hi Jim,
re
a coolant smell at the exhaust pipe "

I wouldn't agree with that at all, on waterboxers.
Sure.....once in a while there is a clear case of a-frz or a-frz smell at
the tail pipe.
Mostly .......there isn't .
Especially if it's combustion gases getting into the cooling system.
No tail pipe symptoms at all usually, in a case like that.
Whether waterboxer or Subaru engine ...no tail pipe smell or white smoke
etc.  'Usually.'

I'm still curious about how long the heads have been on.
Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2011 6:25 AM
Subject: Re: Problem with 1991 Vanagon cooling system

> When cars have bad head gaskets and pressurize their coolant systems and
> start blowing stuff, the "blowing out" symptoms are almost always
> accompanied by several other symptoms: a coolant smell at the exhaust
> pipe,
> a noticeable loss of coolant over a short period of time, and running hot
> at
> least when pulling a grade.
>
> This car has none of those characteristics. It never overheats, but has a
> rock-steady-in-the-middle temp needle, until a bottom hose blows off a
> pipe
> (the flange is gone at the particular junction in question).
>
> It has never blown a hose in the two years I've owned it, but has split
> various plastic things like coolant tanks. The heater valve mishap was
> probably due to the fact that my daughter added water on a cold night, and
> then coolant, but didn't start the car. I think the water trapped i the
> rear
> heater froze and broke the thing. And if this is a head gasket problem,
> why
> has it never blown anything on or close to the engine?
>
> I'm not saying I know the answer, I am just asking the question. I have a
> lot of experience working on vanagons, but this is the first time I have
> seen one head gasket symptom without the others.
>
> That's what makes me think this latest round, after no trouble all during
> the hot summer, is just the pipe coupling itself.
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 6:44 AM, Jim Johnston <inmytree1@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> A few years ago, I had the coolant t/junction piece blowout due to too
>> much
>> pressure in the system.
>>
>> Turned out to be a bad radiator.
>>
>>
>> Jim
>> Wilmington, NC
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 9:05 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I am no stranger to Vanagon 2.1 cooling problems, but I could use some
>>> opinions as how to proceed with my daughter's 1991 GL.
>>>
>>> She let it get low on coolant a year or so ago (weird leaks, she has
>>> actually taken pretty good care of the car). But in a year and a half or
>>> so,
>>> it is split two primary coolant bottles, popped a hose or two, blew a
>>> chunk
>>> out of the rear heater valve housing, and blown the big bottom hose off
>>> its
>>> plastic pipe. There have always been other explanations as to these
>>> blowouts
>>> and such, but as always those can be rationalizations as much as
>>> explanations.
>>>
>>> It is the plastic pipe problem that I have been dealing with lately.
>>> Some
>>> time ago the metal end pulled out of the pipe. I did what I have always
>>> successfully done which is to epoxy it back in and never think about it
>>> again. But today she was driving and it popped loose and drained all the
>>> coolant. She refilled with water and got to my house and I put in an
>>> epoxy
>>> lip around the end of the plastic pipe as I had done many years ago on a
>>> 1990, and never had another issue with it. I actually did a better job
>>> on
>>> hers than I did on my Carat, yet the hose blew off with the epoxy lip
>>> minutes after startup.
>>>
>>> I suspect that I have a leaking head gasket overpressurizing the system,
>>> but
>>> there are no other symptoms suggesting it. I have not kept coolant in it
>>> recently long enough to tell exhaust gases are dirtying the coolant and
>>> I
>>> have not done the overnight cooldown test where you start it up and run
>>> it
>>> for 30 seconds to see if that puts pressure into the coolant system.
>>>
>>> I am going to try this weekend making a wire lip that sits in a groove
>>> that
>>> I will dremel into the end of the plastic pipe and see if that holds by
>>> sheer mechanical force.
>>>
>>> Any other suggestions? I especially want to hear from anyone who has
>>> converted to coolant hose to replace the plastic pipe and has details to
>>> share.
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>
>>
>>