Date:         Sat, 6 Apr 2002 19:12:02 -0800
Reply-To:     Chris Paquette <cp@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Paquette <cp@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      88 Westy: Strange Leak - Clarification
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Thanks to Jerry Masar, I can give more accurate information on this problem.

In the diagram found here...

http://www.vanagain.com/21lchc.htm

... the hose I mean is most likely #7, but could possibly be # 4. Also, I
incorrectly used the word "gasket" for the round metal clamp on the end of
the hose which holds it in place and squeezes it closed to prevent leaking.

Thanks to Jerry! Original post follows.


-> '88 Westy, new (rebuilt) engine with maybe 4,000 miles on it. As
-> will be made apparent, I am not a mechanic, so please bear with me.
->
-> I drove cross-town today, and when I parked, I could smell
-> coolant. I looked under the engine and sure enough, coolant was
-> leaking out onto the ground in a steady stream. I quickly
-> removed the engine cover and saw that it was leaking from the
-> end of a large hose close to the back of the engine (if you're
-> facing the steering wheel).
->
-> The obvious (?) solution is to replace the gasket on this hose,
-> but it's not the regular steel-circle-with-a-screw-type gasket.
-> There is no screw to be seen, and I don't know how to remove it.
->
-> So, two questions: this leak seems to be intermittent. If the
-> gasket is the problem, why wouldn't it leak all the time? I
-> drove it to a local service station after initially seeing the
-> leak, and the mechanic there left it running for an hour waiting
-> to see where the leak was coming from, but it never leaked for
-> him. As soon as I picked it up and drove it home, it leaked
-> again (of course).
->
-> Secondly, how do I remove the existing "strange" gasket so I can
-> put a new one in its place?
->
-> Thanks for any help.
->
-> Chris
-> Los Angeles