>Where you running at around 3000 rpm?
>Fricking frackin van. My 86 2WD Westy has been running a little warm >(have to turn the >heater on sometimes) so I figure I'd better bleed it to be sure there's >no air in it. So I park it >up on the ramps, expansion cap off and it's up to temp, but I'm getting >nothing from the >thermostat bleed screw, some air from the rad, but I can tell if it's >going in or coming out >(coolant starts siphoning out of expansion tank?). > >Anyways, before getting any coolant out of the thermostat bleed screw or >radiator bleed >screw, my coolant boils over! What a mess! Up on the ramps, the top of the radiator is much higher than the top of the expansion tank. If there's a hole to atmosphere at both of those points (Open cap and open bleed screw) air will rush in through the radiator bleed screw to replace the coolant flowing out through the open expansion tank. By running the engine at 2500+ RPM, you can create enough flow to force the liquid up, into and through the radiator so that the system can be bled with two holes open it it at once. People do it this way to save time. I still believe you're best off bleeding all the low points first and working your way up to the final bleed at the radiator. You will get more of the air out, and the constant positive sealed pressure on the hottest engine surfaces will help prevent damage from warping caused by the drop in heat-conductivity from the bits under the coolant-vapour spots. It's never a good idea to let your engine be that hot without pressure in the cooling system. The vapour bubbles insulate the metal. Time isn't money when you're doing your own work on your own vehicle. |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.