Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 11:44:31 -0800
Reply-To: Brian Cochran <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Brian Cochran <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: My westy one year later (was oil pressure woes 2/01)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
The following is just a FYI:
I would just like to post a one year follow up to my long threads/stories
about my oil pressure woes I was experiencing last January, which led to a
controversy over main bearings versus connecting rods and other thoughts.
If you don't remember, Boston Bob supplied me with the support I needed to
get through the greasiest of moments (thanks Bob!). In the end we both
concluded that the oil light problem was associated with the VDO gauge set
up, and that there may not have ever been a oil pressure problem. But before
that conclusion, there was an engine overhaul with just about everything oil
pressure-related replaced without splitting the block.
Regardless, I got the new heads that I needed and a little peace of mind
that at least the rods and rings are new. Unfortunately, the gauge provides
uneasy checking, a nasty habit from the stressful days of first taking it
out onto the open road. I still get the red light at an idle on hot days
after tackling a uphill grade on a long drive, BUT I'm still using the VDO
idiot light sender which switches the light on at 7psi rather than the stock
sender at 3.5 psi. I eventually would like to get a T-connector to screw in
the stock pressure sender so I can get away from ever seeing that sickening
red LED.
Well, we just returned from a longish road trip, one of several the van has
taken in the last year. The oil pressure was absolutely grand at times
running sometimes around 38-40 psi at 60mph with a very warm engine. I have
spent much time watching the gauge and the pressure averages about 32 psi,
sometimes dipping in to the 27-28 range after some ups and downs. I don't
think the van will ever care for hot temps, but maybe that's putting too
much faith in the gauges.
Last summer was spent in the Great Basin/E. Sierras with lots of passes to
tackle and much of the time was spent thinking the the westy still had major
problems. The power was just gone! I know there isn't much power to begin
with, but I could barely do 40mph in second gear on grades that were not
very steep. Even a stiff wind (common there) would put forth a five mile
effort before reaching 60 mph! I brought my westy to these vanagon
specialists in Reno (good guys-J&J vw vans). They told me something I
haven't heard too much of before. The engine is a 2.1 in a digijet dress,
and that even though the muscle is there, the air intake couldn't supply
enough air, which is felt more in those altitudes (7-8000'). I could only
wish for someone to invent a larger air flow meter that works with the
digijet set-up. I'm not about to switch over (what a nightmare that would
be). They fixed a Rich-running problem and found a grounded out O2 sensor,
but that didn't really make much of a difference.
Back in Seattle, the vanagon has good power. It's not 2.1L power, but it is
running, so I'm not complaining.
All of that work I performed last february did have a lot of pay-off, for
the AT is cleaned out and doesn't leak any more, and many coolant hoses are
replaced. The heads are hopefulling going to be a non-issue for the next
50-80k miles. I know the van a lot better too. Some problems I might have
created by the job was I still have a flat lifter or two, despite the many
adjustments of .003 lash. They only seem prevalent after the van sits for a
week. After about five miles they quiet down. I don't know what sort of
damage they are doing when flat. I guess if I learn it is bad enough, I can
do the expandable push rod tube thing and replace them. I have played with
some marvel mystery (in measures of cap-fulls), but just change the oil
before the trip and want to stay off the sauce for now. The other problem
is that the compression, while okay, isn't what it should be. I forget the
numbers. 115-120ish I think. I started out strong, but I think western
washington engine break-in was too much to ask. You can't get from point a
to point b without tackling some pretty big hills. I'm sure I broke the
easy break-in rules for the rings. I'm not sure if that is my reason for
lower compression, but that probably didn't help. I'm not a daily driver by
any definition, and the engine has seen only about 6k since being
reinstalled. Maybe with time, compression will improve?
And on this last trip, I will proudly state that after two hours of warming
the fridge on DC, I switched it to Propane, pumped the pump three times, and
with one click, the fridge lit right up, and burned through the night!! The
rest of the trip was the same. Never before has the vanagon's fridge liked
me so much!
Now if I can only get around to those minor things such as front brakes,
headlights, moldy poptop, a touch of seam rust, hole in the driver's seat,
tightening the rearview mirror, flushing the coolant, soundproofing, wheel
bearings, and on and on and on.
Brian Cochran
84 westy
seattle
_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
| 
