It looks like you are all right now.  Start worrying when you are loosing
water again.  And even then it is a small job of changing the head gaskets.
I was rather interested about what made one think that your car has pilot
bearing trouble?
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leslie Shiaman" <lamusicamellama@JUNO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2001 6:31 PM
Subject: New to Vanagon Mysteries

> Greetings All -
>
>   Some of you may have experienced something like my current situation.
> I bought the van (too haphazardly, admittedly) two months ago, a 1984
> Westy, and one of the first problems I encountered (immediately) was a
> slow coolant drip --- 1 gallon every 1200 miles.  It was (is?) coming
> from the rear cylinder bolt on right head or thereabouts.  Took it to my
> mechanic who sealed the bolt -- which he didn't find evidence of any
> previous seal.  Later told me he couldn't find leakage after the seal.
> After he performed this I took the van on a trip -- 350 miles altogether.
>  I was noticing a drip still, from the same area, but much much less than
> before, and sometimes after driving no coolant at all would drip.  Then I
> ran into a pilot bearing issue and drove home in 2nd and the van has been
> sitting for the last month without being driven, but I start it once or
> twice a week and search for that coolant drip.  I put white paper,
> cardboard, you name it  under the head and cannot find evidence of any
> leakage.  I typically idle the engine with occasional revs for about 15
> minutes.  Do you think I see no evidence of coolant leakage  because
> there is no load on the engine?  The temp gague goes up to normal
> operating temp.  I'm puzzled and have not had a Vanagon before, so don't
> know what to make of this situation.  When I can save up for the clutch
> job and do that will I be faced with the necessity of new heads?  That's
> not far from buying a new engine ---- an impossibility for a budding
> cellist.  I guess my question is this:  Should I wait and see and in the
> meantime get the clutch job done;  or if the worst case is my case just
> let it sit indefinitely, or are there other thoughts on this?
>
>  If I have a cracked head and the problem shows itself as a tiny drip
> (only when engine pushes van -- not at idle) could I live with this?
> Would the crack get exponentially worse?
>
> Thanks for any advice,
>
> Les
> '84 Westy
> ________________________________________________________________
> GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
> Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
> Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
> http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.