Date:         Thu, 3 Nov 1994 16:00:43 CST6CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Dan Houg" <fairwind@northernnet.com>
Subject:      Bleeding (my heart doth bleed)

Here's the long version of a new twist on coolant bleeding, using a 
'vacuum source.'  You air-heads ;-} may want to just delete this one
Parts needed:

*A vacuum source.  this can be any mechanism that develops a 
relatively small (<10" Hg) vacuum ie a MightyVac (TM) hand operated 
pump ($25), an 'oil sucker' pump ($8), a motorized breast pump 
(seriously, those jobs really develop a suction-- it bit my wife the 
first time she used it and now it's in the garage), or for you 
academic types - borrow the vacuum pump from the Perkin-Elmer 
Electron Microscope sitting in the lab that nobody uses anyway 
because it doesn't work.

*a gallon jug ie a cider jug

*2-hole stopper that fits in the mouth of the jug

*about a foot of rigid plastic tubing of the size that will fit in 
the holes of the stopper.

what you are going to do is construct a 'fluid recovery vessel' (FRV) for 
suctioning.  cut a 3" piece of tubing and stick it in one hole of the 
stopper, protruding about and inch from the top.  take the remaining 
piece of tubing and stick it in from the bottom so again about 1" is 
sticking up but the majority is on the bottom (narrow part of the 
stopper taper).  put this stopper in the jug and voila! you have a 
high tech FRV for suctioning darn near anything including overfilled 
trannys, brake fluid, or oozing wounds.  put the vacuum line from 
whatever pump you use on the short piece of tubing.  connect the 
fluid line to the tubing reaching to the bottom of the jar.  this 
whole setup is meant to prevent gunk from fouling your pump.

Now the bleeding part.  pretty much this is the same as the book just 
substitute sucking anti-freeze out of the radiator bleed screw for 
cracking it open and having the horrid stuff spill down the front of 
your van.
1.  open front and rear heater control valves

2.  remove grill, raise front of vehicle a foot and a half

3. take the radiator bleed plug out and attach your fluid line from 
the FRV to the scew hole.  you'll need some sort of hollow tapered 
plug to get it in the screw hole and form a seal.  these usaually 
come with a vacuum pump 'kit' ie MightyVac(TM)

4. remove the coolant pressure cap and fill the resevoir.

5. now go back to the front of the van and pump up some vacuum on the 
cooling system.  you'll get alot of air so watch the anti-freeze level 
in the resevoir and keep toping it up.

6. when you're getting just anti-freeze in your FRV, put the pressure 
cap back on and tighten it.this keeps air from going back in the 
radiator.  take off the fluid line from the radiator and replace the 
plug.

7. start the engine to build up a little pressure in the cooling 
system then open the rear bleed screw in the engine compartment,
 remember to *pull* back on it!  bleed til bubble free.

8. I like to take the van for a little drive and then re-check both 
bleeder screws for air (crack open the front one while the system 
is warm and pressurized)

BTW, the November 1990 issue of Import Service  [Gemini Communications 
(216)666-9553] has a feature article on Wasserboxer head gasket 
replacement.  Quite a good article (and magazine).

I hope this was clear, it's a challenge to describe a physical 
procedure verbally, but the process has worked well for me.