Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 14:37:47 -0500
Reply-To: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: too much bleeding on this list
Hi Gary, (the following are fact!!!)
>>>Ben, I think there is too much made of bleeding the vanagon<<<
I agree!
>>>more important were changes in the waterpump and thermostat.<<<
I agree!
>>>no big air pockets get trapped in the waterpump<<<
I agree!
>>>Jacking the van up or down and doing all this hokey pokey is a bunch of
crap<<<
I...partially agree! the last 2.1L i did was a water pump change for a local
club member! i never raised the front or back! i just bleed the van normally
with the (in sequence) Rear heater bleed screw, front rad and rear rad.
First drive was a 10-20% higher reading on the temp gauge, bleed the front
again, second drive, normal reading!and yes, we did monitor the coolant
level in the exp. tank a few time. Last week i did my 84 (water pump
again-front of van not raise), went for a drive, i had a iregular reading on
the temp gauge, the gauge even went in the 3/4 to 4/4 (light blinking)!!!
Came back to garage, bled again with van on the ground, many air bubble in
front and rear, went for a drive, better in average but the the temp needle
went (one time) at the near 4/4 position, went back in garage, raise the
back, many, many, many air bubble, spill at least 1 liter wile bleeding,
drove the van again, temp steady in the midle!!! that is a fact. I don't say
that raising the front or rear is mandatory, but it surely help not loosing
my time!
>>>people are trying to bleed a vanagon with a bad head gasket.<<<
I fully agree! (and other bad/faulty cooling part such as; thermostat, temp
sender, faulty cooling hose, partially blocked radiator/heather and so on)
>>>If you have a failing head gasket in the early stages, no amount of
bleeding is going to fix it<<<
Well, for sure!!! but a external gasket leak as nothing to do with a good or
bad bleeding, the EXTERNAL GASKET head leak only act like a 2nd bleeding
spot, the internal colling system will not suck air, it will reject air or
coolant! This is very different if you have an internal head gasket failure.
If you had no head gasket problem before you did the coolant repair!! there
is no reason that you will have one after!!!
>>>you may want to check the coolant resevoir after doing some short trips<<<
I totaly agree, basic stuff!!!
My conclusion:
The Vanagon cooling system is a bit more complicated then a normal car, the
main reason is that it as 2 heater rad very far from it source. It also
contain a lot more coolant that any other car! So it is normal that the
bleedind procedure is a bit more...complex! I would not try raising the
front first, i would try a normal bleeding first, if it give some trouble,
why not try to raise the front (or rear)??? I thinks it's a spare solution,
that all.
But, you are so right when you say;
>>>I think the vanagon list has harmed many new comers to vanagons by
putting the fear of bleeding on too high of a plane<<<
The blleding system is NOT an horror story, at all!!!! when i was a new
comer, i was afraid of touching the coolant system!!!! because i was reading
to much...crapy post or should i say other people horror story. I have to
agree with you on that!!!! this list had it's sare of...people that hated
the vanagon cooling system! but very good knowledgeable member also, very
very good member. well, that is why i did my web page! so i could help
other, like many did for me at one time.
Just for the sake of a nice discussion Gary.
Like always, Best regards
Ben
http://www3.sympatico.ca/huotx/engine1.htm
ps.: my web page is by any means a refference page, it's just a personal
page with my and other volks experience, advice and little trick, nothing
else! if it help a few, well, thats good.
>>>>Ben, I think there is too much made of bleeding the vanagon. The coolant
ring was sure an improvement but more important were changes in the
waterpump and thermostat. The only thing to be really concerned about when
doing the bleed is that no big air pockets get trapped in the waterpump
resulting in no coolant movement and you open up a bleeder screw somewhere.
Jacking the van up or down and doing all this hokey pokey is a bunch of crap
and I think the vanagon list has harmed many new comers to vanagons by
putting the fear of bleeding on too high of a plane. I think part of the
problem is that oftem people are trying to bleed a vanagon with a bad head
gasket. If you have a failing head gasket in the early stages, no amount of
bleeding is going to fix it and you are not responsible for the head gasket
failing when it does fail after your many attempts to bleed this problem
away. The most important thing to consider when bleeding is that after you
think you are done you may want to check the coolant resevoir after doing
some short trips that heats up the entire coolant system. Some good hill
climbing will aid in the bleed. Never overlook the value of LOOKING AT THE
RESEVOIR as well as CHECKING THE OIL. many happy miles, gary<<<
| 
