Hi Dean..thanks for weighing in...I'm always hyper sensitive to that sweet (not so sweet) smell...between that and gasoline I have always made it a point to keep my sniffer active around this car- that doesn't mean I haven't missed it...

With the heads replaced in 05, this little buggy has been so faithful...

I'll keep looking for the leak (please let it be!!!) and if I have to tear it up, I will...I swapped an old 351 for 351 last year, this has much more access and a much smaller footprint...

Dave

On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 11:17 AM, Dean S <predsmaniac@gmail.com> wrote:

> David after the van has warmed up some and you have taken it on the road to > drive and got it up to operating temperature and then parked it...do you > smell a faint hint of coolant,when you depart the vehicle? I had this > happen for a long while and no one could find the issue...was eventually > found out to be a leaking "water jacket" and have since had both replaced > with new heads et all! > > hope that helps...I had the mystery disappearing coolant syndrome also as > it was burning off with no discernible leaking. > > Good luck DS > > On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 2:07 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Also be sure that the hose from the blue cap is even connected to the > > overflow tank. You'll miss the link for sure if it isn't. > > > > Jim > > > > On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 1:05 PM Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Right behind the license plate. There is a "full" mark molded into the > > > plastic. The level should be round that. If it comes near the fill > > hole--or > > > above it so that it spills--you have a problem there. > > > > > > Jim > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 1:02 PM David <fjazzbass@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > >> Hi Jim, > > >> > > >> Overflow in the rear (license plate) or expansion on the inside of > > engine > > >> cavity? > > >> > > >> thanks, Dave... > > >> > > >> On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 10:39 AM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> > > >> wrote: > > >> > > >>> Also if no one has mentioned it yet, be sure to check your overflow > > tank. > > >>> If coolant spills out when you open it, it's coming out when you are > > >>> driving and you don't know it. Replace the cap. > > >>> > > >>> Jim > > >>> > > >>> On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 12:38 PM Stuart MacMillan < > > stuartmacm@gmail.com> > > >>> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> > Internal leak would be into the crankcase, and you'd know about > that! > > >>> > Blown internal head gasket ring would over-pressurize the system > and > > >>> > coolant would come out of the overflow bottle. Keep looking, the > > front > > >>> > heater valve above the spare or a cracked expansion tank can leak > > under > > >>> > pressure and you don't always see it. > > >>> > > > >>> > Since you have metal coolant tubes to the radiator, I doubt those > are > > >>> > leaking like the plastic tubes do, but I'd make sure all > connections > > >>> are > > >>> > tight. Last, it could be the outer rubber head gaskets with a slow > > >>> leak. :-( > > >>> > > > >>> > Stuart > > >>> > > > >>> > -----Original Message----- > > >>> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > > >>> Behalf > > >>> > Of David > > >>> > Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 7:02 AM > > >>> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > >>> > Subject: Coolant Loss- is it that time again? > > >>> > > > >>> > On my 85 1.9 (second set of heads...that we did 11 years ago) I'm > > >>> > suspecting internal leakage... > > >>> > > > >>> > I have had a lot of coolant loss over a long period of time...I > > topped > > >>> up > > >>> > the bottle- thinkng that maybe when a heater control switch was > > >>> switched > > >>> > out that we just didn't get all the air out of the system... > > >>> > > > >>> > I did have another external leak that I fixed- but something just > > >>> doesn't > > >>> > seem right. > > >>> > > > >>> > Just finished pouring about a gallon of antifreeze into the system > > this > > >>> > AM- and doing some bleeding...what's next? How can I locate this > > >>> internal > > >>> > leak? > > >>> > Or would there be some other not so obvious places? Rear heater is > > >>> > bypassed...maybe lost coolant from that operation and it's only > > >>> showing up > > >>> > now...something aint right! > > >>> > > > >>> > The engine runs like a champ- full power - after my more recent > > >>> electrical > > >>> > (I believe to have been) issues- reseating all major suspects...it > > >>> runs and > > >>> > idles wonderfully.... > > >>> > > > >>> > Any advice is welcome... do we have to check for exhaust in the > > >>> coolant? > > >>> > > > >>> > Dave > > >>> > 85 1.9 GL MT > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> > > >> > > > > > > -- > > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Us7SZ7eY0GCHXKxNwDnww > > "Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis" "*Malo periculosam, libertatem > quam quietam servitutem"* > La Florida 1513 > > http://www.nasa.gov/content/florida-to-louisiana-viewed-from-the-international-space-station/#.VBnXJPldVJs >