Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:54:19 -0600
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: How to - or not - bleed the cooling system
In-Reply-To: <004001c62e18$1bdeb1f0$1102a8c0@ibmt23def>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Doug:
Well, maybe I'm just lazy. Maybe, after having had this car for 16
years plus 5 other vanagons and working on a few more, I'm beginning to
get a feel for which bolts I should leave out. Maybe, I kinda resent the
idea that I have to spend a half hour getting every bubble of air out of
this thing if I so much as change a hose or thermostat.
Sure, sometime I'll pop off the grille and crack the bleed valve while
the engine is revved up and warm. and I'll probably get a little bit of
air out. But, not with the front OR rear end in the air. I'd rather be a
quart low on coolant than a quart low on oil.
AND not before I do the important stuff I have to do today. The system
will mostly self bleed. It's just not that touchy.
The idea of taking Bentley's word like Moses brought it down on 2
stone tablets is ...well.. not my choice. Bentley manuals are NOT what
they use at the dealer. I've found several mistakes in the Bentley. The
biggest was when I took my first late Vanagon 4 speed apart. The
procedure they had in there was absolutely wrong and there is no way it
could be assembled using their directions. Since repairing manual
transmissions was something I had considerable experience at, I figured
it out, then wrote the correct procedure in the margin. (This was back
in the late 90's and I assume they have it fixed by now.)
That's one good thing I have to say about Bentley. they do respond to
input and make revisions to subsequent editions. Plus, one of the main
Bentley guys is on this list.
BTW, I suspect that Bentley doesn't do too much engineering on its own.
(Now donning flame suit.)
Al Brase
Doug F wrote:
>Why not just bleed the vanagon according to the Bentley manual suggests?
>
>I for one do not understand why everybody feels they need a "better" way to
>bleed the system. I do it EXACTLY the way the Bentley manual outlines and it
>works. Why challenge the engineering. How can you know that you "know"
>better. How can you "know" you have established your method based upon
>"better" research? You cant! Thats why I do it EXACTLY the way the book
>outlines and sure its not easy but it does work.
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Al and Sue Brase" <albeeee@MCHSI.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 9:02 AM
>Subject: Re: How to - or not - bleed the cooling system
>
>
>
>
>>I'm following this link and have to say- I don't understand what is all
>>the fuss about. One cannot fill the rear reservoir completely full.
>>About half full is right, there needs to be room for expansion. The
>>front (inside) bottle needs to be full all the time. but a properly
>>function pressure cap and air tight hose to the expansion tank will keep
>>it topped up.
>>I NEVER take out the grille and bleed the radiator. Even last month when
>>I put in a different engine and quite a bit of coolant was lost, I just
>>filled it up at the pressure cap a couple of times, started it up and
>>refilled it with the engine at operating temp and revved up to about
>>2000 (had someone else hold it there), and put on the pressure cap and
>>hose before releasing Then tighten down the valve on the thermostat
>>housing.
>>Sure, there is a little .air in the system, but it will self bleed out
>>in a few cycles. Maybe this might be a big problem with the a/c on in
>>the summer if it was 100 degrees outside. But I doubt it.
>>I've never owned a 1.9 gas car and they might quite possibly need more
>>care than this. The same procedure works for my 82 diesel, however.
>>I'll check the radiator bleed valve sometime. I realize that large
>>amounts of air might not be able to get out of the radiator without
>>bleeding. Maybe in our climate 1/2 a radiator is enogh to give me good
>>cooling.
>>Al Brase
>>
>>BJ Feddish wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I'd like to share something that someone on this list shared with me
>>>
>>>
>years
>
>
>>>ago. This is done after you've done all the "jack-up-the-front" stuff
>>>
>>>
>from
>
>
>>>Bentley, etc. After driving the van to full temperature let it cool down
>>>overnight. There will be some air in the rear reservoir. Open it up and
>>>fill it with coolant again. Drive it again until it's hot then let it
>>>
>>>
>cool
>
>
>>>overnight again. There will be more air there. Fill it back up. Keep
>>>
>>>
>doing
>
>
>>>this for about a week or until air stops appearing in the tank. After I
>>>
>>>
>did
>
>
>>>this the temp gauge is always below the led when I'm driving and when it
>>>idles it only goes a hair passed the led even on hot days. The light has
>>>never blinked. I'm convinced that most head problems people have are
>>>
>>>
>from
>
>
>>>too much air in their systems.
>>>
>>>Bryan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
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