Whups!! Missed the point, didn't I!!

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Karl Wolz wrote:
>
> I read the post to say that the debris was on the outside  of the radiator,
> but pretty well impregnated into the "nooks and crannies".
>
> Karl Wolz
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Rodgers" <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, May 28, 2001 6:45 AM
> Subject: Re: kaibab trip report + cooling issues
>
> > If I had that kind of mud and debris in my cooling system, and knew I
> > would have the hot tempertures and a fair amount of mountain climbing, I
> > think I would change the water pump. The impellers can't be in the best
> > of shape.
> >
> > Good Luck\
> >
> > John Rodgers
> > 88 GL Driver
> >
> >
> > bret wrote:
> > >
> > > I took my two oldest children (6 and 9 yr) on a overnight trip yesterday
> > > from St. George, Utah to the Kaibab Plateau (North Rim of the Grand
> > > Canyon).  This was to serve as a shakedown trip, of sorts, for my
> recently
> > > acquired 1982 diesel Westfalia.  I was curious to see how it would deal
> > > with the full-on heat of the summer here in this climate.  When we left
> > > St. George (elevation 2700 feet) it was over 100 deg F.  As we began to
> > > climb the Hurricane Fault, about a 1000 foot elevation transition, it
> > > became apparent that I would need to watch the heat gauge.  The LED
> began
> > > flashing.  I was able to (mostly) keep the flashing off by turning the
> > > cabin heat on full bore.  In this heat it really didn't seem to make
> much
> > > of a difference, comfort wise, anyway.  We continued to have trouble the
> > > entire climb.
> > >
> > > With many stops we finally made it to Jacob's Lake on the
> > > Kaibab at an elevation of about 8000 feet.  The air was sweetly cool at
> > > this elevation.  Slow deliberate travel in the hot house diesel
> Westfalia
> > > made the arrival in the cool pine forest more of a treat than past trips
> I
> > > have made there in a shiny new air conditioned Honda at 80 mph.  It felt
> > > like we had earned the destination!  We stayed at a US Forest Service
> > > campground.  It cooled to the 50s (deg F) that evening and was perfect
> > > sleeping temperature.  The stars were bright and the evening meal
> > > delicious.
> > >
> > > We drove straight back home the next morning.  Naturally I was
> interested
> > > in solving the cooling issue.  This afternoon I looked around on the web
> > > and decided I should make sure my cooling system was purged of air.  I
> > > warmed up the van and pulled off the grill.  I thought while I was at
> it,
> > > I would rinse off the radiator.  I took a nozzle to the radiator and
> found
> > > that not only bugs were rinsing out, but lots and lots of mud, sand and
> > > twigs.  I rinsed for at least 1/2 hour before the water ran clear.  I
> > > should mention here that I had found this kind of debris packed
> underneath
> > > the chassis earlier.  It never occurred to me that it would also be in
> the
> > > radiator.  My current theory is that the van was in a flash flood when
> it
> > > belonged to a previous owner who lived in Springdale, Utah (next to Zion
> > > National Park).
> > >
> > > I was able to purge a small amount of air from the system.  With that
> and
> > > the removal of the mud, I am hoping the cooling system will perform
> better
> > > the next trip.
> > >
> > > -bret