Why doncha just ask about tires or gun control, for Chrissake?  We aren't
going to hear the end of this thread till Halloween.

Fill the engine as best you can while level.  You now have ninety -
ninety-five percent of the coolant in.  Now jack up the front end and start
up the engine.  Open your heater boxes and your bypass valve (on the
firewall in your '85).  Let it run till the thermostat opens and THEN open
your bleed valve to allow air to escape.  You'll want to keep the engine
rpms up around 3K while venting (good job for GF/SO/wife).  Should only take
a few minutes once it's warmed up.

Karl

----- Original Message -----
From: "mike miller" <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2001 11:15 AM
Subject: bleeding a van - coolant

> Van gurus,
>
> I bled the coolant in the course of another job on the van, thinking to
kill
> two birds with, well, you know.
>
> The BOOK says to open the bleeder, jack up  the front of the van, and add
> coolant through the tank in the rear.
>
> The tank is above the thermostat, which is, of course, closed.  Now I'm
> supposed to start the engine and run it and add coolant.
>
> QUESTION:  Am I going to toast the engine before that thermostat opens and
> lets in coolant?  And if so, how do I get coolant in?
>
> TIA
>
> Mike
> from Sacramento, and confusion [and chagrin; I've done this before and
can't
> remember how.]