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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:07 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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Never mind Dan, I ended up just pulling the trigger on one that popped up on eBay yesterday for $20. Looking forward to hearing how the volume changes after removal of the K&N Cone.
Small update...
Last night I finally did the governor mod, and WOW. Can't believe I didn't do it sooner. Took less than an hour start to finish, and made SUCH a huge different in shift positions. The van actually uses 1st gear now, which is amazing, and also downshift at more useful times. Very happy I did that.
2nd - 3rd is still a little slippy when cold, but once warm it was shifting crisp. At least in an initial test around town last night.
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:26 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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sorry,
while I'm on samba all the time I actually don't hit all the threads each time..
missed your 7/12 post..
it's a sizable canister.. both a benefit and a hindrance
mine is mounted in a fairly custom way thru the DS rear corner behind the tailights.
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| Abscate wrote: |
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:41 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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Got away for a quick little one nighter on Friday night with my son, and one of my worst fears since the swap came true...massive coolant hose failure.
Right as I pulled into the campground, HISSSS huge plume of steam. Fortunately I was there, so I just found a spot after letting it cool, and then worked on it for about an hour. Macgyvered it together bypassing the plastic piece that broke. Filled with water, ran the heater the whole way home, etc.
This was the plastic crack pipe off the left side of the head. My best guess is that either A - the heat from the header weakened the plastic, or B - the left right rotation of the motor cause the plastic to give out.
At any rate, my solution is a little more flexible and will hopefully last longer.
Going to flush the coolant system tonight. Doesn't appear to be leaking.
This guy broke. The large piece that went to the head. The small one broke when removing it.
This is where I left all of my coolant. Sorry environment.
Is this a familiar camping pose for anybody else's van?
My solution...
Forward hose goes to the crack pipe by the water pump, middle hose goes to the front heater core, nearest / rear hose goes to the flange on the head.
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10379
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:14 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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| h00drat wrote: |
This was the plastic crack pipe off the left side of the head. My best guess is that either A - the heat from the header weakened the plastic, or B - the left right rotation of the motor cause the plastic to give out.
This guy broke. The large piece that went to the head. The small one broke when removing it.
My solution...
Forward hose goes to the crack pipe by the water pump, middle hose goes to the front heater core, nearest / rear hose goes to the flange on the head. |
Good thing you had spare hoses on board?
Sorry to hear of the issue.
I'm sure coolant passed from head to long pipe to rad but how?
Maybe this is what you were saying but IIRC, that broken piece attached to a short hose at head. If so, maybe engine vibration caused that piece to oscillate (vibrate) then that and heat *might* weakening the plastic? If the heater hose and hose to coolant pump were not supported, that might also affect movement of that part?
If the heater circuit was closed before this happened, since the larger outlet on broken piece looks to be less than 1.25" OD, maybe coolant passing that outlet got slowed down which in turn allowed heat to rise at that junction?
That's an unusual failure for a new part!
Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:33 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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Yes...the broken crack pipe was connected to the head via a short piece of hose. Then one hose ran to the heater core, and one to one of the crack pipes by the water pump. Smaller hose...like 5/8" or so? The large hose coming off the front of the head running to the radiator was unharmed / unrelated.
I actually didn't have extra hose with me. What I did was removed the crack pipe and then ran the larger hose from the water pump crack pipe directly to the head (where the old one broke off). Then I had the heater core return line to deal with, so I just plugged it.
The drive home wasn't too long, so I just drove slow and ran the rear heater. Temp stayed perfectly normal the whole time (even with mostly water in it).
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:36 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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as an FYI, I have had ALOT of failed plastic coolant junctions.
both OEM VW and replacement parts.
I've since started sourcing what I can out of metal if possible.
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:40 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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| danfromsyr wrote: |
as an FYI, I have had ALOT of failed plastic coolant junctions.
both OEM VW and replacement parts.
I've since started sourcing what I can out of metal if possible. |
Yeah...this failure has made me a little leery of the longevity of these connections. I may start replacing them one at a time with metal if I can find the proper sizes.
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10379
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:45 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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| h00drat wrote: |
Yes...the broken crack pipe was connected to the head via a short piece of hose. Then one hose ran to the heater core, and one to one of the crack pipes by the water pump. Smaller hose...like 5/8" or so? The large hose coming off the front of the head running to the radiator was unharmed / unrelated.
I actually didn't have extra hose with me. What I did was removed the crack pipe and then ran the larger hose from the water pump crack pipe directly to the head (where the old one broke off). Then I had the heater core return line to deal with, so I just plugged it.
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Ah, ok. Quick thinking! Found a pic of the hoses. Not criticizing but do you think the U bend coming off the now broken piece might've been stressing the nipples at broken piece?
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:48 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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Yeah, totally possible. I'm hoping that the new setup with the 90 degree hose bend right at the head will be less prone to failure because it will allow for more movement at the head without stressing plastic.
At any rate...sourcing some metal fitting sounds like a better long term solution. Now I'm paranoid about all of the other plastic fittings.
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:29 pm Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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I've broken the nipple off that pass thru rad hose
they do make metal equivalents for that as well.
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:09 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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Alright, so I got a little over halfway through coolant swap last night. I went with the wet vac technique and just sucked it all out. Now, struggling with the refill. Any special techniques I'm missing?
Most everything I can find online is specific to "filling" the coolant system, but not necessarily filling it from scratch. Just looking for tips on getting it through the system.
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:27 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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I dunno, never had any troubles with the I4 for filling/bleeding..
open your heater core (heat ON) so that doesn't trap air.
fill as full you can with engine off. then start it up and hold it on a high idle with something in the throttle body stop screw.. I usually use a penny. maybe 2.
then go up front and open the radiator bleed screw till no more bubbles and fluid runs freely.
also it doesn't have to be perfectly full.. I'll often burp bleed the radiator a couple times after it's been opened.. you do this by opening the rad bleed screw when it's hot from a drive, just a little and let any air out.. it'll be forced from the system pressure and be replenished from the bottle in the back.. so just a open and burp/dribble.. then all good.
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:35 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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Huh. That's about on par with what I've seen online. Maybe I was just being overly cautious, but running it at 2k rpm with only 1 gallon of coolant in it sounded sketchy. Plus, once I do that and it's all hot, I can't open the coolant bottle without it blowing coolant everyone.
So I guess it's something like this...
Fill bottle
Put lid on bottle
Run at high rpm
Open bleed screw
Shut down
Fe-fill
Repeat
Sounds fun
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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82westyrabbit
Samba Member
Joined: March 02, 2015
Posts: 969
Location: Ma
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:56 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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| I have a pressure tester. I filled the tank as full as I could. Then I put a little pressure to it then bleed the radiator. Then refill it. Then continued on as you have done. It just saves a little time if you are not done already. John |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:52 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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ya keep the bottle open..
the rpms on the waterpump push the coolant forward..
the bottle is on the suction side of the waterpump.
or I use a garden sprayer pressure bottle hooked up to the nipple on the cap on the bottle.
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| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10379
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 11:28 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 ABA Swap |
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| h00drat wrote: |
..... Maybe I was just being overly cautious, but running it at 2k rpm with only 1 gallon of coolant in it sounded sketchy. ....
So I guess it's something like this...
Fill bottle
Put lid on bottle
Run at high rpm
Open bleed screw
Shut down
Fe-fill
Repeat
Sounds fun |
Usually, some amount of old coolant remains in the system. So the "1 gallon" may well be more.
I'm sure I'm repeating some of whats been written but here's what I do regardless if I use the "Libby Bong" (see below):
- raise back of van
- engine cold, fill bottle, squeeze hoses, wait for air to burp out, repeat until air stops burping
- engine running, turn on dash defrost heat
- watch coolant levels closely when raising/slowly lowering RPM. A light behind or beside the bottle might help to view level
- during most of the fill process, the cap can be left off
- check gauge, dash heat every time you bleed rad. While at rad, wait a few seconds between each rad bleed open/close
- when no more coolant can be added, hold RPM higher, top up coolant if possible, install bottle cap. Temp gauge should have risen somewhat at this point. Shut down engine.
- After engine cools, coolant level is typically lower at bottle. If most of your allotted coolant has been installed, top up coolant, go for a drive.
- coolant level will typically be lower after engine has cooled down. Add as needed.
- Once system is full, if no leaks, if tank is over Max level, it will self bleed a small amount of coolant via tank vent
I usually use my "Libby Bong". Info on the bong is in this forum. The bong keeps a "continuous" supply of coolant available as the system bleeds air. Though my coolant bottle is properly supported, since the bong/coolant adds weight, and coolant may kickback out the top, I fill my bong to about 1/3 max at a time. I clamp a builders level to the deck then cable strap the bong to that.
Neil.
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1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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h00drat
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Location: Hood River
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