Club 80-90 Forums

Right, after scrabbling around under the van to replace the radiator I was faced with task of bleeding.

Quick search shows a cornucopia of methods involving jacking the van up (including the front, which is baffling) the rev it hard, the build up pressure and release and then also the Andrew Libby bong method (via The Samba).

This involves a length of white plastic waste pipe and a bit of gaffer tape. Wrap the pipe with gaffa until it is a very snug fit in the header tank. Fill with water to the top, which then gives enough head to pressurize the entire system. Crack the bleed valves, keep topping up the white pipe with water and before you know it there is clear bubble free water coming out all bleed valves.

Having run it up to temperature, there is no air in the system as both bleed valves are still only passing clear bubble free water.

What an excellent one man 5 minute bleed method.

T25Convert wrote:Right, after scrabbling around under the van to replace the radiator I was faced with task of bleeding.

Quick search shows a cornucopia of methods involving jacking the van up (including the front, which is baffling) the rev it hard, the build up pressure and release and then also the Andrew Libby bong method (via The Samba).

This involves a length of white plastic waste pipe and a bit of gaffer tape. Wrap the pipe with gaffa until it is a very snug fit in the header tank. Fill with water to the top, which then gives enough head to pressurize the entire system. Crack the bleed valves, keep topping up the white pipe with water and before you know it there is clear bubble free water coming out all bleed valves.

Having run it up to temperature, there is no air in the system as both bleed valves are still only passing clear bubble free water.

What an excellent one man 5 minute bleed method.

sounds good...

any further info, or is it that easy??

Details in this samba thread:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... p?t=234192

How to drain your coolant with a wet-dry vac here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... p?t=350594

Good method if it only takes 5 minutes. But nowt wrong with Simon Baxters way of doing it..http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/bleed ... 29710.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

R0B wrote:Good method if it only takes 5 minutes. But nowt wrong with Simon Baxters way of doing it..http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/bleed ... 29710.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd agree there is nothing wrong with the rev and bleed method - its what I used in the past. This seems much quicker though, and requires less revving that means happier neighbors!

This is my take on it.

A garage has to bleed 99% of the air out quickly because they have to give the vehicle back finished.

As a DIYer you don't you have the luxary of the 'top up later'

I fill up and burp the system by squeezing all the flexible pipes.
Then start with cap off and fill up until its taking no more and put the cap on.
Let it warm up then switch off.
Come back later when its cool and top up.
check the next couple of journeys and top up if needed.
job done.
you really should be visually checking the engine for leaks after work done so it's no extra work to top up.

I have lost count of the number of times I have done this its really easy

This is my coolant filling tube.