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Chris_Turbo
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2021
Posts: 3
Location: OR
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 Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 7:23 am Post subject: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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Howdy y'all. First post in Samba, sorry if its a repeat
Got up to highway speed and temp gauge pegged, heard a pressure release sound and the inside filled with steam. Pulled over and had it brought home. Has new rad hoses, and had been running fine prior to that. Belts are all in tact, cooling fans working normally, and didn't hear any catastrophic sounds.
Any feedback appreciated before I have it towed to my mechanic.
Cheers! |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 8:27 am Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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Coolant tower, expansion tank. Put in a gallon of water and see where it's coming from. Lots of places to lose coolant. End of plastic pipes?
Duncan |
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Silverghost500
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2018
Posts: 1089
Location: Atlanta, GA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 9:00 am Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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If you had coolant steam inside the van you might want to check your rear heater hoses and connections. Could've had a blowout there.
_________________
1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion-Road Testing Phase
3-Speed Automatic
Von Westy YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhyZYxJEQrUuLnMbLleeIA |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:20 am Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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Where was the steam? In the front of the cab, at the back? Where does it appear--in the rearview mirror at the DS? Do you have any big rust or cut holes that might allow the steam inside?
Duncan |
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Chris_Turbo
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2021
Posts: 3
Location: OR
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| Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 4:06 pm Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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| DuncanS wrote: |
Where was the steam? In the front of the cab, at the back? Where does it appear--in the rearview mirror at the DS? Do you have any big rust or cut holes that might allow the steam inside?
Duncan |
From rear seat area and engine compartment. I filled the expansion tank, and ran it, I didn't notice any leaks right away, tomorrow I'm going to investigate further. it does seem like a bit of white smoke was coming from the exhaust, which is signs of a bad head gasket, but the original amount of steam inside the vehicle was odd, like a ruptured hose or major leak. |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 7:06 pm Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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Inside rear. I'm trying to think and can't imagine an orifice that would allow copious amounts of steam inside the car. I've had this happen four times. Twice it was a failed water pump and I saw steam in the rear view mirror coming from the DS D pillar. Another time was the forward connection of the plastic radiator pipe failed and I saw no steam until I got out of the car when it was stopped. Steam was everywhere, but not inside the car. A fourth time was total coolant tower failure, but no steam as I caught it while refilling and seeing it go all over the ground.
Duncan |
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vanagonjon
Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 230
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 2:29 pm Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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I had my rear heater leak and fill the whole van with steam. It overheated, and I tried to nudge it home, and blew the head gasket on the Bostig. I have another engine in the garage waiting to be installed.......The rear heater assembly only lasted 34 years.
John Fitzgerald |
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Chris_Turbo
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2021
Posts: 3
Location: OR
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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| vanagonjon wrote: |
I had my rear heater leak and fill the whole van with steam. It overheated, and I tried to nudge it home, and blew the head gasket on the Bostig. I have another engine in the garage waiting to be installed.......The rear heater assembly only lasted 34 years.
John Fitzgerald |
a
Thanks for the reply John. That sounds very logical, in my panic to pull over it looked like the steam was coming out of the rear vent and seat area. I bet thats what happened, my inside was filled with steam as well.... Makes for a very panicky situation |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6585
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: 87 Water boxer overheat/steam inside cab |
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I have to say…
For a leak under the bench seat to actually vent steam means coolant was sloshing onto hot, dry, or drying metal parts in the engine bay. I’m never the first to think anyone’s in trouble unless proven, but in this case I really hope you’re not.
You’re probably fine if you caught the temp gauge soon enough, and/or it only showed hot because the level dropped below the coolant tank sensor and triggered the light even though you may not have been overheating. Preferable.
Best of Luck.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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