Asterisk 1.6 originate variable delimiter is comma. I've added new argument 'delim' to method 'originate'. It is default value - '|'.
http://www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/Asterisk+Manager+API+Action+Originate
"Note: You might have heard that in Asterisk 1.2 variables are no longer separated by |, rather each one has its own line. Well that is not true or maybe it has been that way for a while. Asterisk 1.2 current source code suggests that variable must be separated with | (check the function astman_get_variables). As of 1.6, variables are separated by commas."
Originate variable delimiter