Volkswagen - 83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water !

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Fri 7 Sep 2007 22:23
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - stevie1234
Have a VW camper that is spitting water from the expansion bottle, it sits and runs lovely, you can drive it sometimes with no problems, other times you drive a couple of miles the temp guage goes to just over the middle and then it start spitting water out of the expansion bottle. I have wired the fan so I can put it on all the time, but it still can do the same thing. any ideas? water is circulating, all pipes are getting hot, runs well, does not overheat per se, just spits water. Is there a thermostat? could not find one.
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Fri 7 Sep 2007 22:44
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - Screwloose
stevie

I didn't think that there were any of those left. These engines corroded so quickly that most had died by 1990.

Sadly; your symptoms are very typical of the rampant internal corrosion that afflicted them. If the temperature is normal, but it's pressurizing, then find a garage with a 4-gas [MOT-type] analyser and sniff the coolant gases for hydrocarbons.

If there are more than 50 parts per million found, then it's not looking good.
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Fri 7 Sep 2007 22:48
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - stevie1234
...what does this mean? If there are more than 50 parts per million found, then it's not looking good.

does this mean it is knackered or is there anything that can be done??
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Fri 7 Sep 2007 23:06
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - Screwloose

If the engine has succumbed to internal corrosion; then an outright new engine is needed, if still available from VW - never fit a "re-con" to one of these.
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Fri 7 Sep 2007 23:39
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - stevie1234
nothing to do, no way no how then?? seems a shame runs lovely, no smoke, pulls hard, just spitting out a bit of water now and then!!!
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Fri 7 Sep 2007 23:55
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - Screwloose
stevie

Get the gases sniffed; that's the only effective way to be sure.
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Fri 7 Sep 2007 23:07
83 Camper van - watercooled, spitting water ! - TurboD
I had the diesel version of this, had a new engine at 100K as the old was was pressurising the water tank and bust it, head cracked, rings bust too. Too small an engine in a big van.
Had a VEGE recon ( cost £2.5K!) lasted about 70K , did it again , sold it. engines were poor but body good. You need a replacement engine IMHO, but get a good one ,not carp from a backstreeter. VEGE or VAG.
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