Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:29:52 -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: testing a water pump...
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reply-type=response
it would be very rare for the output of a wbxr w. pump to be weak.
They usually last about 70,000 miles.
it is possible to have the impeller face ..which is part of the engine block
, to be worn or damaged..
but that is rare.
99 % chance...if the w. pump turns smoothly ( you took the belt off and spun
it by hand to check for play, roughness, etc. ....right ? ) ..
and it doesn't leak, or wobble, or turn with roughness...
it's likely fine.
How does it act now ?
if it runs at proper 'full temp' ..
if it gets up to fully warm fairly quickly,
doesn't leak anywhwere...( or smell coolant anywhere )
and both heaters work well,
and the coolant mixture is medium fresh ..
then you may be fine.
t-stats are not hard to change on that model. ( if t-stat cover screws
cooperate. If installed too tight ...
with no anit-sieze or other corrosion preventative treatment on the
threads....and just left for 10 year..
rather than the screws ( 4 ) come out ....the brass nuts spin in the
plastic t-stat housing. Then you have 'dental work' to deal with that. The
plastic t-stat housings also crumble and break ..
the Distribution Towner hidden behind the right firewall...thoes just break
from age and heat.
and if your Carat is an automatic...the hose that goes across the top of the
bell housing ...those can deteriorate from age and heat, and oil fumes
coming out of the torque converter areas. )
A new good german one may not be a bad idea........................ t-stat.
At this time of the year, an 80 C one.
the radiators eventually don't remove heat very well. If it's 20 years
old...it's due actually.
but always check everything that turns ...
by hand , with belts off. That's your first basic check on a w. pump or
altnernator.
and ..I commonly find very tired alternators and the van's owner have no
idea anything is going on there.
Actually ..
'if' people actually 'serviced' their vanagons on a regular basis ( I knew
one volvo specialist.. that insisted that customers bring their cars in for
service every 3 months .. He also promised if you did that and did the
recommended services and reapairs as needed, they'd never break down. That
is on a volvo of course..
vanagons are their own special case of course )
but you would check both w. pump and alt before big trips . ( I just found
two that would have failed in another 4K miles for sure - alts. . )
or as just part of a regular service...
which in my perception is hardly ever done ..
and besides...you go to a shop, they change the oil, cap and rotor, and plug
wires and plugs ..and air filter ( the easy stuff )
and call it a full service, which is barely scratching the surface of what
these fine machines really need.
Scott
www.turobvans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Grungy" <grungy@GRUNGY.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 8:22 AM
Subject: testing a water pump...
Is there a way to test the output of a water pump?
My '89 Carat with automatic blew the coolant line
that goes from the side of the thermostat housing
to the "T"-pipe a week ago (it was 95sF outside,
here in Texas).
The hose is now replaced, but I'm worried that
there may have been some factor other than age
that made the line blow.
The Carat has about 125K miles, and about 10K of those are mine.
The previous owner claimed to have had the engine
rebuilt, but there's no telling either when that
was or whether the water pump was replaced.
--
bcnu - Grungy (Houston, TX) opinions are just that.obviously.
60 dddPanel 69 Bug 89 Carat 90 Vanagon GL (parting out) 05 Jetta Wagon TDI
g r u n g y AT g r u n g y DOT c o m
