Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 06:54:36 -0500
Reply-To: Vanagon Man <vgonman@MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Vanagon Man <vgonman@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: 89 Westy / $ of head gaskets
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Pressure testing is one thing. Actually getting under it, moving hoses around, etc will find your leak. You are having a leak somewhere. It is sucking air in and letting coolant out. Very well could be a head, for it has had to have an air pocket in there for as long as this van has been having coolant issues ( couple years considering the previous owner too)
Your mechanic sounds like "back form the dead" to me. I wouldn't let them mow my grass. Every half-assed short cut you can imagine will be taken. And besides, one of the mechanics "Thorin" does not believe in repair manuals for advice. He meditates and "spirits" the solution...see above for those types of solutions.
It sure is a beautiful van. Have you put a new hose kit on it yet? Toughest thing is you get to a point where you have spent a lot, and you can't get the money back out under any circumstances, so you may as well keep it...............
Adam P
Charleston,SC Coburn, WV
81 Westy "The Brick "
70 Single Cab "Whitey"
74 Beetle "Ol Yeller"
73 Transporter (STILL at paint shop)
1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg
1976 Transporter (New CA bus)
1974 412 "Goldmember"
Used Vanagon Parts for sale (mostly aircooled)
----- Original Message -----
From: MICHAEL POPE
To: Vanagon man ; vanagon
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 6:28 PM
Subject: 89 Westy / $ of head gaskets
Well I am thinking about just keeping it. I have come this far and have sooo much in it. Had it pressure tested for 24 hours with no loss of pressure and leak down tested for the same time period. No visible signs of coolant in cylinders. She NEVER overheats- I go on 2-3 hour drives all the time / she just overflows now and then- not even every time I drive it on the freeway. About once a week she will spit a little coolant out of the overflow tank / then the expan tank is low so I drain the tank behind the plate down to min mark and refill and bleed tank in engine. I notice coolant smells every now and then. I am going to inspect front heat exchanger this weekend. Drove to work and back today (over pass on new I 26) with front heat valve closed and did not seem to have any problems...Would just like to fix it with camping season ahead. Maybe the beer just got me on a roll?
Oh yeah price for head gaskets was $350 labor/ 10 hours @ 35 per hr. Mech works out of his house + parts. I am not sure of the price of a gasket kit.
Cheers,
Michael
