Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2005 06:46:13 EDT
Reply-To: RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject: Message for Tabe
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Tabe, I could not send this message to your Yahoo account, AOL & Yahoo are
still not friends, so have posted it to the Vanagon List. Hope you get it.
Let me know.
In a message dated 17/06/2005 9:43:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
xtabe@yahoo.com writes:
I have my used 2.1 engine in the van now and am having sloooow
overheating problems. I was thinking air bubble, but I
bled the system every which way I could and just got coolant.
When I start the engine cold, the gauge goes up to the normal
running temperature then then slooowly starts
heading up. It's been pretty cool (~50F) here recently so
I'm afraid in hotter temperatures I'll have a serious problem.
The cooling fan on the radiator works but does not come on. The
radiator thermostwitch is OK. When I turn on the
front heater, the temp dips the way I expect it to, then again
sloowly starts to climb. When I feel the plastic tubes going
to and from the radiator, one is cooler than the other, also
as I'd expect. The radiator itself feels warm (though not always
the corner by the bleeder bolt). The thermostat is good and
the water pump is new.
If I just let the engine idle, the temp slooowly heads up, up,
and the radiator cooling fan never comes on the way it should.
I had some damage to the engine case where an impeller wore it
down at some point and decided not to repair it, but now I'm
wondering if (a) vw did what they did there for a reason and
(b) I'm getting insufficient flow through the radiator, and
this is causing my problems.
I would be grateful for any advice.
Tabe, this is a complicated issue to sort out remotely but I will give it a
shot. My first thought is that you have not bleed the system correctly.
Have you opened the bleeder on the rad and on the thermostat housing then
brought the rpms to 3000, held it there while filling the main tank, then watch the
rad bleeder to see that there is only coolant exiting then close the
bleeder, fill the tank, put back the tank cap and lower the rpm to idle speed ? Do
not close the rear bleeder on the thermostat housing until the engine has
completely cooled, overnight ! This will remove any other air trapped in the
system. If that does not fix the problem then you have either a circulation
problem or an internal leak like a cracked head into the combustion chamber.
The temp needle should stay steady. If it is rising and falling the
temperature is fluctuating. This could also be caused by a faulty thermostat.
Once the needle passes the midway mark and approaches the 3/4 mark the front
fan should cycle on then off as the fan cools the rad. This cycle should
repeat as long as in idel mode. As soon as you raise the speed of the motor the
increase in circulation should keep the needle steady and mid range. If
these conditions are not met then there is a problem somewhere.
Cheers,
Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm) a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
'87 Westy, '90 Carat & Lionel Trains
Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/) & _CCVWC_
(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_Frank Condelli & Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or http://frankcondelli.com
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