Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:36:36 -0500
Reply-To: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: Bleeding the front radiator
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi Westy lovers…
Fist let me tell you that I am a Certified Mechanic (Airplane engine) and I
did work in the pass for a Motorcycle dealer (Honda-Kawasaki) and only did
pure engine repair.
I have an 87 GL 2.1, I totally agree with Dennis, DON'T warm the engine
first, no need at all. Fill all you can first (and open front radiator
bleeder screw first), you should be able to get 95% of the coolant in if
not 99%.
The Vanagon as a special cooling system because it as 4 different highs
point (Gravity problem) Air pocket (they always go to the higher point) can
form at any of this 4 places, but with time those air pocket should move
around and will sooner or later found they way to the engine heads. The 86
and later model have a metal bleeder ring around the rear hatch, there is
several line that goes to the engine head, so when air reach the head """it
should go up""" (It should!!!) in those line and self bleed.
Raising the front is done only if you don't want to open (can be messy) the
heater bleeder (By the way, I never found any bleeder screw in the front
heater rad!!!!!! Where is it located?) Raising the front WON'T move the air
trapped in the 2 heater core that much but raising both end (front and
rear) could help only if after filling and running the van for a while dos
not help (engine over heating). The best way is to open at least the rear
heater core bleeding screw.
The Westy as a "gravity" problem when bleeding, 4 high points; the first
one is the front radiator (bleeding screw on left-top side), second one is
the rear heater core (white screw on top), third one is the thermostat
housing (Black screw) the fourth one is the front heater core (never found
this one) Note: this apply for the 86 (2.1) and up engine.
I did this job last year when I replaced my head gaskets and I never raise
the front or the rear.
Follow Dennis procedure, the only thing I would add is to open also the
front radiator bleeding screw at the same time as the other.
I have a small web page, Cumming soon is the water pump removal /
replacing, with many other cooling parts. I will also do a section of the
"overall" refreshing of the intake fuel injection system including removal
/ cleaning of the injector, Air flow meter, and everything else surrounding
the top part of the engine. My engine intake / airflow conduits need a new
paint job.
Regards to you all, Ben
My page: http://pages.infinit.net/eurokit/
(you can see a picture of my engine before the big clean up I just started)
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