Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 12:46:47 -0600
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Dec 2 Post on Three Oil Changes
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I posted the message below the dotted line on December 2nd. As a courtesy
I want to give this story a wrap.
The owner of the 79 Westy has made several trips and the oil is still
very clean with 1800 miles on it.
It appears that the drastic engine cleaning has cleaned all of the old
sludge from the engine. I didn't drop the strainer for a full
investigation because I just don't see it as being necessary and she's
still running 8 oz of Marvel Mystery oil with the last oil change that we
did on 2 December.
Several members of the type2 list had requested this follow up but I
can't post to type 2 anymore, banned for life. So if one of you folks
would re post this to the type 2 list I'd appreciate it. Careful don't
get banned yourself for this covert action.
Stan Wilder
------------------------------------------------------------
Recently one of my neighbors approached me with pictures of a 79
Westfalia.
She asked what I thought of it and before I could answer she said she
bought it and would be bringing it home about December 1st.
I told he it looked nice.
She asked what I thought it was worth.
I replied, probably $1600. to $4000.00 depending on the overall condition
of it.
She said it had a Porsche engine.
I said they all do from about 74-83 in the Air Cooled variety.
She elaborated on the history of the Westy as relayed by a friends widow
who was selling / sold the Westy.
It was all pretty much generic info and I pretended to be excited that
she got such a great deal on such an exceptional Van.
She showed up with the van today while I was uncovering my current 81
Westy project Westy.
I said hello! and looked it over right quick before I returned to
fighting with that giant car cover.
I knew it was coming and I was trying to avoid it!
She said it had a problem or two and reminded me that " I had said that
I'd help her keep it running if she got it."
I'm going to get brief at this point:
Problem noisy lifters.
Solution #1: Check the oil, found it like tar. Sent her after quart of
Gunk Engine Flush, quart of Marvel Mystery Oil and case of oil and a
filter.
Ist measure: Drain enough oil to put a quart of Gunk motor flush in the
crank case. Run it five minutes like the instructions says. Cranked it up
after changing the oil and filter / strainer service. Oil still real dark
almost immediately. Lifters some quieter. Sent her out to run some miles
on it.
Solution #2: She came back two hours and 84 miles later, no improvement
in lifter noise. Removed valve covers and set the hydraulic lifters one
turn down from just touching. Some help but not much. Sent her off again.
Solution #3: She came back an hour and 35 miles later and I drained
enough oil off at the strainer plate to get a quart of Marvel Mystery oil
in it. Sent her off again.
Solution #4: Sure enough she came back again, Noisy lifters. I pulled the
dipstick and the oil was still black as tar (with only 35 miles on it
*#@^7*&). whats going on here?). This was getting to me, "I'm trying to
fix these brakes". Hurt her feelings (I was getting paid for these
services), sent her out again to run it with the mystery oil for a while
for another hour run and gave her my phone numbers.
Solution #5: After she left I dropped everything and went for another
quart of Gunk Engine Flush, quart of Marvel Mystery Oil and a new filter.
Solution #6: Its now 2 PM Saturday and "She's Back". Checked the oil, yes
black, yes thick, lifters still noisy. I didn't waste much time
explaining I just drained enough oil to get the Gunk Engine Flush in
without overfilling the crankcase. I ran it for the recommended five
minutes and drained it......... still very thick, very black. Removed and
cleaned the strainer, installed new filter, poured in new oil 10/30w this
time. She walked home about eight houses down in the next block. I
adjusted the lifters again, made it some quieter.
Just let it set there idling making sure it got good and hot without
activating the idiot light. The lifters got real nice and quiet, at last.
I drove it the fifteen blocks to dump the used oil in the recycling
barrel at the auto parts store. Poured a quart of Mystery oil in the gas
tank so the exhaust would have a little color. Ran out just fine and had
nice power. Got back home and went back to my brake job on my 81 Westy.
Solution 7: She walks back to the my house and asked me "why I didn't
stop and get me for the test drive?".
I didn't answer, I just started explaining about the things I had done
and passed the auto parts receipts to her hoping to close the account and
move on. While I'm calculating my time at $65.00 an hour and making her
makeshift receipt on a notepad, she says "I've got the automatic
transmission fluid in the back for the seals and lifters".
Seems in her leisure time she had called the widow of the previous owner
and got the report that he always used a quart of ATF with each oil
change for the ten plus years he owned it to quieten the lifters.
I was a little surprised to hear that and I knew it was useless to
inquire farther so I just told her that "the PO must have been from the
old school" and that "You don't need it with the better oils we have
today."
The wrap up: She's OK with the $65.00 rate I charged her, $100.00 today +
receipts for filter/chemicals/4 quarts 10/30w. She wants a tune up soon.
The miracle: She drove this van 160 highway miles to get it to my house
with that molasses viscosity engine oil.
Final parting: I told her to stop by one day next weekend if she saw me
outside and we'd see if the engine needed any more internal cleaning. She
said she'd get the tune up parts if I'd make a list. I made the list of
Bosch parts and told her where to get extra filters, oil drain plug
washers, strainer kits, spark plugs etc.
Stan Wilder
83 Westfalia Air Cooled
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