Bongo Fury

It's been said before but I'll say it again. One of the reasons for overheating, is a radiator etc that's blocked, preventing the coolant from circulating fully.

Antifreeze (coolant) is also a corrosion inhibitor, so putting the right mix of antifreeze and water into the rad is very important as it will help to prevent corrosion. We check the levels on our Bongo regularly and keep it topped up with the mix of antifreeze and water.

On some vehicles, it's recommended that the antifreeze is changed completely every couple of years. On our Bongo (with its aluminium head) we change it every year. It's drained off and then we flush it through to help to keep the cooling system clear. The antifreeze is replaced with a fresh mix. There's a fact sheet in the members area which gives details on how to do this.

You can buy a gauge for around £3-£10 from most car care shops, which tests the strength of antifreeze in the radiator and can show how low you can let the outside temperature drop before you need to to change the ratio of antifreeze to water. You can also buy 'longlife' antifreeze.

Good advice from one who knows!!

there was some anti-freeze testers in lidl last week 99p

I bought a Halfords brand antifreeze tester, which is not easy to use for the bongo because the pipette part is too big to fit into the top-up tank.

nfn wrote:I bought a Halfords brand antifreeze tester, which is not easy to use for the bongo because the pipette part is too big to fit into the top-up tank.

yeah me too. Is it the one with 3 small blue coloured balls ?

While we are on the subject of antifreeze - is there a special type to be used considering the engine area consists of an aluminimum part or can you stick in any old halfords sort in 50/50 ?

Sounds like you have found the way to bongo longevity!! Just a question for future reference where would you place the flushing and replacing task on the DIY scale ( if I know my ar$£ from my elbow that is) for the general Bongo owner.

I am a competent enough person to carry it out just afraid of the consequences of getting it wrong!!!

Having done mine on my own and had to rush between filling up the header tank and attending to the bleed pipe in the front cabin, I think I would find it easier with a second person helping next time. I think too that having plenty of spare 50/50 mix made up is a good idea. I kept putting it in until I got a nice stream of air free coolant exiting the bleed pipe and it seemed to do the trick. I also followed the workshop manual procedure as diligently as I could (I seem to recall finding it slightly baffling over the instructions for bleeding somewhere around the point where it expects you to stuff the bung in the bleed pipe while scalding coolant is still streaming from it). But the one thing that would have caused me to have to re-do several steps was if the header tank had run out of coolant because I hadn't topped it up in time. Hence the advantage of having someone to keep topping it up while you attend to the bleed pipe side of things. Look up threads on the see-saw method too (Peg Leg Petes preferred method) as that seems to be very relevant when dealing with wha tissues from the bleed pipe.

But yes, it is quite DIYable provided you have the right instructions and follow them. to be safe, I would carry some spare coolant with you for a bit, check header tank level after each run for a a day or two after you've done the job in case you get further settlement as trapped bubbles clear the system, and keep an eye on the temp gauge etc. to make sure al is behaving normally.

One small tip. I found the bung in the bleed tube impossible to get out as it was in so tight, until I job a hot air gun and (carefully) played some heat on the end to soften it a bit whereupon the bung could be twisted out. I have to confess when I put the bung back in after the job that I didn't ram it all the way home. Oh, and while you are doing the job, inspect te bleed tube to make sure it hasn't been rubbing in the section where it passes over the alternator when stowed. The retaining clips often let go and the hose ends up wearing away and eventually leaking at that point. More than one Bongo has come a cropper from this.

It's wet and I'm bored = a longwinded note!

Good luck

Mike

hi mike it sounds like we both use the same method ..like you i found a second person comes in very handy....your point about the bleed pipe bung i used to prize mine out with a set of pliers this too was very hard ....but i would just like to say ....with the new silicone hose the bung slides in and out very smoothly indeed ..

Its good to know the bung pops in and out easy with the silicone tubing flippa - it was much the same when silicone tubing took over from polypropylene tubing on model aircraft engines. Unlikely of course but is there any danger it might pop out in service unless a jubilee clip is used as insurance?

While writing (I meant to ask BigDaddy but could ask you) why are people throwing away the Mazda hose clips and replacing them with jubilee clips. are the originals that tricky to remove and replace?

Finally, I'm confused. Just read you are waiting the import of your Bongo. What machine have you been working on then

hi mike.....i have a bongo ......the import will be no2 ...but no1 may have to make an exit the bleed hose bung mike feels like it has enough resistance to it....mine hasnt budged....iam all for using the original hose clips....but the larger ones especially can be difficult to refit....maybe there is a knack to it or a certain tool the jubilee clip are definitely easier to fit but there can be a temptation to overtighten and ripping into the hose whether it be rubber or silicone, that is why a smooth band type jubilee is recommended to fit on the silicone as even when overtightened it shouldnt damage the hose , where as the perforated bands could rip the hose when overtightening...its all just precautionary mike

Excellent advice flippa & thanks. Good luck with Bongo Bigamy