Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 07:29:26 -0700
Reply-To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject: Re: kaibab trip report + cooling issues
I read the post to say that the debris was on the outside of the radiator,
but pretty well impregnated into the "nooks and crannies".
Karl Wolz
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2001 6:45 AM
Subject: Re: kaibab trip report + cooling issues
> If I had that kind of mud and debris in my cooling system, and knew I
> would have the hot tempertures and a fair amount of mountain climbing, I
> think I would change the water pump. The impellers can't be in the best
> of shape.
>
> Good Luck\
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
>
> bret wrote:
> >
> > I took my two oldest children (6 and 9 yr) on a overnight trip yesterday
> > from St. George, Utah to the Kaibab Plateau (North Rim of the Grand
> > Canyon). This was to serve as a shakedown trip, of sorts, for my
recently
> > acquired 1982 diesel Westfalia. I was curious to see how it would deal
> > with the full-on heat of the summer here in this climate. When we left
> > St. George (elevation 2700 feet) it was over 100 deg F. As we began to
> > climb the Hurricane Fault, about a 1000 foot elevation transition, it
> > became apparent that I would need to watch the heat gauge. The LED
began
> > flashing. I was able to (mostly) keep the flashing off by turning the
> > cabin heat on full bore. In this heat it really didn't seem to make
much
> > of a difference, comfort wise, anyway. We continued to have trouble the
> > entire climb.
> >
> > With many stops we finally made it to Jacob's Lake on the
> > Kaibab at an elevation of about 8000 feet. The air was sweetly cool at
> > this elevation. Slow deliberate travel in the hot house diesel
Westfalia
> > made the arrival in the cool pine forest more of a treat than past trips
I
> > have made there in a shiny new air conditioned Honda at 80 mph. It felt
> > like we had earned the destination! We stayed at a US Forest Service
> > campground. It cooled to the 50s (deg F) that evening and was perfect
> > sleeping temperature. The stars were bright and the evening meal
> > delicious.
> >
> > We drove straight back home the next morning. Naturally I was
interested
> > in solving the cooling issue. This afternoon I looked around on the web
> > and decided I should make sure my cooling system was purged of air. I
> > warmed up the van and pulled off the grill. I thought while I was at
it,
> > I would rinse off the radiator. I took a nozzle to the radiator and
found
> > that not only bugs were rinsing out, but lots and lots of mud, sand and
> > twigs. I rinsed for at least 1/2 hour before the water ran clear. I
> > should mention here that I had found this kind of debris packed
underneath
> > the chassis earlier. It never occurred to me that it would also be in
the
> > radiator. My current theory is that the van was in a flash flood when
it
> > belonged to a previous owner who lived in Springdale, Utah (next to Zion
> > National Park).
> >
> > I was able to purge a small amount of air from the system. With that
and
> > the removal of the mud, I am hoping the cooling system will perform
better
> > the next trip.
> >
> > -bret
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