Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 23:14:44 -0700
Reply-To: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Diagnosing Water Pump Failure
In-Reply-To: <7b2ce2240707092202x1f8ec747va3974eedfcabd396@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Make sure the belt for the water pump/alternator is not too tight.
Every mechanic I know of all torqued it way too tight. I had to
let it go a bit loose. My 83 westy is still using the original
water pump. My 84's pump failed recently. Otherwise it would have been
more than 20 years on the van too. The reason it failed was I drove it
with too low of coolant/water ratio in the cooling system. I had a leak
somewhere and I did not want to pollute the street. I kept on topping up
with water only before I found out exactly how bad the leak was.
What a lesson I learned!
David
--- Bruce Todd <beeceetee@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> In August I'll be heading out on a 1,600 km round trip trip to the West
> Kootenays with my wife and young child who will be 11 months old. More than
> once I have had the pleasurable adventure of spending idle time on the side
> of a highway and earning my air cooled points - let's see, bent valve and
> valve guide, mangled camshaft, blown front bearings and failed coil (it was
> new at the time). So, with this vacation in mind I'd like to minimize any
> chance of a possible divorce or selling my van to the organic mechanic -
> well below market value.
>
> Being from the air cooled family, a water pump and its behaviour is foreign
> to me. Is there a way I can predict a possible failure? Presently,
> everything is eerily working very well. There are no coolant leaks to
> report, the temp guage is working well - indicating everything is normal, no
> moisture showing up on the oil dipstick, and I had the coolant replaced
> several months ago.
>
> Any words from the experienced and the wise? I've had my vanagon for a
> little over a year and I am still getting acquainted with her.
>
> Thanks for the input.
>
> Bruce Todd
> 86 Westfalia Syncro
>
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