Date:         Wed, 23 Jul 2003 22:11:40 -0500
Reply-To:     "Dan R. Hall" <electro@WESTAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Dan R. Hall" <electro@WESTAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Drain Coolant to replace Thermostat (2.1 L)???
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I recently replaced the thermostat in my '86 Vanagon.
If you don't need to drain, flush and fill your entire cooling system you might try this method.

I parked with the front wheels in a small ditch in order to get the back end higher than the top of the radiator.
You could use jackstands, anything to get the back end up.
Then open up the expansion tank and siphon the coolant out of there and into a suitably clean container--I just used an almost empty coolant jug.
Then I opened up the thermostat housing and replaced thermostat.
Coolant loss was minimal using this procedure, I'd guess less than a cup.
After refilling the expansion tank, I started the engine and let it idle up to operating temp with the bleeder valve open on the thermostat housing until coolant started to drip out.
Closed up the screw, pulled the van onto level ground, topped up the expansion tank and job was done.
I've since checked the bleeder screw on top of the radiator and again on the thermostat housing and found only coolant.

A heck of a lot easier than draining the cooling system.

Dan Hall
'86 Westy Weekender
"Das Boot"
(former listee, longtime lurker and archive hound now blowing ballast tanks to run on the surface)
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: All of Us 
  To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 8:14 PM
  Subject: Re: Drain Coolant to replace Thermostat (2.1 L)???


  John:

  I think about half of the radiator is higher than the level of the
  thermostat. So quite a bit of the coolant will drain out b the time you R&R
  the old thermostat. I replaced mine and did a flush and coolant replacement
  at the same time. Figured it was time anyway. You could try to do it the way
  you plan to but would probably need to bleed the system afterwards anyway.
  Bleeding isn't that bad if you have enough help. Good Luck!

  Dan Weber
  "Miss Blue"-'87 GL Weekender

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "John Meeks" <jmeeks@GASLIGHTMEDIA.COM>
  To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
  Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 7:33 PM
  Subject: Drain Coolant to replace Thermostat (2.1 L)???


  > Esteemed List,
  >
  > My Haynes manual sez:
  > 1) disconnect battery
  > 2) drain coolant
  > 3) disconnect the wiring
  > then it goes into the difference between early and late models re:
  > disassembly
  > Can this be correct? The thermostat seems higher in relation to most of
  the
  > rest if the coolant paths.
  > Am I in for a big surprise if I don't drain the system first? I'm not
  > replacing the housing, just the thermostat.
  >
  > TIA
  > John Meeks
  > Top of Lower Michigan
  > '91 MultiWest