Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 20:18:07 -0600
Reply-To: Darrell Boehler <dboehler@TAOS.MIDWEST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From: Darrell Boehler <dboehler@TAOS.MIDWEST.NET>
Subject: Re: Coolant - What color?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Scholten <vwvanagon@YAHOO.COM>
To: Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU <Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU>
Date: Monday, December 08, 1997 6:18 PM
Subject: Re: Coolant - What color?
>---"Kevin J. Turinsky" <turinsky@JUNO.COM> wrote:
>
>> Well, the problem looks like it could be: Old hoses, Coolant pump,
>Oil
>> cooler, Plastic coolant tank. I'll check them all out later today
>after
>> work. Now, Darrell Boehler wrote saying that maybe my coolant
>shouldn't
>> be GREEN!!!
>
>WRONG! The shop owner that serviced the bus for my PO put some real
>expensive phosphate-free stuff in my system; he even showed me a
>bottle of the stuff and recommended it to me. After my big heater-hose
>blowout (feel free to ask about it) when I put some Prestone (which is
>orange) in the system after the hose replacement, when I put the front
>of the bus on axle-stands and bled the radiator, the stuff came out
>green.
>
>>
>> Anyway, what color is the proper coolant for Vanagons?
>
>Considering the lack of a standardized color for phosphate-free
>coolant, I don't think it's an issue, except to identify different
>brands. When in doubt, change it out, even though the draining part is
>a real PITA.
Maybe we vanagon people would change the coolant more often if it were
easier. I agree draining the cooling system is no fun. However someone on
the list and I'm sorry I have forgotten his name told me to put some holes
in the push rod tube covers below the drain plugs on each side. This way the
next time you remove those covers it will be the last time. I found some 1
3\8 inch rubber plugs at true value hardware to install on the covers where
the hole is cut so that is the size I cut in mine with a hole saw. This is
a very nice modification and thanks to who ever you were. I had a leaking
hose recently and it was really nice to just screw out the plugs without
removing the covers.
As for coolant color mine was blue and I changed to the orange
prestone last summer. My non vw engines always use green coolant even if
aluminum heads. I guess any color is ok now for our vans, sorry for the
misinformation.
Darrell Boehler
Makanda Illinois
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