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Date:         Thu, 3 Feb 2011 16:21:27 -0800
Reply-To:     David Vickery <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Vickery <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Oops - I let the engine freeze
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <0ec501cbc3f2$157e93f0$6501a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Thanks Scott, but it was MINUS 25, record cold for Colorado. It was an Arizona van so even the coolant mix could be a little light.

--- On Thu, 2/3/11, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> > Subject: Re: Oops - I let the engine freeze > To: "David Vickery" <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>, vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011, 3:30 PM > surely you don't have pure water in > your waterboxer cooling system ? ? > > even in summer, a 50/50 mix must be run. It's not just for > freezing protection ..it might help cool better too, plus > the corosion protection factor. > so never ever run pure water in any engine unless it's for > a day or two or an emergency. > > so if there is even 10 % old anti-frz in your coolant, 25 F > shouldn't do any real damage. > > it is common however, for the rubber outer water gaskets on > the heads ( a very joke design ) to seep on the bottom > sitting in cold temps. > No freeze plugs per se. > there's a drain allen screw on the bottom of each head > though. > > don't tell anyone ..but I'd do a good coolant change with a > high quality conventional  anti-frz ( i'm going over to > Dexcool on my keeper good vehicles ..but dont' invest in > that yet ) .. > I am a huge believer in adding a little mchinist's water > soluble oil as a water pump lube and rust inhibitor .. > and ...here's the don't tell part .. > some, not too much ...Barsleak may keep it working and not > leaking. > that's the only stop leak I recommend too. > and don't dump 2 bottles in either .. > just a basic semi-modest treatment .. > and immediately drive it until fully warmed up , with all > heaters on. > Drive like a good 40 minutes. > > you can also eyeball the upper side of the black rubber > outer water gasekts.. > try to get an idea if they're badly pinched ( if you have > AMC heads I'd be extra suspecious of that ) .. > see if they're pinced, or all white with corrosion seeping > off the aluminum .. > if you see that ..you're in real trouble.. > or if they are just crumbly. > yeah.. > they pinch, then crumble, and how the head sits on the > barrels determines how much they arew squeased. > Standerized parts were invented in about 1929 for > automobiles.. > but on waterboxers ..the heads can sit too low squeazing > the rubber gasket too much. > or too high not squeasing it enough, and thus tending to > leak or seep .. > or the head can sit tilted ....then it's too tight at one > end and maybe too high at the other end. > Brilliant VW. > it is an adapted air-cooled engine deisng after all. > > and ALL other manufacturers are smart enough to make > combustion sealing and coolant sealing in one flat plane > ..not VW. it's two levels.. > one for combustion sealing, one for coolant sealing .. it's > a joke. > it's amazing how well they do last. > We manage to get by with them though. > > If corrosion is very evident all over your engine .. > hope the cylinder head studs don't snap off down in the > block when going to remove the heads. > > The heads should really come off about every 80,000 > miles.. > do a valve job, and install new head gaskets > 'carefully.'   That works well. And that > rubber water gasket gap is important. > > I hope it's ok. > but treat that coolant asap. > scott > www.turbovans.com > ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Vickery" <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 1:22 PM > Subject: Oops - I let the engine freeze > > > > We got down to minus 25 degrees (farenheit) the last > couple days and I am assuming the coolant in my 2.1 engine > froze because I started it up now that the weather is better > and coolant was dripping pretty heavily from the tin > covering the passenger side head. > > > > Anyone with experience related to this?  Is it > likely just a freeze plug that needs to be replaced > now?   Are they easy to get to?  Could > it be anything else? > > > > Thanks > > Dave in Fort Collins > >


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