harness is exposed to these hazards between the firewall and bench seat opening.
4. It utilizes the newly opened space in the engine bay that would be wasted otherwise.
5. It opens up room for storage in the rear bench seat or closet, which are two other common locations for Subaru ECUs.  That said, I'm a storage Nazi.  For instance, I'm also removing my rear heater to open up even more space under the rear bench seat. You may not care about storage like I do.
6. Diagnostic ports (OBD2 and the proprietary Subaru ones) are more easily reached right in the engine bay compared to the rear bench seat area.  So, a mechanic can more easily scan & reset codes from this location.

The photo here shows how I plan to layout the harness.  It is based on the Vanaru design.  It will be basically the same except where noted in RED.  I'll be tying in my ALT harness into the main harness a little differently.

Example Vanaru conversion that I'll be using as a prototype for my wire harness layout and ECU box placement

If you put your ECU in the engine bay, you need to protect it from the elements!  I describe how I am doing this with full step-by-step DIY "how to" here:  http://westycamper.blogspot.com/p/ecu-box.html

New BOSCH Starter Installed

Word on the street is that you should put in a nice, new starter when doing a Subaru conversion.  The engine takes a weeee bit more to crank and considering how you have to take the whole frigg'n Subaru engine off the trany just to install a new starter, now it the time to do it when they are apart anyway.

I have an '86 Weekender, which was the last year VW put in the wimpy HP starters.  Given the later model Vanagon starters, which are beefier, fit fine in the early model vans, I opted for one of those to make sure I had enough cranking power.  We will see!

EDIT: July 16, 2014 - This starter works awesome for my Subaru 2.5L.  It turns over immediately every time.  Only time will tell how long it lasts, but very very happy so far with it.

SR401X - packs more HP than the old one for my '86

New BOSCH starter on the trany

Wiring Up VSS and OBD2

Here are my plans to wire up VSS and OBD2 connector from the rear of the van to the front.  It is important to have a good signal for the VSS, so shielded 18 AWG copper wire protected by OEM level sheathing was chosen.  The cable has 6 wires, so the other 3 will serve to send OBD2 power, ground, and codes signal from the rear to the front.  There are only 3 wires required for Subaru codes, so I am going to cut a regular OBD2 cable, splice the three wires I need to send, and only route those to the front female connector.  Also, I have a Subaru diagnostic port (includes an female OBD2 connector, of course) that I found at a UPull & Pay for $2.  I'm going to split the signal to that port as well so mechanics working in the back of the van will also have a signal.

A., B, and C. are all housed in a water-proof poly-carbonate case along with the Subaru ECU.
Depending on whether the 3 PIN connectors are put into the VW black box or kept exposed in the engine bay will determine the quality of connector I use.  At the front of the van, all the wires are protected under the dash, so they will be standard connectors.

Last, I will actually be running 2 cables (e.g., 12 wires total) under that van.  The spare wires will come in handy when hooking up Subaru Cruise Control and aftermarket gauges when the time comes.

Upgraded radiator hoses & stainless steel coolant pipes

This weekend, I installed my new Rocky Mountain Westy stainless steel coolant pipes.  I also plugged in a nice, new set of silicon radiator hoses from Van-Cafe.  The new radiator hoses are able to handle larger spare tires, which I will have in the near future (my main tires are 16" and stock is only 14").  The radiator itself was basically new, so instead of swapping it out, I'm selling my new Behr radiator to another Subaru/Vanagon conversion effort here in Boulder that needs it more than me.

Van-Cafe Silicon Radiator Hoses

The RMW coolant pipes actually go in separately, but I put them together beforehand to show them off compared to the old plastic pipes from VW.  Which would you trust your nice Subaru engine with!??

Coolant Pipes:  RMW Stainless Steel vs. 28 year old VW Plastic

Rocky Mtn Westy coolant pipes installed!

The next step is to get the hand re-furbished Vanagon fuel tank installed back under the van where these coolant pipes are.

Vanagon Fuel Tank

To install the Rocky Mountain Westy stainless steel coolant pipes, first one must remove the Vanagon fuel tank.  This was a chore, but well documented elsewhere online and in the Bentley.  I had the fuel tank replaced on my previous '83 Westy and it was a costly job.  The tanks on these vans generally go at some point.   My '86 Westy's tank was in beautiful condition (e.g., California Van :), but still it did have some minor rust where it was scratched.  Given the amount of work to remove and redo a fuel tank, I chose to sand, seal, and protect it with truck bed liner.  I only want to do this once!  ONCE!  The project took literally all day.  No kidding!  The toughest part was de-greasing the tank to ensure the truck bed liner would stick and stay when applied.  Many times I looked back and thought "geeze... I could buy a new tank for $180 + shipping!"  I read online about aftermarket fuel tanks having quality control issues and decided to reuse, refurbish my OEM tank.  Glad I did!  It looks great.

De-greased and sanded

Fuel line venting

Finished product with truck bed liner rolled on

Truck bed liner looks sharp!  And, protected for a long time now!