Date:         Wed, 20 Feb 2002 18:46:17 EST
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Is radiator bleed screw just a 13 mmbolt?
Comments: To: vgonman@msn.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Three things from my experience.

First is the new Genuine VW radiator I installed in my bus had a normal 13mm
headed bolt and a groove in the radiator threads. There is a copper washer
over the bolt that seals it much like the oil drain plug. To clarify the
groove is in the threads down one side so when you loosen the bolt there is
free flow without taking the bolt all the way out.

Second thing is when I removed my old radiator it seemed not to have the
groove the in the radiator side of the threads. There was a copper washe
embedded in the top of the radiator that is essence capped off the channel
that was in the threads. I could not tell if the copper washer had embedded
itself there or if it was the factory setup. And unfortunately I would not
recommend digging out the embedded washer for obvious reasons. I dug mine out
after the radiator was out of the vehicle and I was discarding it for the
brand new aluminum radiator from VW South Africa.

The third thing I've learned is the answer to "Do I look fat in this skirt?"
is always, unequivicabily, "No."



(From last I checked the bolt in the parts microfiche (ETKA) is just listed
as a regular bolt.

Now that's not to say that some Vanagons don;t have a groove in the bolt or
an actual hole. I'm just sharing my experience.)

Good luck
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA


In a message dated 2/20/2002 2:52:16 PM Pacific Standard Time,
vgonman@MSN.COM writes:

> bleeding my coolant today, and pull the grill to accss the radiator bleed
> screw and discover a 13mm bolt head in its place.
>
>  Is this the correct setup?  It seems that there should be something that I
> could turn by hand..............I had to take to bolt out to get out the
air
> and once that happened there was Mt Visuvius of coolant...kinda like trying
> to cap a well.......