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GreenG
Samba Member
Joined: November 29, 2014
Posts: 151
Location: State Road, NC
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 Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:20 am Post subject: UPDATE -With Picture. Coolant weeping - from where? |
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Hi all - I have a relatively new to me 88 Westy. As I was changing out the fuel lines I noticed some white spotting on some of the water hoses right around the thermostat housing. I thought one of the 37 hoses going into that housing might be leaking, but that does not seem to be the case. After a drive, there is a very slight wetness on top of the motor just back from and under that area (where the head/cooling jacket is). After some research I'm now thinking this is the dreaded head gasket leak??? I guess it didn't occur to me, because when I think head gasket leaks, I think coolant escaping into the combustion chamber not out to the outside, but it's a pressurized system, so I guess that makes perfect sense if there is a weak point in the seal there. Is there a real fix other than pulling the motor? If it's minor, can it wait, or is this one of those things that turns bad quickly?
Sorry for the long post...
UPDATE:
I did pressure test and found a small pinhole, but I am also seeing water on top of the head dripping down. Here's the picture - Thermostat housing at the bottom of the picture -water circled in red. Notice the white spots on the surrounding area. Dried coolant I think... It looks like the leak is starting somewhere under the intake - my diagnoses is one of the center head bolts - seems like I could remove one at a time and reseal...
Last edited by GreenG on Sun Dec 21, 2014 1:30 pm; edited 5 times in total |
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16504
Location: Brookeville, MD
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AtlasShrugged
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Joined: October 30, 2008
Posts: 1605
Location: Decatur, Ga. USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Could be a leak from many possible places..some are bad news (head gaskets..the water jackets) or good news..an "O" ring on a temp sensor or sender..
See if your local FLAPS has a loaner program for a cooling system pressure tester..with the VW adapter..or just buy one.
Pressure test the system (to about 12psi..and cold so you don't scald yourself) when the Vanagon is up on ramps or on a lift so you can go under and look with a flashlight..
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GreenG
Samba Member
Joined: November 29, 2014
Posts: 151
Location: State Road, NC
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:31 am Post subject: |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| Can you post a pic? |
Good idea 
I'll put one up as soon as I get home this evening. |
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Ahwahnee
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Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 9810
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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davideric9
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Joined: January 21, 2009
Posts: 1001
Location: Oakland CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:55 am Post subject: |
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You can try the Subaru Coolant conditioner. I just found a leak between the thermostat housing and the block, and a crack in the housing at the screw hole. Clean up that area and confirm the leak location.
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia, stock (bought 1994)
1986 Syncro Westfalia SVX, 3 knob (bought 2008)
1987 Westfalia (bought 2010)
1988 Wolfsburg GL (bought 2012) |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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insyncro
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Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:05 am Post subject: |
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No sealants until ALL fasteners, clamps, hoses, junctions, heater cores and engine gaskets are properly checked, tightened and tested 
Once you have validated an exterior head gasket weep as the issue, seal it up with your choice of sealant and get ready for a complete engine reseal, it is time. |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50348
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:15 am Post subject: |
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What is the mileage on your rig?
What is the mileage since your head (water jacket) gaskets were replaced?
What is the mileage since your engine was rebuilt?
The answers to the questions may be important in deciding which course of action to take. |
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GreenG
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Joined: November 29, 2014
Posts: 151
Location: State Road, NC
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:28 am Post subject: |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
What is the mileage on your rig?
What is the mileage since your head (water jacket) gaskets were replaced?
What is the mileage since your engine was rebuilt?
The answers to the questions may be important in deciding which course of action to take. |
Ha! 217K total. 115 on "new" engine built by PO (an airline mechanic). |
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insyncro
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Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:34 am Post subject: |
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Head gaskets last on average 80k miles when DIYed in my experiences.
Sounds like it is time for a reseal.
I highly recommend The Right Stuff sealant and NEW AMC heads for the longest duration of sealing.
If the heads were JB welded to mend past corrosion, new ones are needed for reliability. |
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Terry Kay
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Joined: June 22, 2003
Posts: 13331
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:49 am Post subject: |
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<<If the heads were JB welded to mend past corrosion, new ones are needed for reliability
Amen to this---
The JB weld tactic is at best a slipshot move--instant gratification patch.
How fast foks levitate to the repair in a bottle in a tough to locate leak situation--
Don't fix it--dump a bottle of the liquid repair in a bottle--
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GreenG
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Joined: November 29, 2014
Posts: 151
Location: State Road, NC
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:02 am Post subject: |
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I'm a fix it once, fix it well kind of guy, and I like working on the thing, so I'll probably put new heads on (or maybe new motor  ).
Here's my question/thought - if it's just weeping the slightest amount and I'm not having to add coolant I'm tempted to not worry about it too much at the moment unless this is the type of issue that tends towards catastrophic failure rather than gradual.... |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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GreenG
Samba Member
Joined: November 29, 2014
Posts: 151
Location: State Road, NC
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:19 am Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Old Plastic coolant parts = possible catastrophic occurance.
Quick uncontrolled coolant loss can very well cost you an engine ..........very quickly.
Dave |
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the thermostat housing or the associated hardware. That's on my list to replace anyway - I'm just talking about the small weep from (possibly) the head. |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50348
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:43 am Post subject: |
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| GreenG wrote: |
| djkeev wrote: |
Old Plastic coolant parts = possible catastrophic occurance.
Quick uncontrolled coolant loss can very well cost you an engine ..........very quickly.
Dave |
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the thermostat housing or the associated hardware. That's on my list to replace anyway - I'm just talking about the small weep from (possibly) the head. |
A weepy head (water jacket) gasket can be controlled for 10's of thousands of miles by using the Subaru Coolant Conditioner. If you leak is from something worse, like the head bolts failing nothing will keep your engine together for long. |
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Terry Kay
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Joined: June 22, 2003
Posts: 13331
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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There ya go.
Don't repair the problem.
Toss a bottle of liquid band aide into the cooling system.
Standard operating procedure here.
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Mellow Yellow 74
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Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 1615
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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My 1.9 engine had a small coolant leak and slight coolant smell when I bought it and after reading these forums I thought it must be a major problem. But all it needed was a new o-ring on the water pump and it is perfectly fine now.
These forums can be a bit like those medical web sites where you can find a fatal disease that can match any symptom you have even when it is really nothing major.
I would forget about new heads or an engine rebuild until you have done your pressure test and found the problem - it may be something very minor that is easily fixed.
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GreenG
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Joined: November 29, 2014
Posts: 151
Location: State Road, NC
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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I think pressure testing the system sounds like the best first step here. What PSI does the system run at?
Interestingly, the PO did include a bottle of the Subaru stuff, but told me not to use it unless it was the only option to get home... |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50348
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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| GreenG wrote: |
I think pressure testing the system sounds like the best first step here. What PSI does the system run at?
Interestingly, the PO did include a bottle of the Subaru stuff, but told me not to use it unless it was the only option to get home... |
Sounds like your seepage may have been around for a long time. Using the Subaru Conditioner will not hurt anything, it is a conditioner after all and will lessen corrosion and other cooling system problems. I have been using the Subaru stuff for at least 5 years at this point and used the NAPA cooling system conditioner for decades before that. I pretty much won't run without it. Had your PO used coolant conditioner regularly over his ownership you might not have a leak now, plus both your radiator and heater cores might be in better shape.
FWIW, my Toyota has not had an antifreeze change in over twenty years at this point and when using both coolant test strips and a meter the coolant checks out fine, coolant conditioners works! |
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