When the engine was in the back seat were the coolant lines open, uncapped?
I would suspect "critters".  Those lines would make perfect mouse warrens,
especially considering the sweet smell and taste of coolant.  If it were me,
I'd get one of those roto-rooter snake things at the hardware store and
snake away.
Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jay L Snyder" <Jay.L.Snyder@usa.dupont.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2001 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: 2.1 coolant woes

> By forcing through, do you mean garden hose pressure?  This much higher
> than a water pump will put out.  I think you still a blockage somewhere.
> What a pain.  Good Luck.
>
>
>
>
> Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@worldnet.att.net> on 05/09/2001 07:22:23 PM
>
> Please respond to Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@worldnet.att.net>
>
> To:   vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> cc:    (bcc: Jay L Snyder/AE/DuPont)
> Subject:  2.1 coolant woes
>
>
>
>
> Hello all,
> I'm tearing out most of the little hair I have left over this.  I am not
> getting coolant circulation on my '88.
> I'm trying to bleed the system, and not getting any coolant to the
> radiator.
> It has a new water pump and I've attempted this with the thermostat in and
> with the thermostat out.  I have disconnected the lines/hoses and forced
> water through them, and they seem to all be open.  I can force water
> through
> the radiator, and also through the engine block.
> The van had been sitting for approximately two years with the engine in
the
> back seat.  I installed the engine, using the Bently as a blueprint.  I've
> double checked and all of the hoses seem to be in the correct locations.
> After it's been running for a few minutes, it starts to get pretty darned
> hot, and I run out of courage and shut it down.
> Is there anything obvious that I'm missing here?  I suspected possibly a
> blockage in one of the main coolant lines, but forcing water through
> indicated that there was no blockage.  I am getting some heat out of the
> front (didn't check rear) heater.
> What happens inside the distribution tower?  Is it possible that a baffle
> is
> broken off in there and doing some blockage?
> I can trouble shoot a 1.9, but especially since this was in a shoebox when
> I
> got it, I'm having some real problems finding my way around a 2.1.
> It's also running poorly and quite rich, and I'm suspecting some clogged
> injectors, but I'll get into that later.  Right now I'm just trying not to
> melt the damned thing.
> Thanks in advance,
> Karl Wolz
>