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Date:         Fri, 16 Aug 2002 09:38:32 -0400
Reply-To:     Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@USA.DUPONT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@USA.DUPONT.COM>
Subject:      Pressure Fitting for Radiator Bleed Bolt
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Someone was asking about the size of the radiator bleed bolt earlier, so I thought I would mention what I did recently. I made a fitting to measure the radiator pressure. I took a brass nut (5/16") and drilled out the center threads so the 8 mm radiator bolt would easy fit through it. Then I drilled an 1/8" hole sideways through one of the nut's flats into the center hole. I then soldered 1/8" copper tubing to this hole in the side of the nut. Pinch this nut between the stock copper gasket and another gasket. I made a special bleed bolt from a 8mm x 1.25 bolt. I drilled up through the center of the bolt and then sideways to where the brass fitting would line up. You could accomplish the same thing by grooving the bolt up the side. Your stock bolt may work as is, if it is grooved this way. To the copper tubing I connected a vacuum/pressure gauge and pinched it under the passenger side wiper blade. This enables you to see the gauge while driving. I don't know if it would be robust enough to use this fitting as a permanent installation, but it has held up very well. I have since lent it to a friend who was troubleshooting his coolant system. There is a flange above this bolt and not very much room for anything much thicker than this type of fitting. It is also a good way to pressure check your system. You can quickly tell how tight your system is by how soon the pressure drops off once the engine is shut down. A bleed valve could conceivably be attached to this line also, if you did a more permanent install. I never saw any measurable vacuum at the radiator. I would suggest using a 0-30 psi gauge, as 0-15 psi is cutting it pretty close. My friend said he saw his pressure peg the gauge which was a 30" Hg (full vacuum) to 15 psig gauge.

Jay


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