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Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way!
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 3:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Andrew A. Libby wrote:
djkeev wrote:
Just point the nose downhill.... Done!


Considering that I work on the van on level ground, that would require either jacking up the rear of the van considerably or towing it to a new location, either of which seem like an extreme amount of work(and consequently stress) compared to tightening the one hose clamp required for installing the 'bong'.


Oh I get it.... Just chuckling on how something so "simple" meanders on for 9 pages of explanation........

Dave
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SCM
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 6:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

[quote="djkeev"][quote="Andrew A. Libby"]
djkeev wrote:


Oh I get it.... Just chuckling on how something so "simple" meanders on for 9 pages of explanation........

Dave


We're talking 'bout smoking grass now Dave. You must have missed that.

I find that, as I've aged, "hitting the bong and keeping it level" is best saved for landscaping projects - and definitely for AFTER mechanic projects. 😇
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

I joined the Libby Bong religion.
Super simple and easy.

I halved mine for easier storage. Hence the middle coupling.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

I built and used mine this weekend. For someone who doesn't have much vanagon experience this was a life saver.
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2016 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Andrew A. Libby wrote:

If you look at that pic, an important part of the design is that the clear tube goes through the ABS (drill a hole that's a little too small) and then down below the bottom of the coupler. That design detail is intentional and missing from the one with the barb fitting. The reason the tube extends that low is so that when you are done you can lower the tube until coolant almost flows out of it, cap it with your thumb, lower it down below the tank where you have the coolant container waiting and then uncap the end. Doing that will create a siphon which will drain the ABS all the way down below the top of the expansion tank so that when you remove the device, there is not any coolant that spills.


I hope you don't mind but I had to upload this pic to the gallery.
Genuinely brilliant Idea !! Thanks !!

[/img]
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weirddisco
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:34 am    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Another satisfied user of the Libby Bong last night! Perfect timing as well Wink Thank you much for the genius, yet simple idea. I used a brass barb in mine to eliminate any chances of spilling around the clear tube and since the barb allow for a connection on the inside of the pipe, you are able to keep the very important siphoning process that you need to drain the excess coolant cleanly.

I will post some images of mine because I have see a few members requesting images but some are not available any longer, so here is a fresh set. I used a 3" black tube but you can use 2" or whatever is readily available Smile

What I used:
3" x 2' ABS Pipe (PVC or ABS) - http://www.homedepot.com/p/VPC-3-in-x-2-ft-Plastic-ABS-Pipe-1203/202300520
3" to 1.5" Plumbquick Rubber Reducer (or whatever size your pipe is to 1.5" to go around the coolant reservoir) - http://www.homedepot.com/p/3-in-x-1-1-2-in-DWV-Flexible-PVC-Coupling-P1056-315/100372314
4' of 1/2" O.D. x 3/8" I.D. Clear Vinyl Tube (clear tube will be your best-friend but black would work too) - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-2-in-O-D-x-3.../207144365
3/8" to 3/8" Brass Barb Coupling - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Freeman-3-8-in-x-3-8-in-Male-to-Male-Barbed-Coupler-Z3838MMBC/203518338
Dab of silicone (to seal the coupling)
Strap of some sort to hold the bong up-right while it's full of heavy coolant

Step 1: Fit the Quickplumb to the pipe and mark a hole location for the barb coupler right above the Quickplumb.
Step 2: Drill the hole for the barb. Insert Barb and silicone around the top edge for a nice sealed connection.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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Step 3: Measure and cut clear tubing to go to the top of the bong and another piece to extend from the inside of the bong to below the bottom of the Quickplumb. Connect the pieces of clear tubing to the coupler and secure the end of the tube to the top of the bong.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Step 4: Attach Quickplumb and then rock-n-roll with the directions that Andrew A. Libby laid out for you.
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UngaWunga
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 7:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Here's an easier way... Just did this tonight.

Bits required:
1) bicycle tire pump
2) plastic cap from a 5 gallon oil container. I used one from a Valvoline bottle.
3) valve stem for a tubeless rim.
4) circles of rubber, from a cut up inner tube to seal the cap.

Since my coolant system was completely drained, I just filled it to he brim and let it settle for a while. After an hour or so, went back and filled it again. Did this twice. Make sure the bleed valve on the radiator is opened.

Then fill it to the top, put fancy cap on expansion tank. Attach bike pump, and gently pump. You don't want to put a lot of pressure in the system, you just want to get the coolant moving until you hear the air stop coming out of the radiator bleed and coolant dripping out. Stop pumping, run up front and tighten down bleed bolt. Refill coolant expansion tank, go for a gentle drive to make sure all the air is out. Drink beer.


BTW, the threads on the cap won't match the expansion tank. Doesn't matter. That's what the rubber gaskets are for. Crank the cap down until it feels tight. You don't need a perfect airtight seal for this to work well.

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Last edited by UngaWunga on Sun Apr 30, 2017 7:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
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UngaWunga
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 7:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

And save your bong for other things.... Smile
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PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2017 12:49 am    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Libby Bong worked a treat. Still may use the air pump just to pressurise the system just to ensure the system is bled properly.
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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2017 5:24 am    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

you can just attach the bike pump to the outlet nipple on the OE blue pressure cap. it is designed to flow backwards (with no restriction)

just a short length of hose with a bike valve in the end. all is needed..
and you have it when you 'may' need it in a campground or roadside coolant emergency.
fill system best you can,
put cap on, pump a few #'s into the bottle,
open radiator screw let air out.
close and repeat.
once rad is bled, remove pump & cap top off the coolant bottle and close it up. can even be done while the engine is running.

this is all you need to easily push/bleed the air from the radiator.
no tube full of dripping coolant. no fuss, no muss.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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


UngaWunga wrote:
Here's an easier way... Just did this tonight.

Bits required:
1) bicycle tire pump
2) plastic cap from a 5 gallon oil container. I used one from a Valvoline bottle.
3) valve stem for a tubeless rim.
4) circles of rubber, from a cut up inner tube to seal the cap.

Since my coolant system was completely drained, I just filled it to he brim and let it settle for a while. After an hour or so, went back and filled it again. Did this twice. Make sure the bleed valve on the radiator is opened.

Then fill it to the top, put fancy cap on expansion tank. Attach bike pump, and gently pump. You don't want to put a lot of pressure in the system, you just want to get the coolant moving until you hear the air stop coming out of the radiator bleed and coolant dripping out. Stop pumping, run up front and tighten down bleed bolt. Refill coolant expansion tank, go for a gentle drive to make sure all the air is out. Drink beer.


BTW, the threads on the cap won't match the expansion tank. Doesn't matter. That's what the rubber gaskets are for. Crank the cap down until it feels tight. You don't need a perfect airtight seal for this to work well.

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PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2017 12:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

danfromsyr wrote:
...you can just attach the bike pump to the outlet nipple on the OE blue pressure cap...


Which is where I connect my electric bong.

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Team WorldTour
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PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2017 12:10 am    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Ahwahnee wrote:
electric bong.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 8:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Quick easy cheap $25. 2inch pvc, 2 -1.5inch coupler. 1/2inch od vinyl tubing. Assemble as shown. Open radiator bleeder. Rear bleeder. Electrical tape around coolant tank. Install and fill bong. Rev to 2000rpm. Coolant will flow out of rad bleeder. When no bubbles show close bleeders. Drain bong. Pass to the left.

https://youtu.be/oQYLcqk_m8Y
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 4:17 am    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

^^^

You are correct, sir. Well played. Wink

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

Or, even easier, just go buy GoWesty's relatively inexpensive Cooling System Pressurization Pump Kit: https://www.gowesty.com/product/radiator/24081/cooling-system-pressurization-pump-kit- . A lot smaller and easier to stow for emergency use on the road -- and a lot simpler to use.

Downside? No bong jokes from bystanders or Vanagoons. Razz
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 9:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

DJKeev ( Dave ),

I used your bug sprayer method and it worked flawlessly. Twice when my radiator was uphill ( couldn’t move the van ). Much simpler than any other method I saw. Thank you!

1. Get your bug/weed sprayer. Wash it out.
2. Fill sprayer with coolant. Fill pressure tank till it’s “full”
3. Take nozzle off sprayer hose, hook up to blue cap nipple. Pump.
4. Open radiator bleeder. Let bleed and walk back to pump sprayer a few times to keep pressure up. Close bleeder.
5. Uphook sprayer. Done.
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 12:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

I wanted to add these pics of my Libby Bong adaptation. I read above about folks spilling, dumping and/or having to drain their bongs with difficulty so here s how mine works:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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

I guess the key is that your bong’s neck be made of 1 1/2 pipe I used PVC scraps i had. I think my inner tube was from a mt bike, probably 1.95 or something idk. Anyway i used a 3 inch diameter top half with a reducer to 1 1/2 so that it held plenty of antifreeze and had some pressure or head. A bigger diameter at the top also gives you a bigger target for pouring. The bicycle inner tube just stretches over the bong neck and then over the pressure tank cap’s threaded opening and the wire just improves the seal to the threads, but i usually still get a little drippage. The cool part is that you just twist the tube to retain the antifreeze in the bong once you’re done and the tube can then be stuffed in the antifreeze jug and returned to the jug with out too much mess.
However you may learn to store your Libby bong with the tube OFF the bong because the tube gets cut easily when banged around and you get a messier fill next time you want to use it. If you really want to get classy, buy a 3in PVC cap and store the tube and wires inside your bong. Enjoy
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 12:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

I know, you're thinking this post doesn't need one more reply, but in 9 pages of meandering, nobody mentioned how long the bong needs to be (you can guess from the photos, but still...) Here are my notes:


Measure up from the ground to your radiator bleeder screw. On my van it was 39 1/4" (I have slightly taller springs).

Now measure up that far in your engine bay and put a piece of blue painter's tape on the left cabinet. That's the level your coolant has to stay above. It's about 11" above the expansion tank. Later, transfer that measurement to the bong pipe. (There's two pieces of tape in my photo: my van's nose was 2" up in the front, so had to raise this level).

So: any pipe longer than that will work (assuming van is level: adjust accordingly for incline). I found at my store pre-cut pieces of ABS at 24". PVC is fine too. This worked great. If I had longer, I might have gone for 26", I would assume the taller the bong the faster the filling as there is more pressure. But, if you go for a 3' tall bong, you're making it harder to fill, and as in one picture if it leans over too much, you're putting unnecessary stress on those possibly old brittle tank caps, and might cause leaking. Thus the rope/bungee cord holding up strategies.

These pre-cut ABS pieces (and maybe your cutting) leaves little pieces of plastic static-clung to the inside of the pipe. Wash them out before they end up in your radiator.

Mr. Libby specs nylon tubing, which I think you'll have a hard time finding in your hardware store. I'm guessing he may have meant what I used: 3 feet of 1/2" OD polyethylene tubing. It's more rigid than vinyl, which keeps it from kinking, collapsing and reducing flow. It's tough to get it to make the turn inside the pipe, but doable. If I did it again, I would have warmed the tubing with a hair dryer or heat gun to make it more flexible.

I drilled the hole 2.5" from the bottom of the ABS pipe with a 31/64" drill bit. I first tried a 15/32", but couldn't get the tube in. This slightly smaller hole seals the polyethylene tube well. I had absolutely no leaking. If I didn't have that drill bit or used vinyl tubing, I'd probably put silicone around this hole. I left it sticking 2 1/2" out the bottom of the pipe before attaching the Plumb Qwik reducer.

I had no leaks from my PlumbQwik to the tank. I had teflon tape on hand just in case. Rubber bands are okay, but if you have any kind of strap, like a velcro strap, it's a bit easier.

Stop filling with coolant when the level is a couple inches below the top of the main pipe. It's easy to overfill and spill. Having the clear/translucent siphon tube to watch the level is very helpful.

Hope that helps.
If there's a list of all-time great Vanagon hacks, the Libby Bong belongs there.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 1:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

I was tired of trying to get the rubber coupler to seal on the threads of the coolant tank so I deigned and 3d printed this. It threads on uses the rubber washer out of a spare coolant cap to seal.

For future reference the threads of the coolant tank are M48x3

More info and print files here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5556688

I suggest you print it out of PETG

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Coolant Bleeding the No Stress, No Mess Way! Reply with quote

While I was at it I also made this fitting for testing the relief pressure of the coolant cap.
This classic line cap released perfectly at about 15psi

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5556787

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