The pressure cap should hold ~14 psi. The first step of any cooling
system repair is to pressure test the system, especially the cap. The
line can not be closed off. As the engine heats and cools, the coolant
will expand. If the line can not vent, then a hose has to blow or
something else has fail. The cap has an inlet check valve to allow the
coolant to return from the second tank each time the engine cools.

The actual detent you feel is in the transmission. The alignment is a
cable adjustment or ready to fail issue. Make sure the accelerator cable
is properly adjusted so the transmission kicks down when the pedal is
floored.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Aaron Robinson
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 7:09 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Expansion tank cap operation...

Hello all.

First, I just purchased my first Westfalia...a brown '85 automatic.
Overall,
it's a good vehicle, but there are a few questions that I have. How does
$2500
for a dirty, but functional Westy sound?

So, here are my issues so far...

1) I was trying to figure out the hot running. So I started to
bleed/fill the
cooling system and noticed when filling the radiator from the front (I
know...not bentley procedure) that the expansion tank cap would pour out
coolant through the cap nipple even though there was very little
pressure on
it. Is this normal, or should it hold a lot more pressure than that. Can
I just
temporarily clamp off the hose that goes to the other expansion tank?

The other expansion/fill tank (the one behind the license plate) gets
overfull
from this...it also has a small hole in it which gets rid of all of the
nice
blue coolant that I just put in there.

I don't know if this van is blowing exhaust gasses into the cooling
system or
that it just has a lot of air in it from a bad cap and tank.

2) It's my first auto vanagon. The shifter up front has very "soft"
detents for
the shift selector. The are also off by 1...D=N, 2=D, etc. Is there any
way to
improve this and or the soft feel?
What kind of ATF should be used? I used Dexron III. Is that OK?
Anything else that should be done/known about he Automatic?

3) What's the best way to clean the velvety top of the poptop. Mine has
remnants
of mold there...not pretty to look at.

I think that's all for now. Other than being dirty and having a few
extra screw
holes in cabinets from accessories that are no longer installed, it is
in
fairly good shape.

Thanks!
Aaron