replacing radiator on '84 VW turbo rabbit?

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:39:12 -0500, Nate Nagel <njnagel DeleteThis @roosters.net>
wrote:

>Reid Fleming wrote:
>> Despite a thorough flush, mine appears to be defunct. How hard of a job
>> is it to replace? A one-person job on a saturday? Two people on a weekend?
>> More? Suggestions / warnings / Caveats / hints welcome. Thanks!
>>
>
>Pretty easy, unless the "turbo" adds some complexity to the job. You
>ought to be able to do this yourself, remove fan as assembly, remove
>hoses, remove radiator. Assembly is the reverse etc. I'd buy a new fan
>thermoswitch rather than simply transfer the old one simply because
>they're known to fail and then you'll be good for another 15 years or so.
>
>nate

It is a 2 hour job or less on a 84 GTI. about as much time burping and
doing the R&R.

So what does defunct mean? I have had them start leaking at the seams
but never clog. I do have one on my 22 year old truck that needs to be
cleaned. I have replaced water pumps that have failed on a few cars.
Some water pumps use plastic impellers that get loose and do not pump
so swell. There are also different impeller sizes. If you install one
that is too big you have a problem. One that is too small and it will
not pump properly.

It has been a while but I think you can leave the fan attached to the
radiator. I would go one step further and replace the water thermostat
by the water pump.

Note that there is a burping process for these cars. I fill up the
radiator any way I can. I dump antifreeze in the top of the radiator
if it has a top. I dump it in the long top hose. I think in 84 they
have a coolant reservoir which I leave the top off of until it has
finished burping. I leave the heater control to full hot inside the
car. Important to know that the radiator can take up to another quart,
more or less of antifreeze after you fill it. There is a big air
pocket somewhere that takes a bit of time to get free.

If you have a factory turbo diesel it may not burp the same way as gas
engine. The gas engine makes plenty of heat on its own that burps if
there is fluid flowing around the thermostat by the water pump. Once
that thermostat opens up the air works its way out. My 2003 diesel
does not make a lot of heat at idle but it burped out ok. Note that
the 2003 engine and cooling system while similar to a 84 is not quite
the same.
 >> Stay informed about: replacing radiator on '84 VW turbo rabbit? 

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 >> Stay informed about: replacing radiator on '84 VW turbo rabbit? 

A classic case of a blown head gasket! Don't try to start it again,
hydrolock can cause more damage..

SFC

"Reid Fleming" <reid.TakeThisOut@bigredrockeater.com> schreef in bericht
news:slrngkid2c.qj.reid@spambait.whitehouse.gov...
> On 2008-12-17, Jim Behning <jimbehning.TakeThisOut@doesthisblockpork.mindspring.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> So what does defunct mean? I have had them start leaking at the seams
>> but never clog.
>
> When I bought it a year or so ago, my mechanic gave it a going over and
> told
> me the rad was in bad shape and would need to be replaced soon. A week
> ago
> I had it flushed, and a couple of days later my wife takes it out and goes
> for a spin, calls me at work to tell me there's white "smoke" pouring out
> from under the hood. When I get home and go over it I find:
>
> - it's really hard to start, sometimes "gets stuck", like it starts
> to turn over and then just stops. keep twisting the key and it
> sometimes starts
>
> - engine "misses" a lot, really really rough idling
>
> - _lots_ of white smoke from exhaust, doesn't go away
>
> - inside of engine compartment wet with radfluid
>
> - radfluid overflow tank is completely empty
>
> - radfluid bubbling from where hose connects to radiator on the top on
> the passenger side
>
> Called my mechanic and described the situation, he said that it sounded
> like the header gasket was bad and letting water into the engine which
> was filling one of the cylinders. Only one cylinder being full of water,
> *eventually* it will start, but it'll run really rough and produce lots
> of white exhaust, not good for the poor thing at all.
>
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