Gday ALL,
For hands-on syncro owners, I think the following article describing a single person alternate procedure for cooling system maintenance is well worth a read. It's certainly different to VW's and Bentleys prescribed method which generally is best done with 2 persons or else at least a well practiced single operator.
http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/bleeding-the-cooling-system_topic29710.html?KW
Cheers.
Ken
Ken,
Thanks for posting this-I find such articles useful and enjoy the writing style of this one.
Do you interpret the author using antifreeze as the neat undiluted product, and coolant as the made up diluted product ie ? He talks of "pour in neat antifreeze first" and also that 16litres of coolant needs 8 litres of antifreeze for a 50/50 mix. I can't quite reconcile this with filling up with neat antifreeze and then topping up with coolant if the final contents of the cooling system should end up 50/50 antifreeze/(distilled) water.
Even 50/50 coolant seems questionable according to my coolant bottle which recomends 2parts water to 1 part antifreeze as strong enough for protection down to -20C which should be adequate here and even the UK home of the author. 50/50 is for temperatures of - 40C which we don't get an awful lot of even in Melbourne!
I'm begining to think perhaps it is rocket science but the mechanical side of what he describes seems sound and simple enough - he just seems a little arbitary with his use of the terms coolant and antifreeze. Or am I just becoming a grumpy old pedant?
Cheers
Roger
--- On Sat, 22/8/09, unclekenz <unclekenz@hotmail.com> wrote:
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Ken, Roger,
I have observed two methods of filling a T3 system from empty and neither involve raising the front or bleeding the radiator top vent.
The first method involved a purpose made standpipe that snapped on to the header tank. The standpipe was about 18” long and the top became the highest point in the system. The coolant was poured in with the engine off until the header tank was full, then the engine run just above idle. This caused the level to drop and coolant was continuously added until the tank was full again. Then the engine was run around 2000 RPM and coolant added as the level dropped. When the header tank dropped to the MAX line but no further, the job was done.
The second was the same but did not use the standpipe. The person doing the filling has run a VW place for 25 years and he said that the system was self-bleeding. It worked in any event. He also mentioned something that I have never seen mentioned anywhere else, and that is that the air bleed hole in the thermostat is “pathetically small”. He has found that air pocket problems have been caused by the air bleed hole becoming blocked so he routinely drills it out to double the size.
Since I have never had my cooling system apart, I have not done either of the above methods myself but have observed both methods applied to my Syncro.
I would agree that the Brickyard writer is using some terms interchangeably. A 30% mix is more than high enough for Australia and ample for anti-corrosion protection.
Les
From:
Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
[mailto: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com ]
On Behalf Of Roger Bell
Sent: 24 August 2009 01:50
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia]
re: Bleeding the Cooling System
|
Ken, Thanks for posting this-I find such articles useful and enjoy the writing style of this one. Do you interpret the author using antifreeze as the neat undiluted product, and coolant as the made up diluted product ie ? He talks of "pour in neat antifreeze first" and also that 16litres of coolant needs 8 litres of antifreeze for a 50/50 mix. I can't quite reconcile this with filling up with neat antifreeze and then topping up with coolant if the final contents of the cooling system should end up 50/50 antifreeze/( distilled) water. Even 50/50 coolant seems questionable according to my coolant bottle which recomends 2parts water to 1 part antifreeze as strong enough for protection down to -20C which should be adequate here and even the UK home of the author. 50/50 is for temperatures of - 40C which we don't get an awful lot of even in Melbourne ! I'm begining to think perhaps it is rocket science but the mechanical side of what he describes seems sound and simple enough - he just seems a little arbitary with his use of the terms coolant and antifreeze. Or am I just becoming a grumpy old pedant? Cheers Roger
|
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Ken, Roger,
I have observed two methods of filling a T3 system from empty and neither involve raising the front or bleeding the radiator top vent.
The first method involved a purpose made standpipe that snapped on to the header tank. The standpipe was about 18” long and the top became the highest point in the system. The coolant was poured in with the engine off until the header tank was full, then the engine run just above idle. This caused the level to drop and coolant was continuously added until the tank was full again. Then the engine was run around 2000 RPM and coolant added as the level dropped. When the header tank dropped to the MAX line but no further, the job was done.
The second was the same but did not use the standpipe. The person doing the filling has run a VW place for 25 years and he said that the system was self-bleeding. It worked in any event. He also mentioned something that I have never seen mentioned anywhere else, and that is that the air bleed hole in the thermostat is “pathetically small”. He has found that air pocket problems have been caused by the air bleed hole becoming blocked so he routinely drills it out to double the size.
Since I have never had my cooling system apart, I have not done either of the above methods myself but have observed both methods applied to my Syncro.
I would agree that the Brickyard writer is using some terms interchangeably. A 30% mix is more than high enough for Australia and ample for anti-corrosion protection.
Les
From: Syncro_T3_Australia @yahoogroups. com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia @yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Roger Bell
Sent: 24 August 2009 01:50
To: Syncro_T3_Australia @yahoogroups. com
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australi a] re: Bleeding the Cooling System
|
Ken, Thanks for posting this-I find such articles useful and enjoy the writing style of this one. Do you interpret the author using antifreeze as the neat undiluted product, and coolant as the made up diluted product ie ? He talks of "pour in neat antifreeze first" and also that 16litres of coolant needs 8 litres of antifreeze for a 50/50 mix. I can't quite reconcile this with filling up with neat antifreeze and then topping up with coolant if the final contents of the cooling system should end up 50/50 antifreeze/( distilled) water. Even 50/50 coolant seems questionable according to my coolant bottle which recomends 2parts water to 1 part antifreeze as strong enough for protection down to -20C which should be adequate here and even the UK home of the author. 50/50 is for temperatures of - 40C which we don't get an awful lot of even in Melbourne! I'm begining to think perhaps it is rocket science but the mechanical side of what he describes seems sound and simple enough - he just seems a little arbitary with his use of the terms coolant and antifreeze. Or am I just becoming a grumpy old pedant? Cheers Roger --- On Sat, 22/8/09, unclekenz <unclekenz@hotmail. com> wrote:
|
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