Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 07:34:10 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: A little more on Cooling problems..inline vw in vanagon
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Yesterday I went over my '92 Golf/Jetta/Rabbit gas-powered 1.8liter VW
inline van (84 low top westie) following up on some suggestions from helpful
list members, chasing down some strange cooling system behavior I began
seeing recently.
I've seen a change to cooler than normal operating temps...until it
boiled over on Sunday. I've had excess coolant level in the overflow tank,
too. No loss of power or poor running..just the temperature anomalies.
So I pulled the plugs (they alll look perfect) and put about 20psi
compressed air into the coolant pressure tank, then listened (with a pipe)
to each spark plug hole for escaping coolant coming into the cylinder.
Nothing. I blew out the pressure cap on the coolant pressure res. and
replaced the hose to the overflow tank..it was a bit old and possibly
leaky. I found my spare thermostat and tested it in boiling water, then
replaced the one in the van with that. I shut down the valve to the rear
heater and inspected all the hoses and connections everywhere. Then I
re-filled and re-bled the cooling system very carefully.
Alas! I still see some bubbles coming into the pressure
reservoir..confirming I probably will still see head gasket or head (proper)
problems. So I found and ordered parts online..$31 for the headgasket and
$27 for new headbolts and washers. When those arrive, I'll be pulling the
head (which you can do with the motor in the van) to see where the
combustion gasses are escaping into the coolant.
I've also been putting off installing a billet aluminum fuel injector rail
(fire prevention measure), now I can do that. If the head is not damaged, I
don't even have to touch the valves or camshaft, so the R&R of the
headgasket should be about 1/2 day's process...if I don't break anything and
do it correctly the first time.
I'm posting this to perhaps give some data to those with problematic
motors in vanagons. To those who may be debating either fixing their engine
problems, rebuilding their existing motors or choosing one of the
engine-swaps, you might be interested in the relative repair simplicity and
economy of an inline VW gas motors. I am not advocating "My" type engine as
the best in a vanagon...I am truthfully relating the experience I've had.
I've been finding this van remarkably inexpensive and simple with adequate
performance and good fuel consumption. ~$60 and half a day in your garage
with hand tools, you can't beat that for a leaky combustion chamber problem
repair, can ya? (I know..."Best case scenario only")
I probably should have had the head surfaced professionally when I
replaced a headgasket about 35k miles ago. That time, I screwed up the
bleeding process, being new to Vanagon cooling systems, and overheated my
motor. I assessed the head's true-ness with my steel carpenter's framing
square, then lapped it a little on a piece of plate glass, deciding that was
probably "good enuf" but I probably should have sent it out to a
machinist..
Don Hanson
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