Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:11:55 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Coolant leak from coolant tank
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
The plastic pressure bottles eventually leak.
they get fine cracks in them.
a part to keep an eye on, right by the pressure bottle, is that 'H" shaped
plastic hose junction, It joins 4 hoses there. Those are known to fail to
once in a while,
and you can't get them new either ( unless someone makes an expensive metal
replacement part ) .
head gaskets ?
it's not possible for a vanagon to be 24 years old and not need headgaskets,
even if it sat indoors in a climate -controlled enrironment the whole time.
I exaggerate some of course.
head gaskets fail in three ways.
One common one is the 'outer rubber water gaskets' just pinch and corrode,
and leak. Usually they leak first on the bototm side naturally,
and to see them underneath there you need to remove the push rod cover sheet
metal pieces. Very common that the black rubber gasket is just
deteriorated.
another way they fail, is coolant going into the combustion chambers
............usually pretty straightforward to identify since coolant
dissappears slowly, and it'll smell like anti-frz, or smoke out the
tailpipe.
The third way ......
much harder to identify.............and can be intermittant. But it's
common. Exhaust gets into the coolant. It slowly 'unbleeds' the cooling
system.
Eventually you get to 'hot engine, cold radiator' ...............as though
it had blocked main coolant pipes, or bad themostat, but it's neither of
those.
in any case......
*ALL used * VW engines could use new head gaskets. Once in a while they
last years and years.........but you can only be on borrowed time.
and ...........critically ..........if the coolant is old and yucky, and
corrosion has built up inside the engine ......
particularily on the cylinder head studs .......
if you get a situtation where a cylindre head nut is really stuck on a
cylinder head stud, and you force the isse, the stud can break off at it's
base down inside the engine . If that happens.....
you're in a world of trouble. 'The Repair' would be to strip it to the bare
case and repair the broken off stud down in the case .
What that amounts to usually is ........a new rebuilt engine.
Based on that factor, for an old waterboxer engine, it doesn't need to be
using coolant or overheating or anything like that , if there is corrosion
.......
it's either leave well enough alone, and the problem keeps getting worse, or
........do something , and very carefully, now.
I have spent 3 hours getting just one stuck head nut off a cyinder head
stud, rather than risk busting off the stud down inside the engine.
I have pulled a head of a 1.9 waterboxer engine and succesfully repaird that
side ........
but seeing the corrosion inside the engine, I told that guy that many shops
would see that ........and just say you need a new rebuilt long block in
there.
I don't just 'replace parts' . I actually fix and repair things. A lot of
what I do getting vanagons to full, full health involves meticulous
workmanship, cleaning, restoring things back to a non-corroded or non-rusted
state etc.
I hope your issue is small and finite, you get it fixed nicely right away .
and you're back in Vanagon-happy-Land.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
re Cash For Clunkers "
" The government can't buy my car loyalty, I love my old Volkswagon ! "
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernie" <berniej@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 9:02 AM
Subject: Coolant leak from coolant tank
>I just got back from a little trip and noticed that I have a slow coolant
> leakthat is coming from the coolant tank.
> When I got under the bus there was a little steam coming from engine as
> well.
> It's an 85 and the head gasket has never been done.
> How serious does this sound boys?
> Thanks,
>
> Bernie
> Vancouver