Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way!

hiram6 · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:13 am Post subject:

Built mine this morning.

Grand total for the parts from the Home Depot: $7.34

Rare that I get out of HD for less than $50!!! Very Happy

_________________
1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning.

smg1021 · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject: Libby Bong

Sweet!!! I also have a question, I am glad I came by this, I to will build one it looks slick easy and yes a GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE. I was wondering, I replaced the head gasket and seals last summer, now I have water leaking out of the top two head stud on the left side. I suspected that I should have replace the heads as I saw pitting and it was not good. ( no money at the time) I was looking at the breakdown in the big green book, and saw nothing about samll o-rings etc.In the stud areas I reused the heads and nuts on both sides. I am now getting ready to replace the heads here in a couple of weeks. Am I missing something? Confused

please help

BoneStock67 · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:19 pm Post subject:

Today I used my Libby bong for the first time, and it definitely got the job done quickly and easily. My only issue was a little bit of coolant leakage at the seal between the bottom of the PlumbQwik connector and the mouth of the expansion tank, but perhaps I was trying to seal against the cap threads. Next time I'll pay more attention to where on the tank mouth I'm tightening the PlumbQwik hose clamp.
_________________
1986 Wolfsburg Westfalia Weekender 2.1L stock
1967 Beetle, now becoming my daily driver again, after a long rest in the garage

"There are two possible outcomes: if the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery.” -Enrico Fermi

Terry Kay · Banned Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331

<< I replaced the head gasket and seals last summer, now I have water leaking out of the top two head stud on the left side. I suspected that I should have replace the heads as I saw pitting and it was not good. ( no money at the time) I was looking at the breakdown in the big green book, and saw nothing about samll o-rings etc.In the stud areas I reused the heads and nuts on both sides.>>

Sounds like you forgot to lay a bead of the head gasket sealer on the studs.

You can re-use the head nuts with no problems, as long as you have the sealer on the threads of the studs where they meet the head.

Next round use GM engine assembly sealer pt. # 1234 6141, & you'll never have any engine leaks --anywhere.
_________________
T.K.

need2boat · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:23 am Post subject: pressure bleeder

I saw this idea on the VanagonSubie list and thought I would pass it on as another idea. Like many others I've already got a pressure pot sitting around doing nothing along with an old tank cap.

This is a quote from Jeff who posted it:
"I just bled my 2.2 last week after replacing the radiator and had great
success using a $14.99 pesticide sprayer from the hardware store. I
adapted the hose to an old burp tank cap which I removed the valve from
by prying it out with a narrow flathead screw driver. Then I filled the
sprayer with coolant, hooked it to the burp tank (via old cap) and
pressurized the system. I didn't use much, but since I didn't have a
gauge in the system I can't be sure. I'm pretty sure it was way under
20lbs. Anyways, I filled this way and was able to easily bleed the
system solo. Best bleed job I've had yet. BTW, I filled the system
with the backend elevated as full as I could prior to going with the
pressure..."

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________
1987 Syncro Adventurewagen: Vincent Van-Go

1998 SAAB 900 SE Coupe: Black Swan

msinabottle · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:02 pm Post subject: Interesting!

What's interesting about this gadget is that it's almost identical to the brake pressurizing system I use when I bleed Winston's hydraulic system.

I imagine you need to open the radiator bleed screw before you start pressurizing... And that you'd want to get in as much as you can normally, first.

I'm wondering now about making a second hose for my brake system pressuirizer ending in the altered pressure tank cap and using the sprayer/bump for both uses--after a lot of careful cleaning, of course!

The 'Hookah' gadget that started this thread looks brilliant, and has been used with a lot of success--but I've already MADE the sprayer/pressurizer.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

blackglasspirate · Samba Member Joined: June 24, 2006 Posts: 1612

So I gave this a try today and had a few questions, try and hang with me here.
I've known for months that I needed to bleed the air out of my coolant system. The other day I was driving and noticed the coolant temp was kind of high(3/4 up) and wondered if it could be because it needed to be bled(it was also the hottest day of the year so far).

I got everything together and started, trying to follow the directions to the T. The only thing is that there is no spot on my property where I can get my van level, so I parked nose down.
After I started the van, I noticed a lot of air bubbles coming into the tank and up through the bong-gadget. I proceeded to follow the directions, open radiator, rev, close, etc.
Well, most of the time, it seemed that instead of the level of coolant in the contraption going down, it kept going up. Is that normal? The final one or two times it went down a little. I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong.

One other thing to note is that the coolant I got back out of the gadget was a lot darker than when it was put it, does that mean something is dirty?

I planne don taking a 300 mile trip tomorrow, but now I'm kind of iffy.

Thanks for the help.
_________________
'87 Vanagon GL Westfalia
IG: @holidayatsee
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need2boat · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:25 am Post subject:

blackglasspirate · Samba Member Joined: June 24, 2006 Posts: 1612

Thanks for the help.

I will try topping it off when cold and bleeding it. Right now I think I've gotten just about all the air out of it, but I think there still may be some.

As far as it being dirty, I'm not sure how it got like that but I'm pretty sure I don't have any leaks. I don't know if it's oil or not, but I guess that would make sense, since it seems slightly blacker. I'll try checking, but I haven't noticed any small puddles underneath or anything.

With the temp gauge going kind of high, should I risk a 300 mile trip? Or do you think it's too close to overheating or something?
_________________
'87 Vanagon GL Westfalia
IG: @holidayatsee
FB: https://www.facebook.com/holidayatsee

?Waldo? · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject:

As the coolant gets hotter it will expand and cause the level to rise.

Andrew

floggingmolly · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject:

Another satisfied customer, worked like a charm.

Actually the principle is quite simple, a matter of hydraulic head. Get the level of the coolant above the bleeder on the radiator and that's it. A few taps on the gas and you're good. Just don't be lazy like me and not install the small tube. Siphoning the coolant out of the bong is a drag, tastes like crap. I got about 3.5 gallons out during the removal, so all seems good. I was a little low.
_________________
'85 Wolfsburg Weekender

?Waldo? · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:55 am Post subject:

But wait, I installed the smaller tube because I'm lazy. Laughing

Andrew

woggs1 · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:49 pm Post subject:

I am going to try the Libby Bong today. Wish me luck.
_________________
4 speed 88 Westy

Vanagon Nut · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:56 pm Post subject:

Pascal · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:06 am Post subject:

insyncro · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:19 am Post subject:

I use the same parts Terry K is talking about.
Very simple to use and never had a issue with air in cooloing system.

dylan

Terry Kay · Banned Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331

The pressure tester bleed set up is easy, fast, and fool proof--plus you have the pressure tester to locate any leaks in the system quick if they ever happen.

However, I'll have to say that I do like the looks of the garden sprayer set up too.

It's the same pressure bleed theory--will work plenty quick, and there is a couple of gallon reservour of anti freeze to work with---neat idea.

The only addition to this idea would be to put a pressure gauge of some sort on the tank--
I don't know that I'd be wanting to over pressurize the antique cooling system to 20-30 psi.

Ka-Bang.

I don't pump up any mre than 15 psi on the pressure tester to bleed the syetm.

I also don't think I'd be using the same sprayer for the brake pressure bleed & the antifreeze bleed in Winston .

I know , your going to clean it out good.

It's the one "Oops" that worries me--
_________________
T.K.

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50336

One could easily make a gravity fill device that connected to the nipple on the pressure cap. Just have a gallon jug that you could hang from the top of the door frame and run a hose from the bottom of the jug to the pressure cap nipple. Should work just fine and a valve in the line would cut out the mess when you disconnect it.


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