Comparing terms to other vehicles seems somewhat futile.  I've resigned
myself to the fact that the front of a Vanagon's engine (or any rear
engine VW for that matter) is the transaxle end along with all the other
oddities.

Mike

Robert Fisher wrote:
> FWIW, the Bentley calls the one on the left the 'expansion tank' and the
> one
> on the right the 'refill tank'. I've only seen one outboard tank on a
> system
> before, but A): the tank was right next to the radiator (not 17 feet away)
> and B): the radiator itself had the pressure cap on it. I'm guessing the
> 'extra' tank is there because the radiator doesn't have a pressure cap;
> there had to be one somewhere (not to mention they had to have a place for
> the coolant level sensor). That would actually make the 'refill tank' the
> 'expansion tank' by function, it seems to me.
> I'm further guessing that they did it that way in attempt to centrally
> locate all the service items in the engine compartment. The fact that you
> still had to go to the other end anyway to burp the system must've drove
> 'em
> nuts.
>
> Cya,
> Robert
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Larry Alofs" <lalofs@RCN.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 5:04 AM
> Subject: Re: different expansion tank question
>
>
>> I have never understood the use of the term expansion tank in
>> this context.  I believe that on American cars with "open"
>> cooling systems, the terms expansion amd overflow are often
>> used interchangably.  It's the tank where the extra coolant
>> overflows to when it gets hot and expands and doesn't all fit
>> in the radiator. A "closed" system on the other hand, is not
>> normally expected to overflow, and has a tank with an air
>> space to allow the coolant to expand when it heats up without
>> producing too much pressure. This can be called an expansion
>> tank.
>>  When peering into the engine bay from the rear of the van,
>> the left hand tank is the "pressure tank" and the one on the
>> right is the "overflow tank". IMHO :-)
>>
>> Larry A.
>>
>>
>> ---- Original message ----
>>
>>> Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 13:41:56 -0600
>>> From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
>>> Subject: Re: [VANAGON] different expansion tank question
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>
>>> Marty Kulmus wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks for all of your inputs. I am sorry for mixing my
>>
>> metaphors, I now
>>
>>>> know the proper names and locations of Mr. Expansion and
>>
>> Overflow. I now
>>
>>>> have to get work on testing.
>>>>
>>>> Marty
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Well, it's sort of like this. If you were  instructing a bunch of
>>> doctors on removing the appendix but were calling it the
>>
>> uvula all the
>>
>>> doctors would be looking in the throat trying to understand
>>
>> what you
>>
>>> were talking about.
>>>
>>> Ah, well. We all goof  it at one time or another, and me more
>>
>> often than
>>
>>> not!! :-)
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> John Rodgers
>>> 88 GL Driver
>>> 88 GL Volksiebus Driver
>
>