Date:         Tue, 9 Nov 2010 20:18:12 -0800
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: exhaust gas into coolant system
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

there's a kit called a 'block tester' ..
it's designed to be used with a conventional radiator with radiator on top.
you screw this vertical 'bong' thing onto the radiator ..
and put a special fluid in it ..
then run engine ..
if there's exhaust ..it'll turn the brown fluid green ..or yellow, something
like that.
I tried in on a vanagon once with limited success.

this is what exhaust gas in the coolant overheating looks like..
you've determined it's not the t-stat or water pump, or a leak, or an
inefficient radiator ..
and it mysteriously overheats ..
sometimes within half an hour of a fresh bleed and start up ..
and it acts exactly like 'clogged main coolant pipes' ..
but it's not.
You get hot engine, stone cold radiator ..
and once you eliminate the normal reasons...and it acts like that ..
it's exhaust gases getting into the coolant at the head/headgaskets.

I once drove an 85 wbxr Vanagon  down to the bay area with this syndrome. I
had to fill and bleed, drive about 40 minutes until it started getting too
hot.  Shut off, cool down a while, refill and bleed a little...
then go again.  Did that about 15 times getting there..
and it sure was headgaskets. New on both sides fixed it just fine.

Scott
www.turbovans.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "neil n" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 7:54 PM
Subject: Re: exhaust gas into coolant system


On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 12:05 PM, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net> wrote:


> Have an exhaust gas test kit and then use it to test the coolant for
> exhaust gases. If you detect exhaust gas in the coolant then shut down
> the van. Now you want to unplug one spark plugs and do the test again.
> Do this for each cylinder in turn. The cylinder or cylinders that, when
> you unplug them, you get no exhaust gases in the coolant with your
> tester are the offending cylinders.



That's cool. I didn't know that kind of thing existed.

Neil.

--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines