Hi ..
buy the welded aluminum tank Van Cafe sells.
About $ 200.
I just put one on a Diesel vanagon..works nicely.
the cap took a lot ( too much really )  of downward hand pressure to get it
to go on...I had to tweak on the ears of the pressure cap.  I told VC about
it.

physical repairs to the old bottle are temporary at best, in my experience.

send a picture of your air filter element and we can tell you if it's too
soaked in a-frz .
like..how would we know ?
you're the person by the van.
and no paper air filter element would be very useable if it got well-soaked
in any liquid.

if you fill it, run it, fill it some more..
and keep doing that a while, including running the front heater ...
Then just let it sit for a good cool-down period ..
like say 2 to 4 hours...
you'll see the level in the pressure bottle has dropped from where it was.
Top it up ..
run it through another well warmed up cycle..
then let it sit, like overnight .
then top up that air space.
 do that 3 or 4 times ...top up he air space at the top of the pressure
bottle , after a full cool-down ..and it will be plenty bled , assuming
everything in your cooling system is basically working like it should.

Scott
turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Lee" <techedteacher@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 10:01 PM
Subject: Diesel na is breathing coolant

> Yellow Sub just sprayed coolant over the top of the engine.   On a short
> drive down the Baltimore 83 Expressway she choked and died, from breathing
> coolant sprayed and vacuumed into the air intake.
> The Coolant Expansion Tank  (82 diesel na) has a side seam crack that
> faces
> the engine.
>
> I followed the recent Coolant Threat and bought Zerex G-05, distilled
> water
> and coolant tester.
> But the proper replacement tank is rare I discovered. Found one OEM for
> $149 + shipping.
>
> Its HDHP --> a thick milk bottle, Right?
> The crack is on a seam.  So gluing and sealing seams with fiberglass and
> TAP-
> Poly Weld <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9yhanz5DE> should work I
> think.    I like the idea of saving the rare part, like welding the oil
> pan.  Or is it 30 year old brittle?
>
> My questions
> 1)  am I better off just buying the $150 OEM tank?
>
> 2)  any experience using Poly Weld?  The youtube is really clear.
>
> 3)  Is my new air filter OK after breathing coolant?
>
> 4)  point me to basic the step-by-step and precautions to drain, refill
> and
> test the coolant system~~ For Dummies and  Novice Mechanics.   Must be
> flushed, right?   Bleeding?
>      Is my Bentley Manual good for this?
>
> 5)  I have new Van Cafe headlights and relay to install.  Sounds like this
> is a good project for same time, since bleeding is at the front end.
> Correct?
>
> Frank