Date:         Tue, 2 Jan 2007 10:48:33 -0700
Reply-To:     Steve Williams <steve@CELINEANDSTEVE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Williams <steve@CELINEANDSTEVE.COM>
Subject:      [NVC] Re: limping with leaking heads
Comments: To: Mark Brush <mbrush@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <b2ac7c9e0701010903u2f923ea8o8cf52b459ff30e12@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi,

And if you have problems with your brakes overheating, they use the same
technique in Tibet....

Cycling from Bangkok to Lhasa over 5000m passes, we passed by MANY
watering stations, and many trucks with steaming brakes (literally!!) as
the water dripped from the 100 gallon tank over the brake drums....
strange but true!

We always knew we were approaching the top of a pass because there would
be a water station.. guy living in a tent in the snow with a hose stuck
in a creek, charging to fill the trucks water tanks... I presume the
trucks didn't like to carry a full tank up hill.

Hopefully it never comes to that in our Westy!!

Cheers,
Steve Williams

Mark Brush wrote:
> Thanks for the input.  I'm hoping to travel from Michigan to North
> Carolina
> next summer with the wife and kids, so I'm trying to manage risk along
> with
> a tight budget.  Sounds like continuing to add coolant is an option that
> might get me through next summer.  After that, I'll have to decide
> whether
> it makes sense to spend the money to reseal with new head gaskets, or
> save
> up for an engine conversion.
>
> OR - I could keep it running the same way the Vietnamese keep those
> old Army
> jeeps and trucks running - a big drum of water on the roof with a line
> going
> directly into the engine (the outlet goes onto the ground).  Just
> refill at
> the next stop - no need for those old rusted out radiators!!
>
> Mark
>
> On 1/1/07, dylan friedman <insyncro@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> imo,
>> you are pushing the cooling system to the limit.
>> expect a water pump failure at some point.
>> this is not a good idea because if it happens at highway speeds, you
>> will
>> overheat the engine and surely cause damage.
>> just reseal it and than you will be able to get more miles out of it.
>>
>> when you are ready for reliability, drop a subaru in it.
>>
>> dylan
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: Mark Brush <mbrush@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 4:18:47 PM
>> Subject: limping with leaking heads
>>
>> Hi all -
>>
>> Anyone have experience with pushing leaking head gaskets to the
>> limit?  How
>> long can one expect to resonably drive with leaking head gaskets?
>> It's a
>> tiny drip in the summer (about a susan b. anthony in size on the
>> driveway
>> after two days), and a small puddle in the winter.  Can I keep adding
>> coolant until she goes?  Any dangers in doing this other than being
>> stranded
>> somewhere?
>>
>> thanks for any insights.
>>
>> Mark B.
>> 1990 Westy
>>
>>
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