Rad & Header caps.

[helen&tony]

Hi
You'll find that on the standard system it has no overflow, and the reason it has a spring cap rather than a plain flat cap, is that the rad cap (but not the flat plain one) has a small vent that allows any release of vacuum during cooling.The Bongo has a large cooling system, so, presumably it uses two "off the shelf" caps, rather than using one blank and one special cap to cope with the larger system. The reason for having the vent, according to the manufacturers of the caps, is that in an extreme heat/ cool, there can, theoretically, be enough vacuum to distort the fine tubing in radiators and heater matrixes.
Cheers
Helen

[Mountain]

OK. This is getting beyond a joke

Changed my latest and hopefully last hose. Bled system which went fine.

Just gone for a ride around the block to test it and....

I pull up at home and water is squirting out of the header overflow.

Now I presume this can be one of 2 things.

1. The system is over pressurising...why would this be?
2. The new blueprint cap does not fit the header tank correctly.

Last paragraph removed by Admin, as selling on forum is against rule 4. If you wish to sell your Bongo, email [email protected] to get it in the For Sale section of the site - first month is free for BF members.

[Mountain]

Hi I wasn't putting it up for sale, I was asking if anyone out there buys up Bongos with 'problems'.

Basically, I've done all I can and spent all I can afford

I've reached the point where I've just given up!

3 months of effort and cash is enough. Time to face up to the reality of the situation.

[helen&tony]

Hi Mountain
I've been there before with cars, and I can't speak for your viewpoint, but for me, the Bongo is the most useful "does it all" vehicle I've owned, and the only one I've kept for any length of time....so...if it transpires that you need another vehicle for a while, is it feasible to buy a banger, and run it into the ground whilst spending lavishly on your Bongo when funds allow....you certainly shouldn't end up with a duff vehicle afterwards
Cheers
Helen

[Mountain]

So no ideas?
I'm desperate here

Just topped up turned it over for a couple of minute and the header tank pressurises straight away from almost cold

The last leak lost a couple of litres.

Coolant alarm didn't sound- which it wont if coolant is coming out of the overflow I suppose!
I know it works because after fitting it I syringed coolant out of the header tank until it went off.

I wonder if that was enough to do my new head gasket in? I hope not!
No water in the oil- no foaming.
Coolant seems to be oil free.
I'm sure the system was bled properly. Bottom hose really hot...got those gurgles when the stat opened and topped up. No more bubbles. Heater hot.

However, I could hear some slight gurgling in the head when I flipped the seat up after stopping. As it had spat out about 4 litres of coolant I presumed this was air being sucked back in.

[Mountain]

Hi Helen,

I know what you mean! I have in the past had 2 T2VWs. One I brought back from the dead and practically rebuilt. I've also run a multitude of old bangers with very few problems.

I know Bongos can be reliable, my mother has one and has never had a problem.

However, I think I just bought a bad one that had been very poorly maintained.

I've replaced everything apart from the metal pipes coolant wise, but this was after the initial head gasket replacement. It makes me wonder if the subsequent leaks have damaged the new gasket.

it makes me think, most of my hoses have gone, not just one or two. I wonder if there is some problem with excess pressure.

Either way, there is an ongoing problem with it that doesn't seem to be solve-able

I did attempt to buy a car yesterday, a old Nissan Micra I had one before, cost me £120 and it lasted 4 years and many trips all the way down to Cornwall
When I went to hand over the cash, the guy couldn't find the V5...typical.

The initial plan was to buy something just to get me to work and back, leaving time to sort out the Bongo....I wouldn't be under constant pressure to sort it ASAP.

[francophile1947]

If it pressurises straight away, I'm afraid it does sound like the head/head gasket has gone

[Mountain]

Yeah, it does

It's also blowing from the oil filler pipe which suggests the same.

To be honest after all the leaks since the gasket has been changed I'm not surprised.