Dan,
        Stop!! Don't prise the thermo bleed cap. On your model it's really a valve
that will pass air into the bleed ring that runs around the top of the
engine compartment. Try parking on a steep hil or jacking up the rear. Run
it up to temp, then open that valve. If air is your problem you should begin
to see bubbles gurgling around in the bleed ring.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
John Meeks
Top of Lower Michigan
91 Westfalia MultiVan

     -----Original Message-----
     From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
     Of Dan Haydon
     Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 1:27 PM
     To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
     Subject: 91 GL Running hot still...what next?

     Hi group,

     At first I thought that my fan switch was not working and that
     was why I was heating up past the standard level, but then I
     noticed that the coolant is not reaching the radiator. I
     replaced the thermostat and it's still not passing through
     (turns out the old thermo was OK too).

     Both the metal pass tube from the thermostat and the bypass
     tube are hot, but the hose from the radiator into the
     thermostat is cool and is passing little or no coolant ( I can
     squeeze it until both sides touch). Is this most likely air in
     the lines or blockage of the radiator?

     I cracked the radiator bleed screw as the motor heated up to
     confirm and not so much as a whisper came from it. The bleed
     screw on the thermo housing...I twisted the plastic cap on the
     top and it seemed threaded. Do I need to prise that off to get
     to the bleed screw underneath or is that the bleed screw?

     Or how about a garden hose flush, would that do anything?

     Thanks a bunch for the continuing support on this issue!

     Hosed in Colorado,
     Dan Haydon