You got it !
Your first descriptive sentence, about cold operation is perfectly correct.

The second sentence.....coolant returning from the engine doesn't go to the
head, it goes to the thermostat connection - The main circuit is , out at
the side of the end, return to the engine at the thermostat.

Oh, you just recently got this van.  All right !
Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Mariposa Charme
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: I'd love to pick the brain of a diesel vanagon owner with some
cooling circulation experience

Okay, I think that I have finally figured it out....could not sleep last
night, and spent some time on pages 19.4 and 19.5 of the faboulous Bentley.

If I understand the colling system correctly, when the engine is cool, the
hot coolant leaves the head of the motor, goes to the water pump through
that little bypass, and back to motor. When the engine is hot, the
thermostat opens, and the hot coolant circulates the other way; the hot
collant now circulates to the rad, cause the thermostat is now open, and
cool colant comes from the rad, and now goes into the head.

Sounds complicated huh, man, but that is the only way I can see it working.

Anybody can infirm or confirm?Marie; Proud new owner of a 83 diesel Vanagon
with a mystery jetta gas motor Yukon
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