Hi Dean..thanks for weighing in...I'm always hyper sensitive to that sweet
(not so sweet) smell...between that and gasoline I have always made it a
point to keep my sniffer active around this car- that doesn't mean I
haven't missed it...

With the heads replaced in 05, this little buggy has been so faithful...

I'll keep looking for the leak (please let it be!!!) and if I have to tear
it up, I will...I swapped an old 351 for 351 last year, this has much more
access and a much smaller footprint...

Dave

On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 11:17 AM, Dean S <predsmaniac@gmail.com> wrote:

> David after the van has warmed up some and you have taken it on the road to
> drive  and got it up to operating temperature and then parked it...do you
> smell a faint hint of coolant,when you depart the vehicle? I had this
> happen for a long while and no one could find the issue...was eventually
> found out to be a leaking "water jacket" and have since had both replaced
> with new heads et all!
>
> hope that helps...I had the mystery disappearing coolant syndrome also as
> it was burning off with no discernible leaking.
>
> Good luck DS
>
> On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 2:07 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Also be sure that the hose from the blue cap is even connected to the
> > overflow tank. You'll miss the link for sure if it isn't.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 1:05 PM Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Right behind the license plate. There is a "full" mark molded into the
> > > plastic. The level should be round that. If it comes near the fill
> > hole--or
> > > above it so that it spills--you have a problem there.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > > On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 1:02 PM David <fjazzbass@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Hi Jim,
> > >>
> > >> Overflow in the rear (license plate) or expansion on the inside of
> > engine
> > >> cavity?
> > >>
> > >> thanks, Dave...
> > >>
> > >> On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 10:39 AM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Also if no one has mentioned it yet, be sure to check your overflow
> > tank.
> > >>> If coolant spills out when you open it, it's coming out when you are
> > >>> driving and you don't know it. Replace the cap.
> > >>>
> > >>> Jim
> > >>>
> > >>> On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 12:38 PM Stuart MacMillan <
> > stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> > >>> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>> > Internal leak would be into the crankcase, and you'd know about
> that!
> > >>> > Blown internal head gasket ring would over-pressurize the system
> and
> > >>> > coolant would come out of the overflow bottle.  Keep looking, the
> > front
> > >>> > heater valve above the spare or a cracked expansion tank can leak
> > under
> > >>> > pressure and you don't always see it.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Since you have metal coolant tubes to the radiator, I doubt those
> are
> > >>> > leaking like the plastic tubes do, but I'd make sure all
> connections
> > >>> are
> > >>> > tight. Last, it could be the outer rubber head gaskets with a slow
> > >>> leak. :-(
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Stuart
> > >>> >
> > >>> > -----Original Message-----
> > >>> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > >>> Behalf
> > >>> > Of David
> > >>> > Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 7:02 AM
> > >>> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > >>> > Subject: Coolant Loss- is it that time again?
> > >>> >
> > >>> > On my 85 1.9 (second set of heads...that we did 11 years ago) I'm
> > >>> > suspecting internal leakage...
> > >>> >
> > >>> > I have had a lot of coolant loss over a long period of time...I
> > topped
> > >>> up
> > >>> > the bottle- thinkng that maybe when a heater control switch was
> > >>> switched
> > >>> > out that we just didn't get all the air out of the system...
> > >>> >
> > >>> > I did have another external leak that I fixed- but something just
> > >>> doesn't
> > >>> > seem right.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Just finished pouring about a gallon of antifreeze into the system
> > this
> > >>> > AM- and doing some bleeding...what's next? How can I locate this
> > >>> internal
> > >>> > leak?
> > >>> > Or would there be some other not so obvious places? Rear heater is
> > >>> > bypassed...maybe lost coolant from that operation and it's only
> > >>> showing up
> > >>> > now...something aint right!
> > >>> >
> > >>> > The engine runs like a champ- full power - after my more recent
> > >>> electrical
> > >>> > (I believe to have been) issues- reseating all major suspects...it
> > >>> runs and
> > >>> > idles wonderfully....
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Any advice is welcome... do we have to check for exhaust in the
> > >>> coolant?
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Dave
> > >>> > 85 1.9 GL MT
> > >>> >
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Us7SZ7eY0GCHXKxNwDnww
>
> "Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis"  "*Malo periculosam, libertatem
> quam quietam servitutem"*
> La Florida 1513
>
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>