On Thu, 6 Oct 1994, Tim Smith wrote:

> I think it was about 3/8 in. clear cheapo tubing, but I ended up whittling 
> it down a bit so I could screw it into the bleed hole. Try 5/16 maybee. Has 
> anyone simply stuck a bleed valve back instead of the bolt, since this 
> bleeding problem is repetitious? They usually will take a small bore hose 
> directly. Life could be easier then(or if I owned an air-cooled)
> 
On the top left hand corner of my rad, there is a bleeder screw that looks
very much like a brake bleeder screw. I slip on a length of small bore
silicon tubing (from the lab!), about 3 mm I.D., over that bleeder screw
with the other end submerged in some coolant in the pop bottle. This way,
I can situate the bottle so I can see bubbles come out when I'm back at
the engine revving it up to 2500 rpm.

Couple of other things discovered:

-after draining coolant, disconnect the pipe going into the bottom of the
rad and see how much crud drains out of that pipe. Stick the garden hose
as far as you can up that pipe and reem it out with water pressure.

-peek into the rad through the thermosensor holes. See how badly crudded
up the rad is. Consider removing the rad to a shop for cleaning, (if
it is a metal NOT plastic rad). 

-stick the old garden hose into the rad through the bottom (hot water
in?), entrance, seal with old rag and turn on hose. If the thermosensor is
still removed, the water will spurt out there, maybe carrying some crud,
ah satisfaction.

I spent an afternoon flushing this way and that. It did improve my
cooling, also improved the van's cooling. But I do need to have the rad
professionally cleaned.

BTW, has anybody used polypropylene glycol base anti-freeze?

Alistair