> I believe that is backwards.  It should come up the side and down
> through the cooling veins and then out.  This is the direction of the
> thermodynamics, colder water (relative) will sink....

This is correct.  I will add that the coolant has to raise about 2
feet alongside the cooling fins before "waterfalling" into the fins.
Unfortunately the h20 pump does not generate enough pressure at idle to
get the coolant "over the top".  This is why if you remove your bleeder
screw at idle nothing will come out.  The engine must be running at about
2000 rpm to get enough h20 pressure to make the radiator actually cool the
coolant.  Makes me wonder about the effectiveness of this cooling system.
You would think the VW engineers that designed this cooling system would
have realized this and built a shorter, fatter radiator or a better
waterpump.

Andrew
86 Westy (has new H20 pump and radiator)

 > > Jere > > -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Jay L Snyder
> Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 7:49 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Radiator Design
>
>
> Anyone had a Vanagon radiator apart, or know of its internal
> construction? The Tiico owner who stated he might have crossed his hoses
> in the back got me thinking.  I know both hoses attach near the bottom
> of the radiator.  I assume it flows in the bottom and fills to the top,
> then drops down the side  channel (where the bleeder bolt is attached)
> and out the bottom and back to the thermostat/water pump?
>
>                                                                   Jay
> '85
> Westy
>