Good Day, Sunshine

Today was the first day of daylight savings... or yesterday was the last day of it. Either way, we set our clocks forward an hour last night. Here in the North Woods, that means that it doesn't really get dark until after 7. This opens up all kinds of after work opportunities.... or does it? This week, both of my kids start lacrosse season, so time will quickly get consumed by Spring. I did get the coolant overflow bottle bracket fabricated, though, and I think I have something going to the bleeder.

Bottle Bracket
Since my welding skill is crude and low, it took most of the day on Saturday to fabricate a relatively simple bracket. Near the beginning of the project, I got a '01 Jetta/Golf TDI bottle. I thought about locating it in a few different spots, but I settled on near the firewall on the passenger side. This places it nearest to the air-bubble lines and close enough to the coolant pump. The bottle needs to be high enough to completely flood the engine, yet below the engine lid. Building the bracket took that into account as well as the form of the bottle. I shot it with some rust proofing paint, and I need some longer bolts, and it will be ready for 'final' install.

Lower Rad Hose Bleeder
There's a reasonable concern about air bubbles passing from the radiator circuit into the coolant pump. This could cause the engine to overheat. Anyway, I used some of the old hose as donor material, and put in another "T" just in front of the block inlet. I'll have to figure out a reasonable way to block that off. I could use a PEX valve, I suppose. It would allow yet another way of feeding coolant into the circuit when the day comes to fill it, though. Hmm...

That's all I really got done this weekend. Next weekend, is the beginning of Spring Break, so I have low expectations for getting much done. I'll try to wrap up the bracket and the bleeder so I can check the coolant system off the list. Then, its on to the air filter, and then the electrical. Fun!

pictures:
top - rough fit of overflow bottle
bottom - looking south-west off the Broadway Bridge at night