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Date:         Sat, 4 Apr 1998 16:35:55 -0500
Reply-To:     Stephen Davis <sdavis@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Davis <sdavis@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Subject:      help! messed up coolant change (long)
Comments: To: vanagon list <vanagon@vanagon.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Help Volks! First, I would like to thank everybody who replied to my post on coolant changes. Second I need more advice. I tried to change my coolant for the first time this afternoon and it turned into a disaster. It started with not being able to get the pushrod cover off the drivers side. So I figured I would just use the bleed on the passanger cylinder head and flush with water once to get out most of the old coolant. I drained it and poured water into the expansion tank with the bleed out to rinse out more old coolant. Then I figured I would pour more water into the bleed on the radiator to rinse that too. While the coolant was out I replaced the heater control valve by the radiator fan because it was leaking. I closed the system and filled with water to flush and to practice bleeding. That went well with water coming out the bleed on the radiator just like it should. I did not finish the process because I was going to drain all over again. I drained the water and rinsed like I did before(after letting things cool alittle so the hot heads would not be without a water bath of some kind). Now the fun began. I put in some pure coolant to compensate for the water left in the system and then filled the rest of the way with 50/50. I started the engine and reved to 2000 rpms just like it says in Bentley. Well, time went by and no coolant at the radiator bleed. The thermostat openned and sucked in a bunch more coolant. I kept the rpms at 2000 and waited for the coolant to come out the radiator. Steam started to come out of the expansion tank and one burst of coolant came out the radiator. Still I waited for a steady stream of coolant but nothing. Soon coolant started erupting out of the expansion tank blowing the red stuff all over the engine compartment and me. Time to cut my losses and call in the experts (that would be you, the fellow list members). After the engine was off I could still hear coolant flashing to steam somewhere in the system and it scared me. Had I wrecked a good engine? So, any ideas why the coolant never came out the radiator? What have I done wrong? I followed the bentley as close as I could with the exception of using only one cylinder head bleed. It was elevated and I had the engine bleed open too.

Dazed and Covered with Coolant,

Stephen Davis 85 Westie (what's left of it)


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