In a message dated 11/02/2007 10:11:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

I just  drained all the coolant and oil and can't find any evidence of
cross  contamination.  It runs great with no loss of "power".  Is  there
anything else that would cause the coolant level to rise after  driving?
It will raise about two to three inches in the coolant fill  bottle.  I
bled the system with the nose raised and all the air seemed  to come out.
There is no coolant leakage out of the outer water jacket  gasket either
which last time my head gaskets leaked the combustion gasses  seemed to
force coolant to leak out of those.

Don't know what to  look for next.  I would hate to tear down my top end
to find out it  was something else.

You,  do realize that the coolant normally expands when the engine is up to
operating  temperature ?  That's why there is the expansion overflow tank
behind the  licence plate door.  When the coolant gets hot it expands and needs to
go  somewhere so that it can get back in the main system when the system cools
off  and creates a vacuum.  That's the job of that cap on the main tank.
Now, if your getting more than the normal amount of expansion then you have a
combustion leak into the coolant system.  This does not always result in  cross
contamination of the fluids.  If there is a crack in a head that only  opens
when under sever heat & load then the combustion escaping  prevents coolant
from entering but over pressures the coolant system.  When  the engine cools the
crack seals so no leak is detected.  The only way you  find these leaks is
with a leak down test done on a hot engine and possibly a  coolant system
pressure test, however if the crack is small and only opening up  under extreme
loads then it may be difficult to find.

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains (_Collection
for  sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
_Vanagon  Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
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camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10,  2007