Date:         Tue, 31 Mar 1998 07:48:17 -0600
Reply-To:     ChuckKuecker <ckuecker@MCS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ChuckKuecker <ckuecker@MCS.NET>
Subject:      Re: Acceptable level of change in coolant in refill tank
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 18:49 3/30/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Vanagon people.
>
>I have an '85 with a factory remanufactured engine installed in January
>1996.  I decided to just do the whole thing and not bother with replacing
>head gaskets.  I have about 34,000 miles on the new engine now.  It runs
>beautifully, gets close to 20 MPG in the city and so far no complaints.  I
>don't seem to be losing coolant but I do notice that the level in the
>refill tank (that's the one visible through the license plate door) changes
>about an inch between the cold engine and the warm engine (the warm engine
>being the higher level, of course).
>
>I wonder about this because the indication that I had head problems was the
>level would increase to FILL the refill tank before I had the engine
>replaced.  I don't notice air bubbles when I bleed the system from the
>radiator screw, and I don't seem to have noticeable loss of coolant.
>
>I do seem to have what I think is a squeaky water pump (replaced at the
>same time the engine was done).  This may just be cold belt noise, as the
>noise goes away when the engine is warmed up.  What exactly happens when
>the water pump goes bad?  So far on the warm days here, the van seems to
>cool flawlessly.
>
>I haven't posted to the list in a year or so, haven't had any problems so
>far.  Does anyone think I do now?
>
>Donald Baxter
>

This is just the normal expansion of the coolant when it gets hot. The
system is completely full of fluid (no air) when it's cold, and the liquid
has to go into the expansion tank as it heats up. When the car cools, the
liquid will be sucked back into the cooling system. If there is any leak,
the level will drop, and possibly you will see antifreeze 'smoke' in the
exhaust or water in the oil, depending where the leak is..

Chuck Kuecker

ckuecker@mcs.net

'83 Scirocco (Katy's car now)
'58 Ghia Convert
'75 Bug
'67 Bug
'63 Bug (*still* for sale)
'91 Vanagon