Just got back in from moving the A/C compressor out of the way.  As Robert,
Terry and others pointed out, it wasn't the oil cooler hose.  I thought it
was, because I was looking at the ETKA diagram, and it basically shows
everything on the same level (Note to self - Never assume...).

The hose that broke is the coolant line from the left cylinder head to the
coolant manifold - the strange one that has a 90 degree bend, and changes
size about three times.  P/N is 025 121 058M.  It split right were it goes
into the head.

A new one is on order from Bus Depot.  After I install it, I'm going to
pressure test the cooling system to make sure that all is well.  Guess I'll
have to go buy another few gallons of coolant...<sigh>

Don in Reidsville, NC
1986 Kawasaki Concours
1988 Vanagon GL (Sylvia)
"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Cardo" <rrecardo@WEBTV.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Fri 29 April 2005 01:14
Subject: Re: Coolant leak below A/C compressor

> If you plan on replacing the two oil cooler hoses, they are best
> attacked from the underside of the Van.
>
> You'd have to be Houdini to get to the two hoses from the top.
>
>
> Subject: Coolant leak below A/C compressor
>
> Went out today to verify that the van's left head had a blown coolant
> seal. It appears from closer investigation that there is a leak above
> the left head, from a hose (or the pipe it connects to) just above it
> (oil cooler hose???). I guess tomorrow I'll move the A/C compressor out
> of the way and check into it more thoroughly, since it is directly below
> the compressor and very difficult to see.
> Any tips/tricks/prayers anyone can offer? There is no coolant in the
> oil, and it appears that there is no oil in the coolant, so I may have
> just lucked out. Could a leak in the hose going to the oil cooler have
> caused the water temperature to be reading high lately? It doesn't peak
> the gauge, but it has been running about 2-3 needle widths higher than
> in the past, and it had been using/loosing some coolant (I had thought
> that I hadn't bled the system correctly after changing the expansion
> tank - guess that wasn't it!).
> Don in Reidsville, NC