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Date:         Sun, 17 Dec 2006 20:08:35 -0800
Reply-To:     Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Cooling and heating anomolies 84 w/I-4 transplant..
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson@gorge.net>
In-Reply-To:  <000901c72250$2b4ad100$5719e442@dhanson>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Sounds as though your thermostat may be sticky and maybe the wrong value.

Replace it with a new 87 C thermostat and seeif that cures your woes.

The Vanagon cooling system generally bleeds best with the front end a couple of feet in the air. It gets the air out of the front heater better.

Good Luck, Jake

On 12/17/06, Don Hanson <dhanson@gorge.net> wrote: > > Ok, I haven't been around the list here for long enough to know if I am > gonna get a bunch of "Told-ja-so's" and "What did you expect?" and "serves > you right for thinking you know more than Fritz and Franz at VW" but I am > going to ask away. If there is better place to get some ideas, point me > there if you will, or if this is something that also happens to WBX vans, > then perhaps someone would be so kind as to clue me in. I am sort of new > to the W/C vans.. > > So a while back I was having overheating issues and did a bunch of work > on the cooling system..New water pump, thermostat, coolant temp sensor, > Flushed the radiator and replaced a couple of hoses. New belt, plus added > Dextron coolant as per specs. Still having overheating till a Vanagon > savvy friend pointed me to the radiator bleed screw. That pretty much > solved all, for a while..But today, my front heater started blowing > cold..."Uh oh" says I, "My coolant is low or my belt is loose"..The temp > gauge climbs up to about 1/2 way to hot with the defroster blowing ice cold > air and then..the heater gets hot again and the temp gauge goes right down > to where it runs, which is just into the warmed up range... then again, cold > air and gauge climbing..for about 4 miles, then again warm air and back > down with the temp...No symmetry to the episodes..other than for about a > week everything was just fine until today. > So, I get back to my shop and find the coolant slightly low...it took > about 2 quarts..Then, I jack up the rear and open the bleed screw on the > rad...put another couple of quarts into the rear coolant res. till it burps > the radiator out and I get coolant overflow there at the bleed screw. > OK, some more data points..The motor is a 92 Cabriolet motor (1.8liter 8 valve) and I've driven it cross country without any heating > problems. No problems till just recently. The front heater/defroster has > never blown hot at idle that I can recall, but once off idle, it works just > fine. The rear heater..I noticed a slight coolant odor when I first turned > it on, so I checked that also and found it a little weepy at one > hose..tightened that and opened the bleed screw, which is > 'semi-stripped'..There was coolant right there, no air at the hole where the > bleed screw came out..I will probably put some silicone in the threads to > seal that for sure...The rear heater blows hot whenever it is on...when, of > course, the coolant is up to temp.. Maybe I need to change the waterpump > pully to get more coolant circulation? > So, is there some kinda valve or temp. sensor that controls flow up to > the front..the radiator and the heater? I seem to have intermittent coolant > circulation up there..Remember, new water pump, flushed radiator, and fresh > anti-freeze. Belt is new and properly tensioned... > Should I be thinking the radiator needs to be replaced? Anyone tried > one from the Bus Depot..they have a killer price on rads... > > Thanks in advance..and I don't mind being "told ya so" about having a > changed non-standard Vanagon.. > Don Hanson >

-- Jake 1984 Vanagon GL 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" www.crescentbeachguitar.com


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