Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 20:35:24 -0400
Reply-To: Jonc <jonc@webgears.com>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonc <jonc@webgears.com>
Subject: At long last protype waterbox bleeding,
draining and purging installed and operating
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the prototypical parts have been manufactured and installed in a 1985
westfalia... the original system was completely drained of coolant the
conventional way... three vents and one combination purge valve, drain valve
and refill valve have been installed according to design by Riverside
Precision Motors in Hartland Vermont... Brian Canfield the owner is a second
generation VW mechanic... He personally oversaw the project and installed
the bits.. Canfield is a seasoned waterbox wrenchman who is known for his
attention to details and great hands...
The waterbox was refilled with straight water through the newly installed
valve ... the box was flat on the flood and not running... the engine was
run up to temperature and run for 15 minutes after that... it took a long
time for the engine to get up to temperature and for the cooling fan to
cycle... the low water level light never blinked once... The water was
drained again ... through the same valve ... premixed coolant was then
added again through the new valve... the air was vented as in the first
water only fill through the new vents and the "expansion" tank .... the low
water level lights again never blinked as she was again run up to operating
temperature... both of these processes took less than 90 minutes and created
no anti freeze lakes... the machine is now being road tested...
the first results are curious... the temperature indicator never reaches the
warning light... at 2000 to 2500 the temperature settles in at about 40% of
gauge ... when the rpms are raised to 3000 to 3500 the temperature drops to
about 30% of gauge... when the revs again were raised to 4000 to 4300 the
temperature dropped to 20% of gauge...
These tests extended over several days and many hundreds of miles of all
types of driving hwy and off road... the ambient temps were between 60 and
80 degrees F... it is Vermont... in a few days the van will start south to
Florida for a try at 100+ ambient... that is, of course, after we drain the
system, fill it and tear it apart a few more times...
So far...very good... It appears that our assumption that the waterbox was
saddled with a ridiculous cooling design ... second only to the factory
recommendations for how to bleed the foolish thing.. it was impossibly
vented and no adequate provisions were made for filling, purging or draining
coolant...
Merrily we roll along...
Regards