Pinch clamps for tubing and hoses can be had from your local laboratory
supply house (better yet, make friends with a chemist who works in a lab).
Before changing coolant, and going through the mess of refilling the system,
you may want to make sure you that everything else is ok.  Hindsight says
that when I bought my '84 in May '97, I should have changed out everything
in the cooling system.  Why because I have or soon will have to.  My
mechanic has made much money draining and refilling each time I need
something done.

John Lauterbach

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@vanagon.com]On Behalf Of Fred
Brittain
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 1998 9:53 PM
To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Subject: coolant change

Hi All,

Just finished reading Bentley procedure and many archive posts
regarding coolant change.  Still some questions.  Is it necessary
to clamp the hoses the way Bentley suggests?  B says
(local supply) when describing where to obtain them.  I've never
seen a clamp meant to close off a hose. Are they commonly
available?  Seems like pinching a coolant hose closed would
damage it.  Does it?

Bentley also says raise front of vehicle 15.75 in (40 cm) when
filling.  Someone on the archives said he couldn't get it to bleed
with the front raised, and suggested Bentley really meant to raise
the rear.  Strange. . .

I've just had my Wasserboxer about 6 weeks.  It appears all
other fluids have been recently changed.  Oil, auto trans fluid,
air filter definitely look very fresh.  The coolant is a clear blue
with NO dirt or sediment visible in the overflow tank.  I know
old coolant must be changed, but is this old?

Anyway, I have all the posts and just need to know about use
of clamps and raising the front end.  Any info would be appreciated.
Again, I _have_ read the archives.  There's gotta be more.

Fred Brittain
78 and 89 Westys