Date:         Sun, 30 Mar 2003 22:22:09 -0500
Reply-To:     lauterba <lauterba@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         lauterba <lauterba@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: big coolant leak
Comments: To: Dan Barrett <dan@OFFTHEHILL.ORG>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

About three weeks ago, my '84 1.9 WBX pee'ed over the VIP lot at work.  I
new I was in trouble as the puddle was in a new location.  Got it home ASAP.
Fortunately, I had another car in the garage.  About a week or so later, I
had some time to see what was going on.  When engine was running, coolant
was coming down over the second pushrod tube on the passenger side.  I had
some Bars Leak on the garage shelf.  In it went and the leak stopped!  I
didn't use van for two weeks.  I had it out this weekend and worked it hard.
Still no leak.

John Lauterbach
Macon, GA
'84 7-passenger

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Barrett" <dan@OFFTHEHILL.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2003 6:03 PM
Subject: big coolant leak


> Volks,
> After I shut the bus off from my forty-mile drive home on Friday, coolant
came
> running off the engine (it looked like the engine was peeing; we're
talking
> perhaps .25L of antifreeze pouring from the driver's side front cylinder,
> where the head meets the rest of the engine).
> The bus has been losing a lot of coolant recently, but still runs fine and
> never strays over the halfway mark on the temp gauge.  The coolant appears
to
> leak only once the bus is shut off -- it sits and idles without dripping.
> Now the big questions:
>
> 1) My other car is in the shop (of COURSE this would coincide).  Would you
> drive a bus with a coolant leak for a couple of days, or am I asking for
> trouble?
> 2) Is this the end of the engine?  It's got 166k on it; rebuilt under
warranty
> by VW at 70k.  I'm well aware of the wasserboxer's penchant for head
> troubles, but I'm wondering what would solve this problem -- new head
gasket,
> or do I need to think seriously about a new engine?
>
>
> Many thanks for your input,
> d.
> 1990 GL -- "Mudskipper"