Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 21:16:13 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 87 Westy overheating after coolant change
In-Reply-To: <CAHQe0n7JTqv=1EKDirkpdnuoGmypv+Fob_hnqBQXhnLsOPeipw@mail.gmail.com>
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The white at the bottom of the gauge indicates the area where you should be driving gently as the engine is not adequately warmed up. Running cool like this is damaging for a number of reasons. For beginners you may not be getting the engine warm enough for the O2 sensor to go into closed loop operation and consequently can be running rich. This wastes fuel, washes oil off the cylinder walls, and fouls the O2 sensor and catalytic converter. Also not letting the oil get up to temperature can allow water (condensation and combustion by-products) to accumulate. Next concern is the failure to get the engine up to temperature and keep it there. As the engine warms up parts expand and then contract when cooling. These cycling events do create some wear issues. Gaskets and the head studs get worked through these transactions. Doing this a lot during long trips will set the stage for head gasket issues. You want to get this fixed.
Unless the thermostat bolts are rusted changing the stat is easy. No need to drain the cooling system. You will only loose about 1/2 gallon.
Since you will be doing some coolant changes going forward consider your choice of coolant. The modern choices are very good. Pick one and stick with it. I have been very happy with the Diesel engine choices particularly "Final Charge". I don’t do scheduled changes with this stuff as regular repairs will indicate a change long before 600,000 miles of operation. This stuff is also great for sleeve cylinder engines (Waterboxer) as most heavy duty Diesel engines are built this way.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Duvernay
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 6:57 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: 87 Westy overheating after coolant change
Thanks Mark and Richard for the quick replies.
Ive done more messing about and have some additional observations and theories.
But firstly, to address Mark's question. I have replaced nothing more than just the hose clamp on the mentioned junction between rubber coolant hose and plastic coolant pipe. I actually replaced the original rusted one with two new ones. I can feel the metal insert coming out slightly so I placed a one new one where the original one was (over the plastic pipe) and a second new one over the 'rim' of the metal insert. Im hoping this will be adequate to avoid disaster for a round trip from Houston to Big Bend National Park and back before I can manage to properly deal with it (e.g. Gowesty's repair kit or just all new stainless steel pipes).
Other than the leak that sprung when I pressurized the system to slightly over operating pressure, the cooling system, and everything else on the van for that matter, has operated seemingly flawlessly for the ~1000 miles I've put on it since buying it 2 weeks ago.
After going for a couple laps around the block driving as jerky as a could and messing about with the heater controls I am quite confident the system is near perfectly bleed. This gowesty pump is pretty slick, seems much easier than the bong and crazy jacking methods Ive read about.
Now the new observations: when I am driving the temperature stays really low, just above the white park at the bottom of the gauge. occasionally it makes it to halfway from the white mark to the LED, but it has never touched the LED. However, when idling and not moving the radiator fan keeps the temps stable exactly at the LED. I have never just idled it long enough to realize this. In conjunction with the fact that I had just replaced the coolant I jumped to the conclusion I was overheating. In actuality, sounds like the system is functioning fine.
SO, Im thinking this means I either have a thermostat that is stuck open or I have one that is rated for too low of a temperature. Is this something that needs to be addressed immediately? Anything Im missing hear?
Thoughts?
Thanks again guys, I can tell this is going to be an invaluable resource as I get started with this thing. Maybe one day I can return the favor in some way.
