Coolant overflow reservoir has 3 holes on top. What are those?

[Wildthings]

I am guessing this was the OP scenario

-The water pump was leaking and he failed to find the leak

-To make up for this he filled the pressure and overflow tanks to the max.

-Once the engine got hot and expanded the fluid was forced out of the pressure tank into the overflow tank and thus the overflow tank puked out through its vent hole.

Whether or not this is the correct scenario he still needs to watch his system carefully for a while.

[xclemjustinx]

Wildthings 100% correct. When I did the pressure test myself I did not find any leaks in the coolants hoses or head gasket. I did fill the expansion tank to the top and the overflow tank between min and max. I did do a bleed (I am new to the system so maybe I didn't do it correctly. I am still learning). I began to drive and once it was warmed up I pulled over and could smell coolant int he engine bay but could not find a leak. I took it in and they saw a leak at the water pump peep hole that was allowing the coolant to spill onto the engine, which caused the smell. Air was in the system ( I assume from me not doing the bleed correctly or managing it). I did buy a new expansion coolant cap and a new water pump. I will install it tomorrow and report back. Again I cannot thank you guys enough. I am learning so much and you guys have been a wealth of knowledge.

[djkeev]

You are new and possibly unaware of the many substandard replacement parts on the market.

If your new cap does not say BLAU ..... Don't bother putting it on. The odds are high that it will not function properly and the threads molded on it will let go after a period of time.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=650876&highlight=blau

Dave
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Wildthings]

It is not always the caps that fails either, five minutes before the cap popped off everything seemed to be just fine with the cooling system:


Note that the threads have pulled letting the cap pop off

Don't know if this happened before or after the cap popped off.

[0cean]

How much pressure is normally in the cooliant system anyways? In PSI.
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[djkeev]

Depends...... Generally 14-16 plus or minus.

Dave
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

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[T3 Pilot]

On sale now, $75 off.....

http://www.rockymountainwesty.com/Vanagon_Aluminum_Expansion_Tank_p/025121403-al.htm
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1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[xclemjustinx]

New water pump was installed today. I bled the system once and drove it around for half and hour. I didn't see any leaks. Is there anything I should look out for, or do more bleed's throughout the next couple of days? Thanks guys.

[?Waldo?]

[xclemjustinx]

So I took the van for a spin today. Before I left I topped off the expansion tank and made sure the overflow tank was between min and max. I drove it around and let it warm up and then parked it on a hill where the passenger side was higher than the drive side. I began to open the bleed valve and let al the air coming hissing out until i saw coolant. I did this for about an hour. Stopping randomly and opening the bleeder valve. I drove it home and noticed the overflow tank is completely full and the expansion tank is not less than half full. This is what I started out with before I changed the bad water pump and the van was overheating. From my knowledge of reading on this site and talking to other people, it seems that the head gasket is bad. Can any of you confirm of this or have your heard of a similar scenario? Thanks guys.

[?Waldo?]

That is the most likely culprit.

[atomatom]

there is one other possibility. if the hose connecting the overflow tank (behind licence plate) and the blue cap/pressurised tank are (a) loose fitting or (b) full of cracks/holes, then the system will suck air in instead of coolant from the overflow tank.

you can replace with a bit of fuel line and some hose clamps (although new fuel line will probably make an air-tight seal).
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[Ahwahnee]

Does sound that way (sorry to say). There is a test - possibly mentioned earlier in this thread - that may be able to detect the presence of combustion products in the 'air' in the pressure tank.

This can be done professionally or with a kit available from an auto parts store or possibly even with a home-brew concoction made from red cabbage.

I have not had to pursue a diagnose using any of those methods though it seems to be a common enough thing.

[Terry Kay]

I always wind up making this suggestion at times like this.

Why not take your cooling system pressure tester, get it on the expansion tank and pump it up?

Watch if the gauge holds pressure, & if not , where's it loosing it at?

Boy, was that simple.
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T.K.

[?Waldo?]

T.K. there have been a couple different times on this forum where I have seen you suggest that as a diagnostic test for this specific symptom. The individual then performed the pressure test and the engine did not show any leakage of coolant and cooling system pressure held constant. Despite the test not showing any leakage it was later determined that the engine *was* allowing combustion gases into the coolant.

The reason pressure testing is not conclusive is that you are applying 14-15 psi to see if any coolant leaks into the cylinder. When the engine is running, though, the compression pressure is a upwards of 200 psi and when the fuel burns, the peak cylinder pressure skyrockets to over 1,000psi. Testing with 14-15 psi is a bit of a joke. Obviously if it doesn't leak at 15 psi, that doesn't mean it won't leak at 1,200 psi. If you get leakage into the cylinder at 15 psi, then it is positive confirmation that the 'head gasket' has failed, but if you do not get a leak, it is not proof that the seal is good.

If instead, you had a paint ball compressor and could shoot 1,500 psi into a cylinder with the valves closed and the engine hot, it would be a valid test.

[Terry Kay]

If it is a bad compression seal, I will agree that this could very well be a possibility.

A compression test, leak down test might be fruitful here.

I take most descriptions of problems here with a grain of salt.
How many times have you seen frantic calls for a solution to what turns out to be absolutely nothing imperative ?

Tough call on this problem.
_________________
T.K.

[atomatom]

[xclemjustinx]

I thank you guys for all of your suggestions. I am new to the van world but not new to mechanics and the car world. I have done the pressure test and saw no leaks. From all of the research I have read on this forum and talking to fellow van owners in person, they and I have come to a conclusion that the gasket is the culprit in this issues. Am I 100% certain? No, but at least I am headed in the right direction. I have already made my decision and I'm going to purchase a new engine. Some of you might agree or disagree with me, but this is going to be my daily driver and I am ready to re-do the entire van and I would like to use my money wisely and take care of the englne first. I was thinking of doing the go westy 2300 engine. I am going to do more research and go from there.