Thanks Larry!

Sadly, when I checked my van the other day after going up a somewhat
serious hill and I saw some small amount of bubbling in the tank behind
the license plate when it was idling - so I suspect there are combustion
gasses coming through.  :/   I'd like to do the sniffer test again.  Is
there any chance this could be coming from anything natural - eg, like
steam/water vapour from the coolant?   Engine was probably on for about
15 minutes in total - warm enough to get up to full operating
temperature, but not for any length of time.

I'm torn on what to do.  I really don't have the time on my hands to do
a full engine removal and disassembly ala
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=286798 - so do I keep
driving it gently with this knowledge and wait until it gets so bad the
engine overheats?...   I suspect it'll get worse over time and force me
to fix it.

Tom

On 13-05-08 03:00 PM, Larry Alofs wrote:
> Tom,
>    If you (or anyone else) would like to make an adapter to test
> pressure caps, get this fitting from Stant:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Stant-12017-Threaded-Radiator-Cooling/dp/B000CKTJYG
>
> Or search for Stant 12017
>
> Its two male ends let you attach the cap under test to another old cap
> that has had the valves removed.  Then you just need a way of applying
> and measuring pressure.
>
> Larry A.
>   finally found the box with that stuff in it
>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 12:51 PM, Tom Carchrae <tom@carchrae.net
> <mailto:tom@carchrae.net>> wrote:
>
>     Roger: Yeah, I want to build a tester gizmo.  I also have a PSI
>     guage that
>     I was thinking of plumbing into the cooling system - I have not gotten
>     around to it though!....  how did you build yours?  I was thinking
>     the best
>     design would be an old expansion tank and a bike pump.
>
>     Larry:  I've only done the cursor blowing through the cap.  I know
>     it holds
>     pressure (loosened it while warm!), and I know it can let
>     fluid/air in/out.
>
>
>     Yes, pressure caps are cheap, but the rest of your cooling system +
>     radiators, etc are not.  I think a cap tester is a good preventative
>     investment. The quality of caps seems all over the place.
>
>
>
>
>     On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 9:32 AM, Roger Barkley
>     <rvbarkley4347@gmail.com <mailto:rvbarkley4347@gmail.com>>wrote:
>
>     >
>     > New pressure caps can be bad. I was suspect of my old one so
>     ordered a new
>     > one from GoWesty and installed. Thought I would test the old one
>     so I built
>     > a gizmo to test. It tested fine, just for kicks I tested the new
>     one.....it
>     > didn't start to bleed off untill nearly 30 #'s  ! Returned it
>     and put the
>     > old one back on. Also went through two "new" front heater valves
>     that
>     > leaked after only a month or two. Went to VW for the third one,
>     two years
>     > and its still good. Moral.....be suspect of new parts...
>     >
>     > Roger B.
>     >
>     > From:    Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET <mailto:tom@CARCHRAE.NET>>
>     > Subject: Re: coolant overflow fears and thoughts
>     >
>     > @Bill - I've blown through that pipe, it is not blocked.  In
>     fact, I used
>     > it to drain the extra coolant out of the bottle.  I wonder about
>     it being
>     > air tight though, although I've seen no leaks.
>     >
>     > @Dennis - Thanks.  I've been tempted to build a cap tester just
>     to confirm
>     > my theory on that cap holding too much pressure.  I ended up
>     replacing
>     > bleeder valve assembly, radiator, and at least one hose after
>     that had
>     > happened.  The only other thing I can think of that may have
>     caused the
>     > pressure problems was a badly routed front heater bypass job
>     (the heater
>     > hose may have been pinched behind spare tire).
>     >
>     > I have done the combustion gas sniffer test, and it came out ok.
>      I guess I
>     > should have a compression and/or leakdown test done again and
>     see if that
>     > shows any signs.  As you alluded, I suspect it may only be
>     failing when
>     > driving/under load.
>     >
>     > Any other ideas to confirm the issue before tearing the engine
>     apart or
>     > replacing... :/
>     >
>
>