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Date:         Fri, 29 Mar 2002 06:55:34 -0500
Reply-To:     Maynard Southard <echomhs@GIS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Maynard Southard <echomhs@GIS.NET>
Subject:      Re: introduction, story,
              questions about new '82 diesel westy[longish]
Comments: cc: "mratto@WEBER.UCSD.EDU" <mratto@WEBER.UCSD.EDU>

Matt: Spewing oil and burned out glow plug? ... hmm, not sure I see the relationship there. I wouldn't think the engine oil would be making its way near the glow plugs unless the piston rings are shot or there's a crack in the head. Could the "oil" actually be diesel fuel? If you were spewing diesel fuel, then maybe I could see the dealer doing all the injector and glow plug work.

Also, if the "oil leak from where the glow plugs enter the head" is actually diesel fuel, then maybe the dealer did not replace the injector heat shields with new ones when he pulled the injectors. This can lead to leaks at the base of the injector which find their way down the glow-plug side of the head. Can you bring this baby back to Escondido?

The stripped oil filler (drain?) plug is really a tough one. The diesel oil pan is a weird bird with a funky oil drain plug mechanism that is unlike other oil pans. You may need a creative mechanic to check that out, or simply drain oil by sucking it out of the filler tube.

Maynard Southard (OvO) '79 '86 Double Cab Diesel "Col. Potter" '82 Westy Diesel "Reinhardt" '82 Vanagon GL Diesel "Sluggo" '93 EV GL "Klinger" '00 Golf GLS TDI "WooHoo" '84 Jetta GL TD "Donor"

On Friday, March 29, 2002 12:00 AM, Matt Ratto <mratto@WEBER.UCSD.EDU> wrote: > <snip> I just bought an '82 diesel Westfalia with 90,000 original miles. ... > <snip> My first trial was that as I was driving back from buying the westy > (about 2 hours away) it all of a sudden began spewing oil. ... > <snip> Finally I arrived at Kotter's VW in Escondido > who, diagnosed the problem as a blown-out glow plug perhaps due to bad > injectors, fixed me up with new plugs, relay, and injector nozzles > > I've driven the westy a bit, but I'm still worried about it - it seems to > run hot and smokes a fair bit (black smoke). Other than changing the oil and > flushing the cooling system, is there any other maintenance I should carry > out? I just bought the Bentley guide, but it doesn't really talk too much > about preventive maintenance. In part my plan is to upgrade at some point to > a 1.9 TD or TDI but that's at least a year out. > > Also, anyone have any good advice about how to get a stripped filler plug > out of an oil pan? That's really the first thing. The next is that there > seems to be a small amount of oil leaking from where the glow plugs enter > the head. Is that something I should be worried about? > > Finally, thanks to all for help I've already gotten from the list archives. > > best, > > Matt > '82 diesel Westy > San Diego


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