Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:24:03 -0500
Reply-To: T Collins <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: T Collins <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To: <1322536890.26966.YahooMailRC@web180311.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
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Hey Evan,
How are you? We met at the Dream Cruise about 2 years ago. Sorry to hear
about your trouble. I do have one question to for you. I wondered if you
had seen on either the coolant flushing or maybe an oil change traces of
oil or coolant in the other liquid?
I would think that if the head was cracked that usually an exchange of
fluids would occur.
Just wondering. Also there are 2 air bleeders in our 85's coolant system
one at the radiator and one at the back on that metal coolant pipe that
runs across the engine. When you bleed the system are you including the
auxiliary heater in back or do you have that valve close?
I know I have more questions than answers for you, but maybe some of these
are key.
Report back and good luck.....the weather is starting to suck in the
mitten!!
Tony
On Mon, Nov 28, 2011 at 10:21 PM, Evan Mac Donald <evanm@att.net> wrote:
> Ok list, I need some help.
>
> I need somebody to tell me the symptoms my poor '85 1.9 WBXer is suffering
> from
> are not from a cracked head. Lie to me if you must.
>
> So, to explain. My van (Butternut) has always self-bled her cooling
> system very
> quickly, and easily. No fights, no real fussing, just a couple of top-offs
> after
> a couple of careful hot-and-cold cycles, and Viola! Done. This is from
> several
> waterpumps, hose replacements, damage repairs, etc. Always bleeds fast,
> after
> the damage is gone.
>
> The last run we made in beasty was at the end of September, to Busses by
> the
> Beach Bus Boo, in western Michigan. Lots o' fun. I live in eastern
> Michigan, so
> the trip is only about 180 miles. No big deal. Done the trip LOTS of
> times, and
> in much worse weather.
>
> This time, about 5 miles from being home, the heater stops working, and
> the temp
> gage maxes out. Quickly. And the coolant level light blinks. The weather
> at the
> time was about mid 50's, in °F. UH-oh. not good. I stop, and the light
> stops
> blinking, and the gage returns to normal. Huh? Check the tanks, and both
> are
> full of air. Now, my reservoir tank never has bubbles, after bleeding. So
> , I
> fill the tanks, and start home again. Cycle repeats. First I have heat,
> then
> none, and the gage does its dance. It is the old style gage, that maxes
> out the
> temp needle, if the low-level alert light comes on.
>
> I have tried several times, over the intervening time, to get the bubbles
> to go
> away, and my heat to return. I completely emptied and refilled the entire
> system, with a pressure flush in between. I even unhooked the belt from the
> water pump, and spun it with an angle grinder, to get things moving around,
> without actually running the engine, and risking further damage. This will
> really only clear the heater cicuit, but that is a big section of the
> problem,
> all on its own. No joy.
>
>
> My thought is that I have cracked a head, into a coolant passage. I do not
> want
> to do a head if that's not whats wrong, but I do not see any other
> solutions for
> this problem.
>
> My question is: are there any other likely causes of this? Or am I going
> to have
> to replace a head?
>
> TIA, and I hope everybody is over their tryptophan overdose...
> Evan Mac Donald
>
>
> "...in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history."
> -Stacy Schiff
>
--
82 Scirocco "Rodolfo" 85 Vanagon "El Guapo"
http://groups.google.com/group/wash-co-vws2<http://groups.google.com/group/wash-co-vws2?lnk=gcimh>
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