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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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 Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:42 pm Post subject: 85 Vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold |
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New German blue cap installed.
Before driving coolant was constantly pushing to overflow and spilling out
Now with new cap everything seems fine drove it around for 2 hours on multiple occasions but radiator always has pressure in it and if I open the cap after sitting for +12 hours it comes shooting out.
Note after driving the overflow tank hasn't change and honestly the pressure tank looks fine until I open it after letting it sit till it's cold.
Is this a head gasket failure? This just happened so fast and I'm leaving on a trip in 1 week. I can overnight from busdepot and get changed this week if I must..
Edit recently I have been so defeated with this van. I have never gotten to take more than 1 trip without it self destructing.
I recently dual carbed it because I could never get it to run worth a crap. Now it runs good and this happens. |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 6:17 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| Anyone? |
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bobhill8
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2017
Posts: 736
Location: MA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 7:41 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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I don't have any suggestions as to why the pressure is still there after 12 hours, but I would definitely suggest testing the coolant with a chemical test for exhaust gases. It worked perfectly for me (unfortunately) when I was getting exhaust from waterjacket seal failure. You can get the test kit at any FLAPS.
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1986 Westy
1971 Squareback |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:22 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| bobhill8 wrote: |
I don't have any suggestions as to why the pressure is still there after 12 hours, but I would definitely suggest testing the coolant with a chemical test for exhaust gases. It worked perfectly for me (unfortunately) when I was getting exhaust from waterjacket seal failure. You can get the test kit at any FLAPS.
[Pic] |
What were your symptoms? |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:30 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| jbhurley92 wrote: |
| bobhill8 wrote: |
I don't have any suggestions as to why the pressure is still there after 12 hours, but I would definitely suggest testing the coolant with a chemical test for exhaust gases. It worked perfectly for me (unfortunately) when I was getting exhaust from waterjacket seal failure. You can get the test kit at any FLAPS.
[Pic] |
What were your symptoms? |
a constant stream of bubbles entering the pressure tank from the large top hose and eventually coolant puking out of some where due to the pressure...
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:39 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| I do see bubbles up top but it isn't constant just when I rev up I'll see a like 4-5 big bubbles and then almost looks foaming but I can see the liquid moving. |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:42 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| jbhurley92 wrote: |
| I do see bubbles up top but it isn't constant just when I rev up I'll see a like 4-5 big bubbles and then almost looks foaming but I can see the liquid moving. |
get the magic color changing tester, you need to rule it out.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2329
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:46 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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Subscribed .....
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. |
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valvecovergasket
Samba Member
Joined: October 10, 2018
Posts: 1491
Location: pnw
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:54 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| jbhurley92 wrote: |
Now with new cap everything seems fine drove it around for 2 hours on multiple occasions but radiator always has pressure in it and if I open the cap after sitting for +12 hours it comes shooting out.
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like you get coolant shooting out and it overflows, or theres just a little hiss of air still?
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MegaSquirt resource - SpitfireEFI.com
gone, but not forgotten: '83 tdi westy - swap thread |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:01 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| valvecovergasket wrote: |
| jbhurley92 wrote: |
Now with new cap everything seems fine drove it around for 2 hours on multiple occasions but radiator always has pressure in it and if I open the cap after sitting for +12 hours it comes shooting out.
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like you get coolant shooting out and it overflows, or theres just a little hiss of air still? |
Big hiss and coolant comes shooting out.
[/img] |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:05 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| jbhurley92 wrote: |
| valvecovergasket wrote: |
| jbhurley92 wrote: |
Now with new cap everything seems fine drove it around for 2 hours on multiple occasions but radiator always has pressure in it and if I open the cap after sitting for +12 hours it comes shooting out.
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like you get coolant shooting out and it overflows, or theres just a little hiss of air still? |
Big hiss and coolant comes shooting out.
[Pic] |
go get the tester and report back.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:16 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| dabaron wrote: |
go get the tester and report back. |
Just picked up some more blue stuff and a harbor freight tester + a radiator pressure kit.. |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:17 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| Do I need to drive it around and then remove some coolant and test or just let it warm up? |
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bobhill8
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2017
Posts: 736
Location: MA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:46 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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There are most likely gases in the coolant already, but the test might be more of a slam dunk, quick color change if you let it run for a bit. When mine was bad, I could look in the pressure tank with the cap off and watch bubbles and smoke come out. If it erupted out of the overflow tank already, it is most likely your problem.
terrible photo, but I could see wisps of smoke, not steam and you could smell it as well.
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1986 Westy
1971 Squareback |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:52 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| bobhill8 wrote: |
There are most likely gases in the coolant already, but the test might be more of a slam dunk, quick color change if you let it run for a bit. When mine was bad, I could look in the pressure tank with the cap off and watch bubbles and smoke come out. If it erupted out of the overflow tank already, it is most likely your problem.
[Pic]
terrible photo, but I could see wisps of smoke, not steam and you could smell it as well. |
So it did come out of the overflow with 2 different caps but I could blow and suck through them with just my mouth. With the new German cap the overflow hasn't move at all.
I'm wondering if I just have a shit ton of air in my system then. I drove it for +1 hour yesterday and the overflow never moved. But I waited for 4 hours and opened the top and coolant came rushing out.
I'm pretty sure it went down actually
With the old cap if I drove for a while/idled in driveway it would start filling up.
But I could sit there revving it in the driveway and it would start sucking it back over. |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:22 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| jbhurley92 wrote: |
| Do I need to drive it around and then remove some coolant and test or just let it warm up? |
neither.
fill the tester with the fluid to the line, start the engine, open the blue cap and shove the tester in the hole. rev the engine a few times. let it idle for a few seconds and then rev again.
it will change color pretty quickly if you have combustion gases in the coolant.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:45 am Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| dabaron wrote: |
| jbhurley92 wrote: |
| Do I need to drive it around and then remove some coolant and test or just let it warm up? |
neither.
fill the tester with the fluid to the line, start the engine, open the blue cap and shove the tester in the hole. rev the engine a few times. let it idle for a few seconds and then rev again.
it will change color pretty quickly if you have combustion gases in the coolant. |
So I hooked up a radiator pressure kit on it and put it up to 15-16 pounds it held and when I let pressure off it the coolant came rushing out again |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:12 pm Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| dabaron wrote: |
| jbhurley92 wrote: |
| Do I need to drive it around and then remove some coolant and test or just let it warm up? |
neither.
fill the tester with the fluid to the line, start the engine, open the blue cap and shove the tester in the hole. rev the engine a few times. let it idle for a few seconds and then rev again.
it will change color pretty quickly if you have combustion gases in the coolant. |
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13b Bro
Samba Member
Joined: March 21, 2021
Posts: 14
Location: LHC Az
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 1:46 pm Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| Isn't there always head pressure on that tank? |
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jbhurley92
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2019
Posts: 121
Location: NC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: 85 vanagon pressure in pressure tank while cold. |
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| 13b Bro wrote: |
| Isn't there always head pressure on that tank? |
I don't think its normal to lose 1/4 of my coolant when I open my cap when it's cold |
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