Date:         Wed, 19 Dec 2001 08:19:21 -0800
Reply-To:     Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Subject:      Coolant Service Procedure
In-Reply-To:  <004901c1880b$d219ab80$6601a8c0@vista1.sdca.home.com>
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-509B70F;

This is the coolant renewal procedure I use for Wasserboxers. It takes me
1.5 hours typically. You will need a GOOD jack and a pair of 6 ton jack
stands.

Raise the rear. Remove lower cylinder covers and head drain plugs. Lower
the rear, raise the front, remove the pressure cap and radiator bleed
valve. Let drain. Blow low pressure air through the radiator bleed valve to
push the remnant fluid back to the motor drains. Lower the front, raise the
rear so the pressure tank is higher than the radiator bleeder bolt, the
higher the faster the flow. Reinstall the motor drain bolts for temporary
flushing. Pour water in the pressure tank until clear water runs from the
bleeder hole.

Raise the front and drain as before, blowing with low pressure air as
before to fully drain the system. Now, lower the front and raise the rear
again, the higher the better. Reinstall the motor drains and lower shrouds.
Pour 2 gallons premixed non-phosphate e-glycol in the pressure tank. Go the
the front and note the air coming out the bleeder. Wait until you see fresh
coolant coming out.  If the flow stops before fresh coolant emerges, add
another gallon of premix at the pressure tank. Then replace the bleeder
bolt. Fill the rest of the system from the expansion tank.

Start the engine. Set rpm's at 2000+. Fill the pressure tank. Loosen the
radiator bleeder till air is purged. Run back and refill the pressure tank.
Chech the bleeder for air again. Refill the expansion tank. Replace the
pressure cap and run the engine until fully hot. You can feel the heat at
the radiator when it has finally gotten to full coolant flow. Bleed any
remaining air at the radiator. Go back to the pressure tank which is now
pressurized. Loosen the cap slowly until the last of the air is forced out
by the pressure. Fill the reservoir.

After 3 or 4 run hot/cooldown cycles, top up the reservoir and verify no
air in pressure tank.

Bentley procedure works, but this one is a bit faster and I have found it
to be very sure to remove all air from the get go.

Note: If you grind the ends off the lower motor shrouds where they bolt to
the exhaust, next time you just have to back off the fasteners to remove
them. Saves a few minutes for all following coolant drain service as then
you only need back off the exhaust port fasteners a few turns, rather than
take them completely off. That lower #1 exhaust port bolt is always a bitch.

Use new soft copper seal washers for the drain and bleeder bolts. Over
torquing to reseal old washers can cost you bigtime/money.

My charge for this service is $140 or so. If you do this service yearly,
you will never let coorosion get started, and you have a good chance of
getting 200K miles on that system before anything like a leak gets started
due to replacing half the coolant every three years, the typical poor
procedure used at most of the dealers around here. That's why many of the
Wasserboxers get their head nuts/seal leaks between 80 and 120k miles.
T.P. Stephens
Doktor Tim's


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