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Date:         Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:11:36 -0600
Reply-To:     zmaninco@YAHOO.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Zoran Mladen <zmaninco@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Problem with customer van that is driving me crazy
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BAY405-EAS146063E8D90197F429F36B7A03E0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

The overheating would not cause the issue with oil leaks at the push rod tubes nor the crank seals. That issue is caused by pasture inside the block that is not being releases and hence it finds places to squeeze out, my suspicion is that it was an issue with the first engine.

I would lean towards a radiator issue in the second engine. Your test drive was highway where the radiator is less important. If you have a crack on the lines that allows the coolant to bypass the radiator, it would not be as evident on the highway. If the radiator was completely clogged and preventing all flow, you would see this as rising temperatures and coolant light and so forth. I had that happen on an 89 blue star. Kept thinking it was the head gaskets....did them three times. Coolant temps kept rising. Replaced radiator and all good. You did not mention rising temp gauge so I am curious if that is normal.

Z

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 15, 2015, at 07:58, 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)<mailto:kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> > Sent: ‎10/‎15/‎2015 9:43 AM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM<mailto: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


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