Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (October 2004, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 22 Oct 2004 22:35:48 -0500
Reply-To:     Al and Sue Brase <albeeee@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Al and Sue Brase <albeeee@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Coolant draining strategy?  MY WAY ...
Comments: To: zolo <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <005301c4b882$385350a0$4a0cf204@FirstLaptop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Zolo: I think you should rethink this. If you are putting ethylene glycol into the public sewers or ground water most anywhere in the United States, you are probably breaking the law. the stuff is highly toxic and should go to a qualified recycler.More dilution will not make it easier for you to recycle. I'm not a raving environmentalist, but do prefer to drink my water without toxins. (I can find my own!) Al Brase

zolo wrote:

> I made a unit that I attach to the system and drain the whole thing > without > spilling. > It is a valve that has a 4" piece of the large hose on it on one > side. The > other side woud fit the system. There is a third outle on it where I > put a > fitting with a little valve to fit a garden hose. I can do two ways of > getting the old coolant away. One is to have the garden hose directly go > into the toilet, the other is to fill up buckets that I will deliver > there. > I bought all the parts in the Home Depot. Only the short piece of > hose had > to be cut from an old one in a wrecking yard. That hose I also cut on > the > inside rim in an angle to make the fitting later to be easier. > I lift the car a little in the front so I can work on it easier, > Take out the spare wheel and lift the tray back to its place, > I use a vice grip that has two long paralell faces to pinch one of the > hoses > near the plastic pipe, about six inches away from it, > Place a bucket under the place where the system will be opened, > Undo the clamp and pull it off, > A little coolant will come out into a bucket from the plastic pipe, > Install the hose end of the unit onto the plastic pipe and on the > other side > the hose of the car, > Make sure the valve on your unit is closed, > Attach the long hose pipe or a short one that goes into a bucket, > Now take off the cap of the coolant system at the engine, > Open the valve on your unit, > Start up the car, > Install a garden hose into the tank and have the water flow at a stady > rate > to have it overflow just a little, (unless you make an watertight fitting > for it), > You will see the old coolant being pushed out by the water pump while new > clean water is going into the system, > Do it until you have clean water coming out only, you can taste it a > little > to see if it still has that bitter taste of the coolant, > > This way the engine will have no coolant in there, just clean water, > When you are finished, you can put the hose back as it was and you > only need > to add undiluted coolant later when the engine was installed. > Any water coming out of the car later, will be clean water only. > Of course, the best is if all the old coolant directly goes into the > toilet > with a long hose that has a valve too. > Also, you can use a coolant flush additive to get rid of some more of the > deposits inside. I don't know any that is great. > > That's about all. You can let some water out of the system by just > taking > off the hose again in front. > And don't forget to put the spare tire back... > Good luck, > Zoltan > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rocket J Squirrel" <j.michael.elliott@ADELPHIA.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 9:04 AM > Subject: Coolant draining strategy? > > >> Mellow Yellow's 1.9 has the famous head gasket coolant leak, so I'll be >> pulling the engine. I need suggestions, tricks and techniques, for >> avoiding coolant spills. >> >> I can't do the work on my property because the driveway is very, very >> sloped. So the engine pull will be done on the street. The neighbors >> tolerated a couple months of the Wonderbus sitting in the street with no >> engine while I was replacing it, so I don't expect any trouble from them >> on that front. However, if I make a great big mess with coolant, and let >> that toxic stuff flow down the storm drain, someone may raise an >> objection. >> >> I can follow the Usual Procedures for draining the coolant before I >> start unhooking hoses. But from there . . . keep a bunch of buckets >> handy? Is that about it? How about some kind of absorbent blanket or >> something to catch the stuff I miss? >> >> What's the good, thoughtful way to go about this? >> >> -- >> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott >> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus >> 84 Westphalia: "Mellow Yellow (The Electrical Banana)" >> KG6RCR >> >


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

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.