Date:         Sun, 3 Jan 2021 15:58:56 -0500
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: oil in coolant
In-Reply-To:  <CAMjSMWuKdJtF2j1jonMGCGmNnOJkLq7bQvNimf0hY7Z4wCS_YQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

4.8 miles sounds like too far to drive with no coolant circulation in the
engine but that is in the past now.  sounds like you are on the right track
to recover from the incident.  when you said the temps were rising and the
op was falling, was it abnormal or just typical for what would happen when
you are starting up from cold and making the laps around the block?  I
would not assume disaster from the tiny film on the coolant.  you didn't
say you flushed the coolant but I would do that at this point.  Who knows
what's gotten into the coolant over the years.  It would be interesting to
pressure test the old oil cooler to see if there is leaking from one fluid
to the other.  Others like Dennis would know better but my guess is what
would happen with no coolant pump moving the coolant is that it would boil
to steam in the heads and have to release the pressure somewhere.  It
should go out the cap, through the hose to the coolant tank behind the
license plate.  the hole you have in the plastic tube may have been the
next weakest spot or like you say the belt may have hit it.  Meanwhile with
no fluid in the heads I guess they could warp.  did you see any evidence of
coolant getting into the cylinders like white steam/smoke out the tailpipe
or weird cranking behaviour when you tried to start the engine?  I guess
you can't test any of that now, but something to look for when you get it
back together.

Good luck!
Edward

On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 3:34 PM Ryan Cresawn <jrcresawn@gmail.com> wrote:

> The water pump/alternator V-belt failed on my 1991 Vanagon (2.1L engine). I
> drove 4.8 miles home. When I parked steam was coming from the engine
> compartment. I discovered that the A/C compressor belt also broke. I
> believe the A/C belt broke first and then that broken belt got caught
> between the water pump/alternator belt and a pulley which caused it to
> break. The steam was caused by coolant spraying on the engine from a hole
> smaller than a BB in the white plastic coolant bleed ring. I believe that
> hole was caused by either excessive heat or impact from one of the broken
> belts. I have assessed the damage and begun repairs.
>
> I have replaced the leaking coolant bleed ring with this kit from GoWesty:
>
>
> https://www.gowesty.com/product/bundles-and-kits/24210/coolant-bleed-ring-replacement-kit
>
> I did not follow their instructions entirely. They supply self-tapping
> screws they propose I fasten to painted sheet metal in the engine
> compartment. My assumption is that will cause rust. Instead, I purchased
> two 3/8-inch oak dowel rods and cut them to length. They fit perfectly in
> the white plastic clips that held the original coolant bleed ring. Then I
> used zip ties to attach the rubber hose to the dowel rods. I like the final
> result.
>
> I blew on the 16-PSI blue coolant cap and it would not make the trumpet
> sound so I replaced it with a new one. I put a washing machine flood tray
> under the engine and found a coolant leak. It was at the Temp II sensor. I
> removed the sensor and found the O-ring was dry. I replaced it with a new
> one. I also polished the sensor with Brasso and coated the O-ring with a
> thin layer of dielectric grease. I installed new belts. I made a "Libby
> bong" and followed the fill procedure. There were no external coolant
> leaks. I then started the engine and drove five laps around the block. I
> have oil temperature and pressure gauges. I noticed on my drive that the
> coolant and oil temperatures began to rise and the oil pressure, which
> started high, began to fall. Everything seemed good, but I still needed to
> look for coolant and oil mixing. I extracted about 8 ounces (250 mL) of
> coolant from the pressurized coolant tank with the blue cap. I let the
> coolant sit in my house for a week and eventually noticed a tiny film on
> top of the coolant which I assume is oil. I can provide photos if anyone is
> curious. Two days ago I leveled the Vanagon and let it set overnight. Then
> yesterday morning I let about 1-2 ounces of oil drain from the drain plug
> into a glass beaker. I found no coolant in the oil.
>
> I searched the mailing list archives and found a thread about oil being
> found in coolant. It looks like Dennis Haynes wrote in 1996 that 95% of
> "oil in coolant" problems are caused by a bad oil cooler. If the Gerry
> website were up I would provide a link to his post. I bought a new oil
> cooler but have not replaced it yet. I drained the oil yesterday. My next
> step is to drain the coolant. I will then remove the oil filter and then
> the oil cooler. My plan is to install the new oil cooler and then add fresh
> oil and coolant. Should I test the oil cooler I plan to remove from the
> engine? If I find oil in the coolant after replacing the oil cooler and
> fluids where should I look next?
>
> Many thanks,
> Ryan
>