Date:         Fri, 3 Jan 1997 09:03:06 -0600 (CST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jon Christensen <vvwca@primenet.com>
Subject:      Coolant Bleeding Blunders

Hi All,

My 84 GL Brownie Bus recently had a smooth installation of an 85 Westy
motor.  However, the bleeding of the coolant system has been a very trying
experience, and it's not done yet!  Here is a 'digest' form of the events
to minimize my recall agony:

1.  Flushed system prior to removal of old engine
2.  Put the Bus into my unheated garage awaiting time to work on it over
      the holidays
3.  Midwest goes into a deep freeze
4.  Pull motor after cold temperatures rise & notice some dripping
     from underneath.  Residual frozen water in the lines is suspect 
5.  Install 85 motor w/o incident
6.  Attempt to bleed coolant system, but front rad. hose pops off
7.  Reinstall hose, retry on bleeding, lotsa bubbles.  Test drive.
8.  Dangling htr hose gets a hole while rubbing on a CV boot.
9.  Replace hose.
10. Attempt to bleed & coolant conduit near gas tank ruptures!!!
11. R&R on conduit with rad. hose splice (where there's a will, there's
       a way!)
12. Attempt to bleed again, but lotsa bubbles, does not bleed.  I tried
      for several hours over the course of several days, then give up hope
13. Local VW guru, Steve Carr is summoned
14. Steve witnesses problems, determines rad. hoses are on arse backwards
      turning the water pump into an air pump!  <AAAARRRGGGHHH>
15. System is bled after a long, but successful attempt
16. Test drive a few miles & all goes well until we get back and a small
     hose from the coolant tank to water pump splits.  We determine it
     weakened from the previous internal air pressure.  I'll replace and 
     we'll re-bleed with new Sierra anti-freeze tomorrow for the *last*
     time tomorrow hopefully.  Thank goodness for the recent mild weather!

Moral of the story:  Don't treat your water pump like an air compressor!
8-/   I'm not sure at what point the hoses got swapped.  I feel like a
real idiot about it though.  I guess it is one way to learn.

Jon Christensen        /V\      Membership Coordinator for the
~Certified VW Nut      \W/        Vintage VW Club of America 
vvwca@primenet.com             Co-Editor of the VVWCA Newsletter 
http://www.concentric.net/~Vvwca     KC Kombis' NEATO Co-Rep