Date:         Fri, 26 Jun 1998 14:39:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark McCulley <raven@HALCYON.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Mark McCulley <raven@HALCYON.COM>
Subject:      Re: Expansion Tank: don't have one?!?
Comments: To: Malcolm Stebbins <Malcolm.Stebbins@MSVU.CA>, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 08:27 AM 6/26/98 -0400, Malcolm Stebbins wrote:
>As part of the retro-fit after the engine box fire, the PO put in one
reservoir for
>the engine coolant and no expansion tank.  The van does not over heat at all.
>
>Does anyone know of any long term problem that I might have running with out
>an expansion tank.   Thanks   Malcolm S
>
Two possibilities:

1. If you have the standard cap on the coolant reservoir, you will lose
coolant when the coolant heats up and expands and get air into the reservoir
when the coolant cools down and contracts.

2. If you don't have the standard cap, then there is no way for coolant to
escape when it expands and you will be running your system at a higher
pressure than it was designed for. The consequences will be premature
failure of cooling system components such as radiator, hoses, head gaskets,
and coolant reservoir.

Neither possibility is good. You should get an expansion tank.

-Mark McCulley