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Date:         Fri, 23 Feb 2001 09:18:11 -0600
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: major oil leak concern
Comments: To: Jason Willenbrock <pooncerelli@HOTMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

If you lost most of the oil on a trip driving at highway speeds, you have a serious problem. If the case is pressurizing to the point of forcing oil out throught the seals the engine is in big trouble ...old or new.

I went through this with an older engine that burned one side of a piston. Combustion pressurized the case, and pressure backed up through the pushrod housings into the valve cover and blew the gasket there. oil everywhere. Compression test showed the cylinder that failed.

Before you do anything else. Run a compression test. That will tell the story. At 1300 miles the rings should be seated. The rings may have a problem or the cylinders may be glazed if break-in was not done right, and a tear-down will be in order to remove the glaze and install new rings.

In breaking in a new engine you should have been running a break-in oil for the first few hundred miles. Break-in oils are usually a straight 30 wt non detergent oil. After about 300 to 500 miles of running at variable but modest speeds ---- not interstate speeds ...it should be changed to a standard multigrade oil, and the engine should continue to be run modestly. When you pass the 1000 mile mark....drive it like you normally would.

Good Luck.

John Rodgers 88 GL Driver

Jason Willenbrock wrote: > > hey all, > got some problems here(when don't i). just installed my 2.1 about 1300 > miles ago. here's the situation. i believe that i am building up some > excessive crankcase pressure and this is resulting in oil be blown out of > what appears to be the flywheel seal, the crank pulley seal or oil pump > cover, and the drain plug. i pulled off the breather hose going from the > tower to the afm boot and oil in there as well. i have spoken to some > authorities on this and they say possibly it is due to the rings not being > seated or fully broken in yet, and that the oil that i am using (quaker > state 10-30) is too good of a lubricate thus causing the oil to blow past > the rings. i am not getting any smoke on start up. i did however, lose a > half a quart in 300 miles. i lost most of the oil after driving a long > distance at highway speeds. short distances i lose a few drops ar best. i > am about to drive across country as i have no choice. i will bring lots of > oil with me to keep it full. any suggestions here? when i get across > country i will then pull the engine if it is still leaking and proceed > further diagnostics. i already took it to vw and they say they can't really > diagnose this without pulling the engine. anyone else have this problem on > a fresh rebuild? any clues suggestions or tips would be appreciated. also > i am goiing from new york to montana via st. louis mo. any list members > along the way who would like to give me their number in case of the dreaded > breakdown (due to my oil situation) would also be appreciated. > thanks > jason > 90 gl > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com


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