Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2015 22:14:42 +0000
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Never attempt a simple fix right before leaving on a trip
(long)
In-Reply-To: <01a801d0d226$880f03e0$982d0ba0$@gmail.com>
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Which Vanagon gods did you think were going to ignore what you were trying to do? They were probably sitting around playing pinochle when they noticed what you were up to. You might as well have just handed your beer to your wife and said, "Hey, honey, watch this!"
Stephen
On Saturday, August 8, 2015 6:07 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
What can go wrong will go wrong. Why do I keep forgetting that?
So, I finally found my '85's intermittent coolant leak that had been bugging
me since last winter, which I thought was the water pump.
It wasn't. Wednesday I spotted the leak at the T-stat housing. Easy-peasy I
thought, I'll fix that before I leave on Sunday! I picked up a new O-ring
from the dealer ($7!) and immediately broke one of the 6mm T-stat cover
bolts off trying to remove it. L
Of course, I could not now get the bottom cap off because it was
inaccessible, and the corroded bolt basically welded it on.
So, let's just remove the entire T-stat housing, also easy-peasy.
Immediately broke one of the two long bolts holding that on to the water
pump, and it's corrosion-welded to the pump. L L L
So, off comes the water pump (about two hours later after removing the
alternator, distributor, and power steering pump).
I could not separate the two because the long bolt was completely
corrosion-welded inside the T-stat housing, so I had to twist it off the
pump. Of course, the bolt snapped of at the pump. Oh well, I had a new pump
anyway thinking that was my problem in the first place (along with all the
gaskets, O-rings and the two short hoses that should always be replaced).
After getting the repaired housing back from the machine shop two hours
later ($50, a deal) I installed the pump and started to connect the
crossover pipe that goes on it, and it was so inaccessible behind the pulley
that I cross threaded the cap screw. This is the screw that you need a
shortened 6mm Allen wrench for because it's so tight.
Off comes the pump, and after cleaning out the threads I loosely assembled
the pipe to the pump and was just able to get it installed so I didn't have
to start those cap screws in such an inaccessible place.
I was able to get the complete pump, pipe, and T-stat assembly (minus the
lower hose heat shield) installed as one piece, much to my relief.
For those of you who have not done a 1.9 water pump, consider yourself
lucky. Shops around here charge $500 to $650 for this job, and I understand
why.
I'm three days and about 15 hours into this job, including the trip to the
machine shop to drill out the corroded bolts, and the store tour to find the
replacement bolts. Finished it at 8 PM Friday, and went ahead and flushed
out the cooling system and refilled with Zerex G-05 long life coolant.
Leaving on Sunday, and so far all is holding together!
Wish me luck.
Stuart