Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 10:34:24 -0500
Reply-To: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject: Re: '91 Westy coolant leak
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> I'm out of town so have limited internet time/access. Noticed small amount
> of coolant dripping onto ground. looked underneath and coolant is dripping
> from the bottom corners of the engine case. Head gaskets? Any info will be
> appreciated. All other connections above are firm so I don't think source is
> just loose coolant hose connections.
> Thanks,
> Bob Stevens
> '91 Westy......in Moab, UT enjoying the sandstone-spired bliss...until this
Bob:
After it initially started to "spot", I was able to nurse my '91 2.1 along
for about two years of normal daily driving (maybe 2 long trips of several 8
hour drives each). It didn't spot all the time.
It never really leaked more than a moist spot for about 18 months. Right
before it's last long trip (7 hours each way) I had to add coolant and in
the middle of the trip it lost about a pint. A moth later, after a three
hour run, it started leaking in a steady trickle. We limped to within four
miles of our destination before the right head gasket blew outward and
stranded us for the first time ever. Heads are currently being removed.
Inspection prior to removal from the block reveals:
The right gasket is folded outward in one area. The head has a small amount
of corrosion gunk around the bottom half of its perimeter. The gasket is
expressed for about four inches in the same area. The left shows no outward
movement of the gasket and a little less gunk at the seam between the head
and block. The block is tight and the only other indication of any leaking
is a small staining of steering fluid on the right rear below the reservoir.
HTH.
--
Stephen Steele*
Chillicothe OH
Chillicothe OH
'91 Caravelle "Hans"
'87 Westy "Franz"
'84 Westfalia "Fritz" now sold to my nephew
'81 Diesel Rabbit "Ol' Yeller" by PO
'82 Diesel Jetta "Donormobile" for...
'82 Caddy VW P.U. ( White with a nice "mossy" tone from the
years' of sitting waiting to be discovered by a VW
addict like me).
'90 Jetta GL 16 yo Sons' "together" car
'74 MGB My first car...yep, I've kept it since '74
'93 Chevy S-10 I hate it ... soon to be "Gone"
*all rights reserved/no portion of this document may be reproduced w/o prior
written permission
