Date:         Tue, 11 Nov 2003 16:30:44 EST
Reply-To:     Riomelillo@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Lorraine Rios <Riomelillo@AOL.COM>
Subject:      85 vanagon; Water Pump Leak
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

First of all I would like to thank all the input from everyone on my clutch
slave replacement. I did it this morning and it took round 30 minutes total.
THANKS!

K, unfortunately while under the vehicle realized the water pump was leaking.
I ended up starting the tear down. It wasn't bad, but someone else was there
before me. This is a new/used purchased vehicle within last six months.

I have the new H20 pump and gaskets. (Oring for pump, gasket between pump and
lower cross over tube, and gasket where water outlet gasket connects to
pump).

Whom ever was there before (P.O.) used round 10 tubes of blue/grey RTV to try
and stop a leak from the "upper cross over tube" to "water outlet". There is
traces of an Oring (orange in color; looks like a pushrod tube seal) and lots
of RTV. Unfortunately, (the flange where this oring pops over tube and seals
to outlet). the P.O. must have forced it off/on with a knife, screwdriver, or
something. The flange area of cross over tube is dented, dinged, and bent.

I had to remove the two bolts from the #1,2 bank head where upper cross over
tube connects in order to pull tube off vehicle for inspection, cleaning, and
possible repair of the tube. Of course the lower allen bolt was stripped.
Ended up removing Altenator, power steering pump to get aim at the bolt to finally
remove it with an air chisel.
Tube is now on bench and the housing, pump, etc. It's going to take me a
while to clean it all up. Meanwhile if you all could answer a few.
QUESTIONS:
Can't get the oring between tube and housing for one...local parts don't have
it...does anyone know if the o ring is the same size of a push rod tube seal?
Am I going to have a difficult time finding the upper cross over tube if I
can't bend it back into shape (at flange area)?
And if anyone has done the water pump swap; are the cross over tubes suppose
to be removed for water pump replacement anyway? Bently doesn't really go into
detail bout what to remove. I figure the P.O. couldn't get the stripped allen
off and ended up prying on the tube to separate it from housing. And, The
pump really doesn't want to come off with this tube in front of it...Or should I
have been more persuasive?

Thanks Again,
LR

1973 Transporter
1986 Gulf
1978 Westfalia
1985 Vanagon