Date:         Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:45:15 -0700
Reply-To:     Gary Peebles <captn.peebs@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Gary Peebles <captn.peebs@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Over heating issues, hose broke
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

I have been on the list for a couple of months now and trust that you guys will have some good suggestions for me.  
Short history, Paco our 88 Westy, was purchased in 2008.  Our goal was to get it ready for a trip to Tierra Del Fuego in 2010.  I drove it to Guatemala (10,000 miles R/T) Original engine had 145,000 on it and it sprung leaks.  So in 2009 I put a bunch of $$$$ into it for the South America trip.  That included new GoWesty 2.2L engine, rebuilt auto trans, and up graded suspension, and New water hoses all around including a new radiator.  We drove it down thru Mexico to Panama in Oct of 2009.  Had no problems at all with the engine and coolant system.  From Columbia to Argentina I had a number of gas issues and trans axle boot issues, all taken care of by good mechanics.  We drove all around South America and stored Paco for 8 months, at the suggestion of some Swiss Over landers we met, and returned in early 2011.  When my wife and I returned to Paco and fired it up the Distribution coolant unit sprung a leek, I finally got that fixed with some two part epoxy. At first I asked for Phosphate free stuff in Uruguay to no response.  So I bought some universal,  green coolant.   It still leaked a little and I just kept filling it up with WATER, (I know, but what else did I have).  So for 5 months we drove around  Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia with a small leak and using water to fill it up.  So we finally got Paco shipped back to the US from Chile.  So it sat for another 5 months with water in the coolant system. So that is about a year that it had, some green coolant in it plus a lot of water. When the Ship finally arrived in LA, I took Paco to my mechanic and had it flushed and a new Distribution assembly put on it plus changed the Thermostat.  It was running quite well and staying cool and had no leaks.  In July of 2012 my wife and I drove Paco to Alaska.  I BLEW A HEAD GASKET IN CALGARY. I tried to move Paco but three water hoses blew.    Found a great mechanic that had VW experience and he replaced Head gasket and busted hoses, and said that compression wear was normal. So I stopped before I cooked the engine.   We continued on to Alaska with no problems only some minor leaking form improperly tightened hose clamps.  On the way home from Alaska we sprung a small leak from the Thermostat housing, so I put water in it until I got home.  
     Last month I drove Paco to Death Valley, ho ho can you imagine what is coming???   Just before I left, I had the compression checked, changed the Thermostat housing, and a new radiator, because it was running a little hotter,just above the center light,  than normal (dead center over the red light).  My mechanic said that I was good to go, the compression was 160 on the left side and 130 on the right side.  I drove around Seal Beach a couple of days with the Air conditioning on and temps seemed ok.  So onto Death Valley, at over 98 degrees F.  The van heated up considerably going up hill through Trona, the first level of fan speed went on then up to the high speed of fan.  That kept it cool no red light ever came on.  We camped at a high elevation the first night at 7,000 ft. I decided to try and bleed the system a bit, I thought that I may still have air in the system.  Bleed it and got some air, refilled it.  It drove a lot cooler down into the depths of Death Valley.  Coming out of the valley at over 90 degrees it got hot but only to the first fan speed.  I never turned on the air conditioning, I thought that would have been pushing it.  Third day, it was cool in the low 70s drove to Tonopah, Nev, at 6200 ft.  I was driving up hill most of the day with a tail wind(so it was running a little warm, first fan speed only).  Got to Tonopah, parked it an sat for a couple of hours while we visited with my family.  Came out of the Mizpah hotel and a puddle of a lot of water was under the motor.  I had broken a hose from the engine to the Distribution tube.  Luckily found a Mechanic that cut the split part of the end of the hose off and slid it further up.[I think the clamp had been improperly tightened on the lip of the distribution assembly.    He filled it with water, bleed it and I drove it home 450 miles with no over heating at all.  In fact I got really good gas mileage coming home almost 20mpg, with an auto trans.....  I had good power.  Oil was still good as well.  
       I have 70,000 miles on this 2.2 Westy engine.  What would any of you do next?  Other than dump all the system again, and have the coolant checked for combustion gases.  Do I have another head ready to blow or might I have the one repaired this last summer not done right?   I am concerned that the van is overheating more than normal and that I blew another hose.    
Any input is appreciated..
Gary in Seal Beach, CA