Club 80-90 Forums

I've just found after a few years that the small cylindrical bleed valve with a round plastic knob on top works and can be opened or closed but not sure how its meant to be set up for normal running, open or closed? I do have a symptom of engine running overly cool (as suggested by temp gfauge which I think works ok) have bled system as Baxter instuctions a while ago, heater takes ages to warm up and onmly really gets properly warm when the enigne gets hot in traffic or in town. The gauge never goes beyong a bit over half-3/4 befo th fan kicks in so in that sense it works ok.
CAn i use that little engine bleed valve to good effect to bleed some more and if so how? Thanks for any ideas.

hello there -
on my 1.9 dg -the valve sits on top of the thermostat housing -
facing straight ahead - wont move to the right = closed
small turn to the left = open
you have to be super careful with these - as they are prone to snap
with any serious turning pressure - so - go careful!
under the baxter method - ther are coments from other posters - onecomments about using the bleed valve screw - worth checking out -

My understanding is that the bleed screw on early DGs (like mine) when open (turned full anti-clockwise) allows the water to circulate faster back through the engine, so increased the speed that it gets up to temp for bleeding. When not in use (ie. normal running) it should be closed - turned full clockwise.

I didn't know this even existed until draining my coolant recently - I was surprised how slowly water exited the radiator pipe - and opening this let it flow out faster.

That is my take on it. Do go easy on the plastic screw though and 'if it is stuck, leave it alone' is what I've gleaned as replacements are like hens' teeth!

^^^WHS^^^

Just going to put my anorak on here



There were three types of early bleed valve. One that was used up to 1983 with the 2 long pipes that ran the entire length of the rear of the engine bay (C and D above), and then one manual version and automatic version that was used from 1983 when the 2 long pipes were split into 4 pipes (E,G,H,F above) with the bleed valve in the centre until 1985 when the system was completely overhauled

025-121-421A valves seem to be rare as they were only used for a year or less. It took me 5 years to source one.



A broken one



025-121-082 valves do come up on ebay and can be obtained 2nd hand from various breakers like Billy739 and wagonbuild.com



025-121-082A bleed valves (automatic version with 2 extra small bore pipes) seem to be like hens teeth



Anorak off

Hey guys, many thanks and for the tip about the wiki bit re comments on Baxter method, will have a go.

good luck -
the original baxter quote was -
'all the petrol engines have a small bleeder valve, on the earlier ones it's the plastic valve to the left of centre of the engine bay joining the 2 rubber hoses together, and thre metal pipe over the engine, best to open it for a bit until the uppermost pipe is felt to be warm,
On later engines it's on the thermostat housing cap, again, undo it once the engine is warm and wait till you feel the pipe go warm, this tells you coolant is passing through it and not air!'

edoh wrote:good luck -
the original baxter quote was -
'all the petrol engines have a small bleeder valve, on the earlier ones it's the plastic valve to the left of centre of the engine bay joining the 2 rubber hoses together, and thre metal pipe over the engine, best to open it for a bit until the uppermost pipe is felt to be warm,
On later engines it's on the thermostat housing cap, again, undo it once the engine is warm and wait till you feel the pipe go warm, this tells you coolant is passing through it and not air!'

The very first watercooled vans have the small bleed valve 025-121-421A whereas from later in 83 the valve was changed to 025-121-082 as per pictures above.

yeah, i too had a nightmare sourcing 025121082 for my 1985 watercooled bus. Found a stainless steel one in the states for nearly $200 !!!!- wasn't going to pay that- not one number in the back of Volksworld could get one, nor did any scrapyard in Cornwall have any busses (thanks retrodubs mafia for taking them all-not). Volkswagen said the part was obsolete. Why do all these campervan specialists sell tat like chrome headlight brows and overpriced stickers and picnic sets and not stuff people actually need?
Anyway moan over- finally found one through Wagonbuild- £45 inc delivery- and its a new part not 2nd hand like some one else suggested in another thread

I've got a new one stored away in my 'what if' collection that I got for £30. I did have a 2nd hand one and there wasn't any difference in them.