Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2013 20:29:49 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: More questions pertaining to my 88 model Bluestar project
In-Reply-To: <E0F8527B-FE18-41D6-9F4A-64604EAFAB64@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
It seems you may be trying real hard to mess this up. Since it is winter you
should not be adding antifreeze and water separately. Even after you do get
the engine running the water can stay separated for quite a while and the
water slugs will freeze. So can the undiluted antifreeze. Yes, antifreeze
needs to mix water for at least a 70-30 mix or it can become a slushy mess
and keep the cooling system from working. Then if you are in an area with
hard water you should not use that in your engine. Regardless of type of
antifreeze hard water over time will do the most damage. The minerals
precipitate out and the abrasive characteristics will eat water pump seals
wear out heater cores from the inside out.
When you get ready to try this again get a helper if can. You want to start
the engine, hold it at 1,800 to 2,000 rpm and add coolant as the water pump
sucks it down. Your helper can watch the bleeder at the radiator. There
should be coolant at the bleeder in 30 seconds to a minute. Once it flows,
close the bleeder, top off the tank, install the cap, and then let the
engine return to idle. This should all be done before the engine warms. Any
air left will self bleed unless there is a problem.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Steve Cotsford
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 6:08 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: More questions pertaining to my 88 model Bluestar project
Well today I bought antifreeze and started putting it in. I was able to
put in 2 quarts and about 2 quarts or water. I removed the screw from the
top of the radiator and ran the engine to circulate the coolant. I was
somewhat surprised that I could not put any more in and I was expecting
something from the top of the radiator . The engine was running nicely.
Then all of a sudden I heard a pop and antifreeze hit the ground up the
front with a little water vapour so I turned every thing off. It seemed
pretty clear that coolant was circulating as I could feel all the hoses had
warmed up and the engine seemed pretty smooth.
I looked under the front and saw coolant so I lowered the spare tire tray
and got the tire out. It soon became apparent. Back in May when I
installed the engine I was under the van and checked out a lot of things.
In my six months of clinics and convalescing however I had not thought too
much about it. I had not dropped the spare tire tray before. It
turns out that both the hoses that take coolant to the radiator and back to
the engine were totally missing and plastic caps had been shoved onto the
pipe ends. The pop that I had heard was not the rad that had burst, but
one of the caps coming off the coolant pipe. Call me naive if you want
but it had not occurred to me that the hoses would be totally missing !!.
I had expected eventually a hose in poor condition and my visual tour
underneath had seen nothing so I thought it was safe to fill the system with
coolant and antifreeze. I was seriously wrong ! Oh well. At least
the rad has not burst....yet and its no wonder that nothing had come out of
the top of the rad seeing that nothing had gone in the bottom. Time to
get some parts on order and fully check the front end of the system and
everything in that area. I saw an electrical fan behind the radiator and
there is a silver nipple naked on the back of the motor. Time to study
more stuff. Steve
On Dec 10, 2013, at 12:14 PM, Neil N wrote:
> Larrys roadhaus link may help (this is for shops but may provide
> lead?)
>
> http://www.roadhaus.com/shops.php
>
> Can Vanagon samba members be searched by location? If so, maybe leads
> that way too?
>
> Neil.
>
> On 12/9/13, Steve Cotsford <cotsford@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Does anyone know Vanagon parts sources and gurus, here in the southeast?
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: tubaneil.blogspot.ca
>
> '88 Westy http://tinyurl.com/c8rlw6p
>
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> Vanagon VAG *Gas* inline-VR Engine Swap Group:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/d7gd5ej
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