Van running perfect. Knew it was to good to be true

[slobbo]

Well after 5 months of poor starting the van was running perfect. Maiden journey after the work and one of my cooling pipes gave up. £127 worth of silicon pipes ordered. Ouch
Got to fit em all next weekend. The question is how do I bleed the system once it is all back in? A mate has a tyre valve on the expansion tank. He fills the system then pumps the pressure up to 30 psi. This forces the water through. Is there a release point on the rad to let out the air if need be?

[syncropaddy]

Does you radiator have a bleed valve? If so just jack up the front so its higher than the rest of the system. Bleed from there and all the air will rise to the highest point.

[KarlT]

If concerned get down your local garage & ask them to fill it with a 'vacume' filler kit.

[Simon Baxter]

Does you radiator have a bleed valve? If so just jack up the front so its higher than the rest of the system. Bleed from there and all the air will rise to the highest point.

Uh no, that can of worms again!
Anyone for a decoupler?
I'm going to buy a cheap spare wheel carrier. ...

Seriously, jacking the front up in my eyes is counter productive, of you insist on wasting your time on jacking anything then surely you would jack the rear up, that way you have to build up less cooling system pressure to raise a head of water to the top of the radiator.
Or even better, leave the jack in the corner, you don't need it!

[slobbo]

I will try the pressurised bottle trick and let you know how I get on.

[toomanytoys]

I wouldnt be pressurising it much..

I fill the system as much as poss.. run the engine at 2000 rpm with bleeds open (engine bay and rad) topping up pressure tank until it wont take any more, stick cap back on.. and wait til bubbles go from rad (cant see em anywhere else..) allow a bit of warmth.. then switch off.. allow too cool and ensure the top up tank is topped up well.. when its cooled and seems to have drawn from top up, take it for a short run to push out any other air.. allow some pressure to biuld and blleding the rad is easy..

Usually check it a week later after running about..

I have never jacked the front up, doesnt need it IMHO...

But yours is a VR6 isnt it?? so take into account of how your system might have been plumbed..

[slobbo]

Yes it is the VR6. Mine has an electric and a mechanical water pump. The electric pump comes on when the radiator fan comes on to assist the mechanical pump. I think that was what Dougie (chap from the garage) said. It is an interesting configuration of pipes to say the least. Some interesting modifications so that it all fits in the engine bay.

[syncropaddy]

Uh no, that can of worms again!
Anyone for a decoupler?
I'm going to buy a cheap spare wheel carrier. ...

Seriously, jacking the front up in my eyes is counter productive,

Obviously you never rallied a Hillman Imp with a front mounted radiator!!

[Simon Baxter]

Obviously you never rallied a Hillman Imp with a front mounted radiator!!

Your right, I'm daft, but not stupid.

[axeman]

with regards to bleeding the system, could not be any easyer for me any more. fill it up with water and anti freeze in to the header tank until it wont take any more. start her up, remover the over flow (from the header tank to the stat side cooling pipe).set the heater to hot and turn on the fan, wait until the stat opens and starts pumping hot water to the front. and open the rad bleeding bolt and wait for the water to trickle out of it. tighten and reconnect the over flow pipe, top up the header tank to the max mark and i am all done.

changed joe's water pump about 2 weeks ago, and took about 10mins to bleed his system.

neil

[silverbullet]

Set the heater on full and rev the ba$tard up and it'll all bleed through - works for every engine I've ever run or built

[slobbo]

Turned out to be a doddle. Just filled er up and ran it. Kept topping it up until it didn't top up no more. Took her for a spin around the block and topped it up a bit more. Job done. Top of the radiator gets nice and hot. Heater works and temp doesn't go too high. Fan comes on when it is supposed to as well.