Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 23:11:13 -0700
Reply-To: keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Subject: Is my radiator dead? aka cooling sytem woes
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Short story:
After bleeding my cooling system, then driving around for a half hour, then cracking the bleed screw on the radiator, I get nothing. Is this indicative of a poorly flowing radiator, or what? Feed hose is warm, return hose is not, temp gauge on the LED.
Long story:
Van (1986 2.1 MT 2WD) developed an ugly habit while on holidays last summer, of running the temp gauge up to about 7/8 all the time, except when cruising at 100 km/hr on level ground. Stop and go traffic, or hills, just drove the temp gauge up.
This winter, I decide to pull the water pump and check that the impeller is ok, and replace t-stat w/ stock 87*, change Temp II sensor, and flush system and fill with VW G11 coolant. So I did all that. Pulled rad out too, and flushed in the bath tub (wife loved that). A little scale came out, but tough to tell it's state of health from that method.
So yesterday, flushed de-ionized water through the system, filled with coolant (mmmm... blue), and after bollocksing up the bleeding attempt the first time, decided to re-group and do it tonight. Had the front end up on jackstands (raised at least 12"), open bleed screw on rad, t-stat housing, open expansion tank, got the wife on the throttle, idling at ~2200 rpm. Top up expansion tank, keep idling until t-stat opens, bleed t-stat housing and close screw. Check rad (warm), no more air, close screw. Top up expansion tank, put cap on, re-connect overflow tank (filled to "max" mark), let idle drop to normal.
Now two wierd things happen.
1) leave van idling for 15 minutes while I clean up. Temp gauge runs up to ~7/8 (ok, maybe 3/4), overflow tank pukes on floor. Blue mess everywhere. Shut off van, and let it cool, overflow tank about half way between min and max (started at max). Question is: should my van get that hot just idling? This is what it was doing in the summer.
2) go for a drive (15 min or so to get gas) come back, and try the suggestion of cracking the rad bleed screw again. Nothing. No air, no coolant. Feed hose to rad is warm, return hose is not. Rad is warm. Temp gauge right over LED. No change in expansion tank from above puking.
So I'm beginning to wonder if maybe my rad is plugged and not flowing well. Any thoughts or experiences here? DPO maybe put Bar's Leak in it or something? Or have I just got a stupid bubble trapped in it somewhere? If I do, why isn't it hissing when I crack the rad bleed screw?
P-mail please, I'm only on the archives via the web.
Keith Adams
calgary.ab.ca | http://www.clubveedub.com
86 Westy | 66 Beetle | 59 Euro Beetle
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