Mine is a Diesel but may have similar principles..
Use a cheap garden pressure sprayer.. take the spray nozzel off and
configure it to match your hose size on
the tube that goes from the cap to the burp tank(overflow)
the cap is designed to burb extra (expanded) coolant and then return it
back to the sealed system as it cools .
so a properly working cap holds 12-15psi 1 way and has no restriction
back in..

anyways. fill the pressure pump (y ou can find 1gal small ones) with
your antifreeze mix and hook up to the cap.
pump it up a few times for 'light pressure'  the cap will vent if you
get rambunctious and go above 12-15psi anyways.

with the van running (idling is fine) go up front and open the bleed
screw slightly, ti it flows clear coolant no bubbles..

not going to promise this won't spill more coolant.. but it'll be
easier then being on 2 ends at the same time while elevated and revving
the dickens out of the engine.

don't forget to OPEN the heater cores front & back..

repeat as necessary.

Dan in syracuse.
_________________________________________________________

In a message dated 8/3/2005 7:31:46 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
aflores14@CSUB.EDU writes:

I just  replaced the water pump on an 84 Westy and now need to bleed
the
cooling  system. I have attempted several different methods and thus
far only have
an  incredibly hot running Vanagon and $40 worth of coolant all over
my
driveway.

Any suggestions on how to bleed the cooling system?