Date:         Thu, 30 Jun 2005 08:09:50 -0700
Reply-To:     John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: oil leak above the oil filter.
In-Reply-To:  <11dcddf8050630063241c1de61@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

If you don't mind dealing with a little coolant bath, this would also
be a good time to check those little elbow hoses on the cooler and
change them if they need it. One of mine was held on with a standard
"worm gear" hose clamp that had been cinched so tightly that all but
about a millimeter of the rubber had squeezed out like Play-Doh around
the sides and through the slots in the band. Honestly, that hose
should have been blowing coolant everywhere. If you're struggling and
cursing down there anyway, might as well get a couple new elbow hoses
and some proper spring clamps and do it right if it's not right
already.

Of course it's easy for ME to say that-- my engine is on the garage
floor on a dolly where I can reah everything, not installed in the
van.


> By the way this o-ring is tricky to change (assuming your van is like
> my 2.1 was). You need to remove the coolant lines to get the oil
> cooler off, I used needle nose vice grips with hose on the metal jaws
> to pinch the coolant lines so the coolant did not drain out, then
> removed the oile cooler to get at the o-ring.