David, you're probably right, but here's why I'm concerned.

1. This is not the original pressure cap. It's one that Mark Drillock
gave me, it's a different style being dark blue plastic and dome-shaped.
Dunno if it has the same specs.

2. After pressurizing the system and staring at the rad for a while, I
noticed another leak under the van, at a hose clamp on one of the rad
lines. It never leaked before. A 16th of a turn on the worm screw
stopped the leak.

3. Another leak popped up at a smaller line in the engine compartment,
also at a hose clamp. This also was a new leak.

So, unknown pressure cap, two leaks sprung. All I'm saying is that I
hope these were the only two leaks!

--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
Bend, Ore.
1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people.
1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct company in
San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.

On 05/06/2012 09:29 AM, David Beierl wrote:
> At 09:27 AM 5/6/2012, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>> Yah, my heater box was not sealed with any adhesive, nor were the
>> plastic tabs welded. It was just clipped together. I lucked out there.
>
> Yes, they had the evil plan in place, but not the welding machine. Lucky
> devil.
>
>
>> Now I'm worrying that the bicycle pump cooling system pressurizing
>> trick I did yesterday to find the leak in the radiator might have
>> caused internal leakage in the engine. I wasn't aware that the cooling
>> system had so much pressure in it until I loosened the expansion tank
>> cap.
>
> Jack...take a shot of your favorite relaxant and slow down. This is the
> third time I'm telling you. The pressure cap Will. Not. Permit. a
> pressure higher than the design pressure to remain in the system. That's
> what the pressure cap is for. *IF* you momentarily overpressurized the
> system with the pump it immediately vented back out again through the
> cap. The pressure normally in the system at operating temperature is
> enough to shoot call it 25 feet in the air.
>
> Yours,
> David
>
>