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Date:         Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:48:21 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: 85-H20 loss of coolant mystery
Comments: To: Travis Newhouse <travisnewhouse@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAA9AikUJPSjJdKW3c5Xj+QCsNwsTkC6wqW2kciMsRy49BfmR+g@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 10:55 PM, Travis Newhouse <travisnewhouse@gmail.com>wrote:

> > Loren: Regarding clogged radiator, I can understand how that would > diminish cooling capacity, and perhaps only lots of wind at high speed > is enough to keep the engine cool with a clogged radiator. But, how > does a clogged radiator cause bubbles in the expansion tank? >

A clogged radiator, short of total blockage, may provide just enough cooling under light to moderate loads and vehicle moving and pushing air through the radiator. But under less than ideal conditions, like stopped in traffic or climbing mountain passes etc. heat builds to the point of overheating. Or when engine is shut off and coolant not being circulated the already to hot engine will boil the coolant, thus the bubbles and overflow. At least that is the way my '85 behaved, like the radiator just couldn't handle the task of cooling. I had to run mountain passes with the heaters wide open to get a little additional cooling. And then have coolant puking from the overflow tank when I stopped. BTW, later I was told by at least two experienced Vanagon mechanics that the stock radiator can't be flow tested properly because of the internal geometry. And the end of my saga was a sincere (but not VW experienced) mechanic, trying to solve the problem, tried to back flush the radiator and that rearranged the junk that was clogging it to the point I was getting virtually no cooling at all. That (and my pigheadedness) cost me the engine.


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