All,
  It is with immense pleasure and gratitude that I write this email.  I am
happy to report that I drove my 1985 GL Vanagon, "Buba" the 44 miles to work
this morning (in the rain) with the rock hard, steadfast performance I have
enjoyed for the past few years or so.  At the urging of my lovely wife and
great list members like Ken, Ron, Bob and a few others, I didn't start
tearing my engine down for a rebuild, or out for a Boston Bob replacement
UNTIL I had it tested for combustion gasses in the coolant system.  Well, I
brought the Van to a wonderful local guy and he had a syringe type tester
with blue dye in it and put it on my reservoir tank.  He pumped the tester
to draw the air from the system through the dye and waited, kept pumping...
The dye is a brilliant blue and he stated that it would turn instantly
bright yellow in the presence of hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide.  Well,
three minutes and lots of pumping later, dye is still blue!  He mentioned
that I should go around and tighten up any loose clamps (just like a few
people on this list did) because the system could be drawing AIR into it and
that would give me the air gap and overflown over flow tank...  I go home
and tell my wife who is very happy with the news.
  Fast forward an hour or so later...  I am in Church celebrating Mass and
it hit me like a rock!!  Air in the system!!  I changed the heater control
valve a few weeks ago and the system naturally took AIR into it!  Well, that
is the air that was bleeding out.  So, once again, I jumped the gun.  It is
from being shell shocked though...  I am so fearful of the "dreaded head
gasket failure" (because I have had it before) and of the engine going South
that I look and jump at the first seemingly sign of trouble.  Thanks to all
for responding to my call for opinions and help, and the warning to get it
tested before you open it up.

Sincerely,
Richard F. and Annemarie Bias
85 GL "Buba"

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