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Date:         Thu, 15 Oct 2015 22:39:12 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Problem with customer van that is driving me crazy
Comments: To: Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <1B2E9337-6BF6-4A51-844D-A572F4C62546@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Those O-rings don’t blow out from overheating. It was damaged during installation. I have seen them melted and otherwise distorted. I really don’t know why they are there. They are not going to hold back anything. The shim-gasket between the head and cylinder does all the work. When the cylinder studs do hold the head sufficiently tight under all expansion situations and the pressure created in the combustion chambers the result is the combustion gasses getting into the cooling system. The hydrocarbon in coolant test kits are ineffective for the small leaks as they require unburned hydrocarbons in the coolant to be detected. At that point you have coolant going into the engine as well as out. Damaged pistons, cylinders, and bearings come next.

BTW these happenings are not unique to the Vanagon.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Stacy Schneider Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2015 7:56 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Problem with customer van that is driving me crazy

Ken

My freshly rebuilt DJ was pushing all of the coolant out if tank , but never overheated. It would just empty the bottle and cause the coolant light to come on. Turned out to be a bad O ring at the head. I ran low on coolant from a leaking radiator and had it idling , that coupled with no air flow blew the o ring. I agree with you if there is no pressure in the system that there is no leak. If you've run it for 100 miles and nothing has happened you've cured the issue. You could cleats put the old fan switch back in and see what happens.

Stacy

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 15, 2015, at 8:49 AM, "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> wrote: > > Dennis, I drove it 100 miles yesterday. There is no pressure building

> up in the system at all. The coolant is at the same level it was > before I left on my trip, the hoses aren't under any sort of pressure > at all now that the thing has cooled down. Wouldn't combustion gasses

> build up over time and balloon the hoses? > > Ken > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2015 at 11:21 AM, Dennis Haynes > <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> > wrote: > >> A properly working cooling system should allow for significant over >> temperature operation before puking coolant. The off highway puking >> is due to combustion gasses pumping in and when the water pump slows >> down that inlet suction is lost and out comes the coolant . >> >> Dennis, >> From my phone. >> ------------------------------ >> From: kenneth wilford (Van-Again) <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> >> Sent: ‎10/‎15/‎2015 11:03 AM >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >> Subject: Re: Problem with customer van that is driving me crazy >> >> At highway speeds the van is fine. The first complaint with this >> engine was coming off of the highway and into a gas station. Then >> the fan didn't come on, and the overflow tank behind the license >> plate overflowed. What is why I am thinking it is related to the >> fan. All of the head leaks I have dealt with have surfaced in 50 >> miles of driving or less and have given me a positive test on my >> combustion gas leak tester (fluid that changes color). This one >> drove 500 miles before the first problem and won't test positive no >> matter how hot the engine is (I had it up the full hot on the last test). >> >> Ken >> >> On Thu, Oct 15, 2015 at 9:58 AM, Dennis Haynes >> <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Check the head nuts for proper torque. If any are loose the studs >>> should probably be replaced. Next suggestion is to go to the 2.1 cooling system. >>> On the highway the radiator fan should not be needed except for AC >>> or extremely hot weather. Make sure the air guides are in place. If >>> the fan >> is >>> needed at highway speeds you need a radiator. >>> >>> Dennis, >>> From my phone. >>> ------------------------------ >>> From: kenneth wilford (Van-Again) <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> >> >>> Sent: ‎10/‎15/‎2015 9:43 AM >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >>> Subject: Problem with customer van that is driving me crazy >>> >>> Dear List, >>> >>> Last year I rebuilt a 2.1l engine and installed it in a customer's >>> beat >> up >>> but functional 85 Westy Weekender. The engine ran great and there >>> were really no problems until almost at the end of the 12 month >>> warranty. The customer only had 5k miles on the engine and it >>> started having oil leaks >> at >>> the push rod tubes. I repaired this, then it started leaking at the >> front >>> and rear main seals and the leaks seemed to get worse as she drive more. >>> >>> She brought it back again and I replaced the engine with another low

>>> mileage rebuilt engine that I had just bought from someone doing a >>> Subaru conversion. That engine had just driven from New Jersey to >>> Canada (Bens Place shop) to get the conversion done with no issues.

>>> I installed the >> 2nd >>> engine and everything seemed fine. Test drove it 50 miles here >>> before I would let her pick it up. She picked it up and drove >>> around a few days >> and >>> everything was fine. Went to drive to Michigan and got about 500 >>> miles away before the next incident. She pulled off of the highway >>> and got to >> a >>> gas station when the coolant bottle in the rear released pressure >>> and coolant went everywhere. >>> >>> Took it to a very reputable Vanagon shop in the area and they tested

>>> the radiator fan which is what I thought caused it, and said that it

>>> was working fine. Did some tests to see if the head gaskets had >>> failed and none of those tests came back positive. They had a >>> strange hypothesis >> that >>> even though the tests came back negative, that when the van was >>> driving down the road, under heavy load, there would be a very small

>>> combustion >> gas >>> leak into the cooling system which would eventually lock up the >>> system >> and >>> cause the van to overheat. This theory was not confirmed by testing

>>> because all of the tests for combustion gases in the cooling system >>> that the shop did and that I have done since then (4 altogether) >>> have all come back negative. >>> >>> I got the van back here again and the coolant tank cap had failed >>> (it was brand new German). I replaced that and then went to test >>> the radiator >> fan >>> myself. The fan worked at first then didn't work. I went to check >>> the fuse and it was super old and crusty looking. I threw it away, >>> cleaned >> up >>> the contacts at the fuse panel and installed a brand new one. Now >>> the >> fan >>> was working every time. >>> >>> Jumped in the van and drove for 2 hours at 70-75 mph on the high >>> way, stopping a few times to use the rest room, and check to see if >>> the fan >> was >>> working properly. Everything worked perfectly. Drove 100 miles no >> issues >>> at all, van running great. >>> >>> At this point I am thinking that the radiator fan was occasionally >>> not working. This would allow the van to overheat randomly. I even

>>> think >> that >>> my oil leaks on the first motor could have been caused by the >> overheating, >>> but I am not sure how to prove it. >>> >>> The customer has very little confidence in the van at this point. >>> She thinks it needs heads and head gaskets. I would be glad to do >>> that work, if I thought it was really the problem, or if there was a

>>> test I could do that would prove it to me. I would hate to go to >>> all of the extra work >> and >>> expense of doing the head gaskets and new heads only to have her get

>>> another 1000 miles down the road and have the same thing happen again. >>> >>> Any advice or help on this would be appreciated. I am just trying >>> to do >> my >>> best for this customer and get her a reliable van. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Thanks, >>> Ken Wilford >>> John 3:16 >>> www.vanagain.com >> >> >> >> -- >> Thanks, >> Ken Wilford >> John 3:16 >> www.vanagain.com > > > > -- > Thanks, > Ken Wilford > John 3:16 > www.vanagain.com


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