Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 21:56:18 -0700
Reply-To: Zoltan <zol@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Zoltan <zol@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject: LESLIE, New to Vanagon Mysteries
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
It looks like you are all right now. Start worrying when you are loosing
water again. And even then it is a small job of changing the head gaskets.
I was rather interested about what made one think that your car has pilot
bearing trouble?
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leslie Shiaman" <lamusicamellama@JUNO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2001 6:31 PM
Subject: New to Vanagon Mysteries
> Greetings All -
>
> Some of you may have experienced something like my current situation.
> I bought the van (too haphazardly, admittedly) two months ago, a 1984
> Westy, and one of the first problems I encountered (immediately) was a
> slow coolant drip --- 1 gallon every 1200 miles. It was (is?) coming
> from the rear cylinder bolt on right head or thereabouts. Took it to my
> mechanic who sealed the bolt -- which he didn't find evidence of any
> previous seal. Later told me he couldn't find leakage after the seal.
> After he performed this I took the van on a trip -- 350 miles altogether.
> I was noticing a drip still, from the same area, but much much less than
> before, and sometimes after driving no coolant at all would drip. Then I
> ran into a pilot bearing issue and drove home in 2nd and the van has been
> sitting for the last month without being driven, but I start it once or
> twice a week and search for that coolant drip. I put white paper,
> cardboard, you name it under the head and cannot find evidence of any
> leakage. I typically idle the engine with occasional revs for about 15
> minutes. Do you think I see no evidence of coolant leakage because
> there is no load on the engine? The temp gague goes up to normal
> operating temp. I'm puzzled and have not had a Vanagon before, so don't
> know what to make of this situation. When I can save up for the clutch
> job and do that will I be faced with the necessity of new heads? That's
> not far from buying a new engine ---- an impossibility for a budding
> cellist. I guess my question is this: Should I wait and see and in the
> meantime get the clutch job done; or if the worst case is my case just
> let it sit indefinitely, or are there other thoughts on this?
>
> If I have a cracked head and the problem shows itself as a tiny drip
> (only when engine pushes van -- not at idle) could I live with this?
> Would the crack get exponentially worse?
>
> Thanks for any advice,
>
> Les
> '84 Westy
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