Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 18:22:50 -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: 2.1 puked coolant near oil filter when hot
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
a preside tester is handy for issues like this.
Even if you just make one.
I've seen coolant come out of vanagons and waterboxer engines in all sorts
of places besides coming out the pressure cap.
if you are getting small leaks out the outer rubber head gaskets in very
cold weather ...
they' might be pretty tired.
I don't think they last that well....7 to.8 years maybe ( there are
exceptions of course ...but I would be scared about what the surface of the
head looks like on heads that have been running decades or 100,000 miles
without the head gaskets being replaced ) .
How old is your coolant ?
I don't think changing it once a year would be too often, given that you
never get all of the old stuff out anyway.
it's a bother to get the lower push rod covers/sheet metal off ..
but when you do ....you can get a good view of the rubber gaskets on the
underside of the heads....where it may be leaking.
A handy trick is to notch the upper attachment brackets of those covers
...where they go on the exhaust studs or under bolts there..
that way you can get them off without completely removing an exhaust stud or
bolt.
even handier to to only use one of those upper brackets...the cover will
stay on just fine with one upper bracket and the two lower mounting bolts.
Then you can inspect those gaskets just fine.
Just about *any* waterboxer engine with say ...8 years/70,000 miles on the
head gaskets ..
really needs new head gaskets, and valve work at the same time, in my world
anway.
I can't even think of one waterboxer engine or van I've that didn't need new
head gaskets, unless it just happened to be a fresh engine or fresh head
job. 'they all need it.' lol.
another thing to be aware of about those rubber gaskets .....some heads
squese them too tightly ...pinching them, causing a split right in the
middle of the rubber ( lenthwise ) - those'll blow out or leak pretty
easily............within months even, almost.
if it needs the repair.........the longer you wait, the harder it is to do,
or the more damage that will be done by letting it go.
if it gradually uses coolant ........like out of the licnese plate bottle,
which is pretty normal ...
well, it shouldn't.
At least change and treat the coolant unless it's quite fresh.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Maglott" <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: 2.1 puked coolant near oil filter when hot
> No, I actually saw it running off the oil filter and cooler and
> forming the puddle on the ground. I did just have a thought about
> the idea of stopping the engine after highway driving and a coolant
> temp spike occurring. Where is it hottest? In the heads. Could
> the heat and pressure buildup have cause a small stream to spray out
> of a head gasket? Seems like it would have been easier for the
> pressure to come out the cap. I do get some very small cold weather
> drips from the head gaskets.
> Edward
>
> At 08:05 PM 4/7/2010, you wrote:
>>Was the coolant maybe from someone else previously in the spot?
>>
>>Just guessing.
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 6:58 PM, Edward Maglott <emaglott3@gmail.com>
>>wrote:
>> > I checked my van tonight and this one time leak remains
>> > mysterious. I took the belt off the water pump. The pulley has very
>> > little play in it. Almost none in and out along the shaft axis and
>> > just a little click moving the pulley up and down. That doesn't
>> > really mean anything in terms of measurement, I know. I will try at
>> > some point to rig up a dial indicator to measure it. the shaft turns
>> > smoothly by hand with a little resistance. I pressurized my cold
>> > cooling system and got no leaking anywhere near the location that the
>> > roadside leak occurred.
>> > Puzzled-- Edward
>> >
>> > At 07:39 AM 4/6/2010, Ken Wilford wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I concur with Dennis. It sounds like a water pump starting to leak
>> >> to me. They can be intermittent some times. You need to get this
>> >> checked out and repaired very soon as the pump can lock up and fry
>> >> your engine in less than a couple of minutes. Let me know if you
>> >> need any parts.
>> >>
>> >> Ken Wilford
>> >> John 3:16
>> >> www.vanagain.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Edward Maglott wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> I had driven for maybe 100 miles this morning, the last 20 or so on
>> >>> the interstate. I stopped at a rest area. I usually let the engine
>> >>> idle at least a minute in that situation because I know it hates
>> >>> that hard running then engine shut off scenario. Well, I was in a
>> >>> hurry and shut off the engine. I looked underneath to check for the
>> >>> leaking ATF situation I've been having and to my horror there was
>> >>> coolant dripping/running off of the oil filter and the oil
>> >>> cooler. It was probably a few ounces total. I came back from the
>> >>> restroom and set about finding what was up. Looked from the top and
>> >>> saw nothing. Crawled under with flashlight and still could not see
>> >>> anything in the way of a source of the leak. started the engine and
>> >>> revved it bit- still nothing. Coolant level was fine in both tanks
>> >>> and the hose between them was secure. I thought I heard what might
>> >>> be water pump noise, but didn't take the belt off to check for play
>> >>> in the shaft.
>> >>>
>> >>> Drove the rest of the way (about 160 miles of interstate, including a
>> >>> mtn climb) home with eagle eye on the gauge and light and frequent
>> >>> stops to check for leaks. Nothing. I'm guessing that the temp
>> >>> spiked when I didn't let it idle after the highway running and maybe
>> >>> had a pressure spike. What in the area above the oil cooler and
>> >>> filter might cause this intermittent leak? The weird part is that
>> >>> after that one time it didn't continue leaking.
>> >>>
>> >>> Edward
>> >
