Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 17:52:47 -0800
Reply-To: Brian Cochran <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Brian Cochran <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: oil pres woes....solved?!?! part 1
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Hello again everyone. I wrote in last week. I was freaking out about the
oil pressure light Re: no light at cold idle, then flickering at stops and
sometimes along the road........ then almost all the time......sound
familar?? I was convinced it was the bearings or at least something major.
I spent most of my free time this past week seaching to buy another
vehicle. Thursday I had to drive the 35 miles or so to seattle to meet a
friend. The damn van seemed to really treat me royally this week by having
a few more things pile up to add to the very long fix-it list. (such as I
actually saw a few drops of anti-freeze under it once this week---first and
last experience thus far...)
SO as I'm driving, the light is flashing away as I'm going 65-75 down I90.
I've been so stressed out I reached a breaking point and just
thought---HOPED---- a rod would explode through the engine block. I change
lanes to the left and during the change, no light. Hmmm, must just be the
oil sloshing around, I thought. The engine temp was fine--below the light
in fact, and the engine sounded smooth. I got off on the madison exit, came
to a stop and ..... no light!! Not even a flicker. I started thinking
electrical. C'mon, it had (has) to be. Through experimentation, I found
right turn (at a mod. force)= light, left turns = no light!! Straight light
status seemed to depend on how easy I came out of a left turn!!
Yesterday the oil pres gauge arrived from the depot (I'm 95 bucks poorer for
it.) I removed the engine tin to access the .3 bar sender and yanked the
wire (only 8 months old). Well, of course, there was a small slice
"worn"(?) into it by the engine shroud I'm guessing. The grease coating the
wire, I believe, is WHY the light didn't appear until the engine warmed up!
I have an 84 westy. I'm not finished with the install process yet (hence
the part 1). But I successfully mounted the gauge in the dash, just below
the warning lights. 86 and up folks have a clock there, I think? But it
looks and fits great. I cut the hole a little small because the gauge's
retainer ring won't fit, so the friction holds the gauge securely in place.
A file was very much needed to do this after cutting a 1" hole, keenly
measured for neatness.
I mounted the sender, but more to come on that and the wiring.....
Brian Cochran
84 westy (now just with leaky heads and rough AT)
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