Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:20:06 -0400
Reply-To: Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject: replaced a few cooling system hoses
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I covered the basics in this blog post for pedestrians interested in Vanagons
http://gismemories.blogspot.com/2007/03/wassercooling.html
For us Vanagon listees, I'll add more details. That little hose #24
serves to join those 2 metal pipes that end up less than an inch
apart. So #23 definitely has to come off to replace that hose. Why
and how the hose clamps get oriented into impossible to loosen
positions I'll never understand. One, I just cut off with the
dremel and didn't even try to loosen it. I put the new ones on so
that the next person to remove them won't have to struggle.
I have one of those flush fittings in one of the heater hoses under
the sliding door. I just flush it with the hose as much as I can, in
different directions, etc. A good tip is to practice filling the
system with water before you use your pre-mixed coolant. It can be
part of your flushing process. It also is easier to find out that
one of your hose replacements is leaking and needs to come back off
when you have water and not coolant in the system. I had put water
in the overflow tank and wanted to drain it, so I just pointed its
hose down toward the ground on the right side. Since that hose is
pretty small, it took a while to drain. I went about my business,
and then got to the refilling process. Another tip: I always hang
onto those heavy plastic bottles that windshield washer solution
comes in. I found that I could make a great funnel by cutting the
bottom off one. It fits snuggly into the opening of the expansion
tank. snug enough that if you pour too fast, the coolant doesn't
gush out of the tank. Anyway, I'm working on the filling up the
system with the engine running about 2500rpms, and I start to smell a
slight burning smell. I assume it is some of the coolant/water that
has splashed on the headers during this whole process. Finally, it
gets stronger and I look down to see the hose from the overflow tank
is against the header and smoking a lot and has a lot of red sparks
all over it. Yikes. It is burned about 1/2 way through. I get all
the sparks under control, and make a note about not doing that
again. Oh, to hold the engine at some specific rpm, I found a short
3/8 drive socket extension works well wedged in the throttle
linkage. It's even adjustable by pushing it further or not. I have
AT, so ymmv.
Edward
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