Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 09:45:29 -0500
Reply-To: Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@USA.DUPONT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@USA.DUPONT.COM>
Subject: Re: Cooling system tip and involved question
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Cut the tee in underneath. It is the lowest point which is good for
draining and filling. Add the two gallons of coolant first, then top with
water. Otherwise you might not get both gallons in.
Jay
Ben McCafferty <ben@KBMC.NET>@gerry.vanagon.com> on 12/07/2001 08:51:37 PM
Please respond to Ben McCafferty <ben@KBMC.NET>
Sent by: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
cc:
Subject: Cooling system tip and involved question
Hi all,
Spent the day playing with anti-freeze, my least favorite part of any
vehicle. Anyway...
First the tip: if you've ever drained your cooling system, you removed
those brass plugs between the pushrod tubes. They are marginal at
best--very easy to strip. On my newer addition (90 westy syncro), these
plugs have been replaced with allen head bolts and a copper washer. Very
nice--easy to get to and remove/replace.
Now the question: I read lots of information in the archives about
flushing
and filling. The last time I did this, I did the old fashioned method
(drain, fill/flush, drain, fill with new coolant/h2o). This time, I was
experimenting with the Prestone flush kit. I inserted the "T" fitting with
an extra piece of hose near the front heater valve. I was aiming to find
an
easier way, i.e. one where I could just run clear water into the system and
let the old coolant and water cycle out. But I'm having a bit of a hard
time visualizing what is going on.
Let's say we could simplify the cooling system. If I understand it right,
we would basically have a large loop of hoses for the primary cooling
system
for the engine. Off of that loop, we would have two smaller loops, each
going to a heater core and controlled by an on/off valve. Somewhere on one
end of the large loop, we'd have a pump to circulate the coolant, and an
expansion tank for when the coolant volume increases beyond what the loop
can hold. If the cooling system runs low, it draws from the expansion
tank,
and that draws from the overflow tank if it gets too low.
So here's my question--if I could somehow tag a molecule of water and track
it, would it eventually pass through all parts of the cooling system,
including the heater loops? If so, if I attach the previously mentioned
"T"
to a heater loop, and start pumping in water with the engine running, will
it eventually displace ALL old coolant? And would that just run out of the
top of the expansion tank?
Basically, I'm trying to find a way to flush the system completely, without
removing the hoses up front or the plugs at the rear. If I could run a
hose
off the expansion tank to a large tub, and the idea mentioned above would
work, it seems I could do this. I also would prefer to use an insertion
point for the "T" that's in the engine compartment instead of up front.
If
this did work, I think I'd still have to drain the system after flushing,
but at least it would only be once instead of twice. Is there a way to
draw
fluid off the cooling system via the expansion tank, etc.?
Last question--once the system is flushed and drained, I add a gallon of
coolant, then a gallon of water, then a gallon of coolant, then water,
etc.,
will the two elements eventually mix? Or will they tend to follow each
other around in the loop? Oops, that was two questions.
Well, thanks all, and I'm open to any great ideas you have on this whole
process, since I get to do the other one tomorrow.....
bmc :)
"Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."
