Coolant pools up on top of engine - wtf?

jayinduluth

First time poster, long time lurker..
I have an 85 westy with a 91 vanagon 2.1L engine in it. During last winter storage I noticed coolant leaking from engine, behind alternator. When I looked at the top of the engine, i could see a pool of coolant on top of the engine. Friend of mine said probably some leakage due to cold/warm temps, contraction/expansion, etc, so ok I add proper amount of coolant to tanks and move on. Today I had a shop look at it, pretty much the only place in town that works on vanagons, and they did a pressure test and they said they could not get it to leak there. The radiator leaked, they suggested a new one, but they could not get it leak on the engine. I'm not expert reading the Bentley, but as near as I can tell, there are no coolant hoses running on top of the engine behind the alternator, so wtf? It only happens when its not running, not while driving. Could a blown head gasket shoot coolant up??

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

[/img]
_________________
85 Westy with 91 2.1L

insyncro · Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:54 am Post subject:

The exterior head gasket has failed.

geodude · Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:55 pm Post subject:

Second the headgasket failure. Mine did that too, in the same location.
_________________
1988 GL Camper
1991 Multivan — the basket case

?Waldo? · Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:27 pm Post subject:

Before getting geared up to do the head gaskets I'd make darn sure none of the coolant connections above the engine were leaking.

jayinduluth · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 1:31 pm Post subject:

Andrew -
Thanks for the hopeful comment, but that is what I'm saying, I don't think there are coolant hoses that run across the top of the engine.
_________________
85 Westy with 91 2.1L

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

Looking at the picture, and you being right there, it sure seems to me that the water jacket seal is seeping right between the head & the engine.
Pretty common, not at all unusual, & I had one of my vanagons leaking in the same spot.

On a 2.1 I can't imagine why a water hose would be in that area, unless it was blowing back from the front of the head, but then the entire engine would be wet.

It's the rubber head seal weeping.
That shop check the system cold or hot?
_________________
T.K.

?Waldo? · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:32 pm Post subject:

Given that the van is an '85, which cooling system was used when the 2.1 was installed? I sure can't tell from the pic. If it is the '85 cooling system then it has several hoses over the engine. I'm certainly not saying it isn't the head gasket, but it's also certainly worth making sure it is before tearing into it.

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

Good point.

Yea, if the engine is using the original plumbing from the 1.9, yep, it has plenty of top side hoses.

If it's a 100% convert, then no it doesn't.

Check that out first.
_________________
T.K.

jayinduluth · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:45 am Post subject:

Sorry for the delay. Finally got around to taking a pic of entire engine. Thanks for any help!

_________________
85 Westy with 91 2.1L

?Waldo? · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:25 am Post subject:

It has the 1.9 coolant system, so closely inspect each of the hoses/connections that I highlighted in blue.


Hello! Log in or Register \| Help \| Donate \| Buy Shirts	See all banner ads \| Advertise on TheSamba.com

	Forum Index -> Vanagon	All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1