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Subject:Re: Coolant pressure tanks - it's time to examine them.
From:Max Wellhouse
Date:Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:31:26 -0600

Plastic Welding is virtually worthless on old stressed out plastic of
any formulation and cross linked polyethylene would be even harder to
weld, if not impossible.  Linear, you might have a shot.  Telling the
difference between the two is a real trip too.  Rescue tape might not
save you here either.

DM&FSAt 05:55 PM 2/21/2011, David Beierl wrote:
>I recently pulled the coolant pressure tank on my '89 2.1l WBX and
>found three significant stress cracks that looked ready to
>fail.  Photo of one here:
>https://picasaweb.google.com/dbeierl/Vanagon1989PressureBottleStressCracking#
>- it looks worse in person than in that still-installed flash picture.
>
>I would suggest draining and removing the tank and examining it with
>a strong light shining through it from behind and above.  The
>likeliest areas for stress cracks are at the areas immediately above
>and below the joint running around the circumference; the third crack
>on mine was on the neck, in line between the pressure cap and
>low-coolant sensor.  The first two (one above, one below) were long
>and clearly formed by repeated flexing of the tank.  I estimate that
>patching them on the road would be very difficult except by plastic
>welding, because of the proximity of the joint.  The third was much
>shorter, gaped open in the middle and was of a different character
>generally.  If I learn anything of significance about it I'll say so.
>
>Yours,
>David

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