1987 Westy Engine Tin?

Post by **Sluggo** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 1:45 pm

I just helped someone from The Samba with their '87 Vanagon Westy. Something I noticed while I was in there, no engine tin or seal. There were 2 pieces of lower tin under the heads and that's it. No engine tin or seals. You can see the ground.

My question:

Should there be tin & seals on a Watercooled '87 Vanagon? She definitwely has some heat problems.

bottomend · Post by **bottomend** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 2:50 pm

Dude, it's water cooled so... the " engine tin" is really the radiator. Check that and see what you find. You've been working on aircooled's too long...

Post by **Sluggo** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 5:41 pm

bottomend wrote:Dude, it's water cooled so... the " engine tin" is really the radiator. Check that and see what you find. You've been working on aircooled's too long...

That's what I figured. I just wanted to make sure. This Vanagon belongs to a very nice older woman who is traveling the country on her own. She knows nothing about cars let alone VWs so I wanted to take a look for her. She thought it was air-cooled when she brought it to me. Beautiful Vanagon too! Automtic, A/C, original paint, all the stickers and paperwork. She bought it from a minister who was into VWs and worked on all his cars himself.

tristessa · Post by **tristessa** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:29 pm

Burp the cooling system; air bubbles in a wasser Vanagon radiator es no bueno. There should be a bleeder valve in the top of teh radiator, pull the upper grill to access it. You'll probably want to jack up the front of the van to be sure the bleeder is the highest point in the cooling system.

Those lower tins on the WBX engines? They're there to protect the pushrod tubes from debris, nothing more. You've been working on T1/T4-engined aircooleds too long. Type 3, even with all the cooling tin in place you can see the pavement under the engine. :

bottomend · Post by **bottomend** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:55 am

I'm the last person to say anything about A vanagon but I've heard that you're ONLY supposed to use the VW brand coolant in those.

Post by **Sluggo** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:09 am

tristessa wrote:Burp the cooling system; air bubbles in a wasser Vanagon radiator es no bueno. There should be a bleeder valve in the top of teh radiator, pull the upper grill to access it. You'll probably want to jack up the front of the van to be sure the bleeder is the highest point in the cooling system.

Thanks! I just shot her an e-mail telling her to stop by and have me do this before she leaves.

bottomend · Post by **bottomend** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:47 pm

I was reading on the samba van forum that NOT doing this ( the bleed thing) is the death of the cooling systems in these vehicals.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

1987 Westy Engine Tin?

1987 Westy Engine Tin?