Club 80-90 Forums

leaving aside the vexed question of whether tis nobler to lift the front of the van up when removing an air lock from in the coolant system (fight! fight! fight! fight!) - I have changed the anti freeze (now the milder weather is here ) and think i may still have some air in the system -
would this be the bullet point way to go -
or have i left anything out?

Engine high revs - 2000 rpm –
Front of van on slope – pointing up - (optional?)
Open bleed screw on thermostat – (Turn to the left -On mine) -
Open rad bleed screw – (13mm spanner on mine)
Keep revs high to build up pressure –
Take blue cap off expansion tank and hose to top up tank behind flap - and keep topping up expansion tank –
When no more air bubbles come through rad bleed screw (can put clear tube round where rad bleed screw has been taken off – like brake fluid check) –
Close rad screw -
Let idle -
Put on high revs again -
Let engine run and warm up – and radiator cooling fan kick in –
Check top pipe from thermostat heating up with warm water (not air) by running hand along the pipe -
Then repeat whole process again –
starting with the high engine revs -
Until no more air bubbles come through rad bleed screw –
close rad bleed screw -
close thermostat bleed screw -
Top up both tanks as necessary -
Take for a long run -

if overheating/ coolant fan not kicking in/ lukewarm heating/
repeat process -

is that about right?

haynes - wiki - individual posters - brickwerks -
all seem to have slightly different ways of bleeding the coolant -from air bubbles-

when ive done it ive bled the engine half first, ie dont open the rad screw, when the engine bit is done the do the rad.

i always jack the front well up 300mm or so.

heater controls should be set to hot too

may not be 100% correct but its always worked for me

Hi edoh

Simple answer = YES

You seem to have all bases covered there and that is pretty much how I do it

cheers peeps
just double checking before giving it a bash -
thanks for your time and comments -

I have done it a couple of times. Can take a while for the rad to fill to the top. You don't need to jack it up. You would jack up you house to bleed the central heating system.

‘when ive done it ive bled the engine half first, ie dont open the rad screw, when the engine bit is done the do the rad.

i always jack the front well up 300mm or so’

cheers for that –

do you do this bit first then? Before moving onto radiator?

Engine high revs - 2000 rpm
Open bleed screw on thermostat
Take blue cap off expansion tank and hose to top up tank behind flap - and keep topping up expansion tank
Check top pipe from thermostat heating up with warm water (not air) by running hand along the pipe

Any particular reason?

I had problems with mine. Had some good advice... van level or front of van pointing downhill. Get engine up to temp so stat opens. Have someone in van with foot on throttle. Take dalek cap off brim with water, put cap back on. Go to front, vent rad. Take dalek cap off, brim with water., Put cap back on. and repeat that cycle.
I tried for two days to vent and couldn't do it (thought i had a dodgy stat) I followed the above instructions and had it circulating in half an hour
Lloyd

thanks for that -
really useful to get a range of comment -
and see what works best from there -