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dochockin
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 15
Location: Victoria BC
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 Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 4:46 pm Post subject: NEED '83 Westy bleeder valve part # 025 121 421 A |
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Hey all,
as the subject line says...
I need the coolant bleeder valve/ 3-way connector for a '83 Westy.
Part number: 025 121 421 A
This is long discontinued.... but very essential.
I'm looking for any solutions! OEM, old parts, second hand parts, new fabrications, bypasses... Hell, even magic lamps with genies will do.
Cheers,
dochockin |
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dochockin
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 15
Location: Victoria BC
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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Well after some more research I have found the following.
I report back to help other '83.5 Vanagon owners.
It turns out our particular little bleeder valve was only used on the very first year of Water-cooled Vanagons. By 1984 a new bleeder valve was developed.
So far I have only managed to find one doable solution to this problem. I found this on the Vanagon.com mail list archives and will reproduce it here for the edification of others.
Beware, it is a costly solution:
| Quote: |
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 01:20:26 EDT
Reply-To:
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <[email protected]>
From: Jeffrey R
Subject: obsolete bleeder for 83.5 solved
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Let me tell you right up front--it's costly.
Thanks for the help from those who offered solutions and who scrounged for parts for me last week when the bleeder valve in the coolant system on my 83.5 Westy broke and the VW dealer told me the part was obosolete. This is the bleeder Bentley says you have to open when refilling the coolant system in the forward left part of the engine compartment. It's a different bleeder than is found in the 84 and 85 Vanagon.
Thanks to Keith in Nyack, NY and Drew in Park City, UT, and Paul in CA (?). Also thanks to Limbo's Jim DeGennaro who gave me leads on where I might find the obsolete bleeder. And to Ken at Vanagain who stocks Vanagon hoses.Thanks to any others who helped. I'm a bit tired and may have forgotten to mention someone.
I was not able to find the original style bleeder in a wrecking yard or anywhere. Then after an e-mail from Paul who had had his bleeder fail in CA only to find it could not be replaced while on a road trip--well, I decided I didn't want to put a soon-to-fail bleeder from some else's wrecked bus into mine and find myself in a similar situation. I'm heading off on a trip myself.
So for those who have the small bleeder, part number 025 121 421A as I did and will need to replace it, here's what I did. It's actually not that tough a fix.
The later bleeder, the larger bleeder from the 84 and 85 that sits in-line with the large diameter coolant hoses that run along the front top of the engine compartment , serves the same function and can be retrofitted into the 83.5. The bleeder runs about $50 at the dealer. BUT you have to replace the coolant hoses in the engine compartment that run across the front of the engine compartment to accomodate the larger bleeder. While the coolant hoses in the 84 and 85 are the same diameter as the coolant hoses in the 83.5, the 84/85 hoses have a flare where they meet the newer-style bleeder valve. The stock hoses on the 83.5 will not fit the newer bleeder valve, so that negates the possibility of merely splitting the existing hoses and splicing in the bleeder.
The coolant hoses are expensive. I spent over $250. Mostly at the dealer because I wanted them fast. But the dealer couldn't get one of the hoses so I called Ken at Van Again. I wish I called him first. He has lots of Vanagon hoses IN STOCK---NO Waiting. And his prices are great. Because I was in a hurry he express mailed them and I had them the next day. For those who ever need of hoses, you'll find Ken at Van Again's stocking of hoses a real plus. The dealer can take up to 10 days or more to get some of these special order hoses. Van Again has them IN STOCK ready to ship AND a lot cheaper than the dealer-- about 1/2 as much, in some cases less. Thanks Ken.
While the fix seems like a no-brainer I wasn't sure all the later parts would fit in my bus. As it turns out the newer bleeder did not fit without the newer hoses. But with the newer hoses it was no problem.
Be CAREFUL to note the path of the coolant hoses and where they come from on the water pump or the thermostat housing and which coolant line they connect with to take coolant to or from the radiator. It could be easy to accidentally cross the radiator feed and return lines and the schematics in Bentley can be confusing.
The parts you'll need for the swap if your early 83.5 bleeder fails or cracks are:
Bleeder Valve for 84/85: 025 121 082 (manual trans) 025 121 082A (auto trans)
and the following hoses:
Water Pump to Bleeder: 025 121 103C
Thermostat to Bleeder: 025 121 073E
Bleeder to Radiator Feed: 025 121 102
Bleeder to Radiator Return: 025 121 062
A bunch of hose clamps and that phosphate free anti-freeze, and the patience and finesse to refill the coolant system.
Having said that I have been told by people including Boston Bob you don't need the bleeder to refill the system. If the bleeder breaks on these early 83.5s you can configure the system to operate without it by bypassing it. I'm not an expert in this area so I won't go into how that is done --but it is simple.
Thanks Jeff 83.5 Westy NYC |
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consume
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2014
Posts: 24
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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So...after this bleeder valve crumbling leaving me on the side of the road...I temporarily MacGyvered with a pen and a screw driver clamped inside the hose...leaving top tube sealed.
So...I have since went to Home Depot and found a T that fit well and I just won't have a bleeder valve anymore.
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Last edited by consume on Fri Jun 26, 2015 3:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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consume
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2014
Posts: 24
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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Here is the fix
..let me know if this is bad for her?
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shagginwagon83 
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 4331
Location: SWVA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:21 pm Post subject: Re: NEED '83 Westy bleeder valve part # 025 121 421 A |
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Just broke this part. Woo. Anyone have any problem with the above fix?
_________________
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram: @joannthevan |
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shagginwagon83
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 4331
Location: SWVA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:32 pm Post subject: Re: NEED '83 Westy bleeder valve part # 025 121 421 A |
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_________________
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram: @joannthevan |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 18758
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2018 8:26 am Post subject: Re: NEED '83 Westy bleeder valve part # 025 121 421 A |
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| I would have sprung for new hose clamps. I don't see a problem with the above repair, but you are losing one place to bleed out air that might complicate bleeding the entire system. I believe you posted in another thread and I assumed you broke the radiator bleed. The bleeder repair kit I suggested could be utilized with the above repair. |
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