Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 06:22:00 -0700
Reply-To: Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Mysterious Coolant Drip 2.1
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Hi Max,
I've experienced simmilar drips over my years under many vans.
I would say right off the bat to double check the tightness of all of the pipes and hose clamps on the water pump. The large metal pipe with the two allen head bolts that goes to the thermostat sometimes can leak if the o-ring is old or not seated well.
Then check the hose clamps on the oil cooler itself. It is real hard to work in that space. You may have the VW springy clamp rather than the aftermarket screw type clamps there. Make sure that he clamps are holding the ruber hose and not teatering on the ring-ridge on the metal tubes coming out of the oil cooler. Make sure the clamps are creating a good tight fit.
Also a long shot would be how crusty and rusty are the metal pipes? You could get leakage from there if they are corroded. Time for new pipes.
Also I doubt that the oil cooler would develop a crack. They are pretty thick aluminum, perhaps someone else on this list has seen them cracked, I have not. I have seen them leak oil because they came loose or the rubber o-ring was leaking, but never coolant.
Joel Cort
Founding Member of the Empire VW Camping Club
&
Westies at Watkins - www.westies-at-watkins.org
----- Original Message ----
From: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:32:24 PM
Subject: Mysterious Coolant Drip 2.1
Troops: Ever since R&Ring my metal coolant pipe a few weeks ago, I
have had a slight orange coolant drip that is a pain to figure out
where it's coming from. Nothing at the pipe is wet, nor any of the
hoses that go into or out of the oil cooler, but still a single drop
of coolant will form on the low spot of the oil cooler and then drop
to the ground every 3-4 minutes after the engine has shut off. Can't
say for sure if the dripping occurs after the engine cools or not. I
just drove 700 miles this week on the road and lost maybe a total of
an inch of coolant in the overflow tank, so this is not a huge leak.
Any idea where this could be coming from? Crack in the oil
cooler? The HEPU pump is barely a year old. I didn't use silicone
sealer with the replacement o ring on the pipe, but I can't see where
the coolant would be coming from. I can't believe that the silver
soldering job done on the pipe would warp the mating surface so badly
that an o ring would leak and I'm like 99% sure I got the o ring
seated properly.
Thanks
DM&FS
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