trforfun

I recently purchased an 84 vanagon. Don't have any maintenance history. It appears that there is air trapped in the coolant system. A knowledgeable VW mechanic thinks it could be a sign of a head gasket problem. The van runs fantastically so I'm thinking that since the vehicle was purchased through the "Drive Away Hunger" program from the Portland Rescue Mission that someone may have inadvertently opened the coolant reservoir that shouldn't be opened and allowed air to be introduced into the system. Any comments? I was given a somewhat complex method to test, flush and top up the radiator and get rid of the air. Any suggestions would be helpfu. Thanks.

boschmann

There is a 13mm bleed screw on the top right of the radiator. Open this & rev the engine until only fluid comes out. If air gets back in suspect the notorious "head gasket".

trforfun

Thanks for the info. I had a dealer flush the system and it was erupting while they were filling the main tank so they seem to think it is a head gasket problem. The van runs great with plenty of power and pep so I'm not going to worry about it until it becomes more of a problem. I went out and bought a "backup" van that has a good engine but bad tranny. If you know of anyone who needs parts, I have a complete 84 vanagon (gray with blue interior) that I will part out. Thanks again. --Bruce