Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 2002, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 2 May 2002 20:15:26 -0400
Reply-To:     "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Organization: Bulley-Hewlett
Subject:      Re: Oil Leaks and Leak Down Test
In-Reply-To:  <9F9D2D76D81DD311ADEB0090274F0562028D6083@calexchange.golder.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

MT--

Those are decent results for an aircooled with 100k on it. If it weren't for the oil leaks, I'd suggest you just drive it and quit worrying.

With the oil leaks in mind, both for the sake of your van and the sake of the beautiful Canadian waterways into which your street run-off accumulates, I'd suggest putting a rebuild in your near future.

Before you jump into buying new pistons and cylinders, though, take yours to the machine shop and investigate their dimensions thoroughly. There are oversized rings available, and on some of my few dozen Type 4 rebuilds I have been able to reuse the pistons and machined cylinders with excellent results.

As for your thoughts about doing a "wet" compression test, don't waste your time. Since the cylinders sit on edge, there is no way to assure that each cylinder distributes the oil completely across the circumference of the rings... you can end up with a 160 psi on one and a 110 on another without any real problems, just poorly distributed oil.

As warmer weather approaches, you may find your compression (100 psi) is too low for easy starting after the motor warms up. It will be the coup de grace for this motor's incarnation when you have to push-start your van in the Zippy-mart parking lot.

Developing business and guiding change since 1996,

G. Matthew Bulley Bulley-Hewlett Corporate Communications Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com Alliance: www.ntara.com Phone: +1.919.658.1278

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of Thompson, Michael Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 6:24 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Oil Leaks and Leak Down Test

Following helpful suggestions from the Vanagon community I took my leaky aircooled Westy for a leak-down test. The reported test values are as follows: Cyl 1 100/30 psi Cyl 2 100/62 psi Cyl 3 100/44 psi Cyl 4 100/50 psi

The garage says that the air could clearly be heard coming from the crankcase breather. These strike me as very poor results indicating the engine is in a very poor state and requires a full rebuild (as recommended by this garage - new pistons, rings and barrels as a minimum). Before buying the vehicle, I took it to a reputable VW specialist who said the engine was good. I have spoken with them regarding these new results and they cannot believe it and want to carry out their own leak-down test.

Now what I don't understand is the following: 1 The engine starts and runs well and has never failed me in 5 weeks use (and that includes -15 degrees in Calgary). 2 The engine burns some oil but nothing exceptional for a 100,000 mile engine. Slight blue smoke on acceleration. 3 I have monitored the air coming from the breather at idle and higher revs and it is not particularly blue or smokey. 4 I have oil leaking from the 2 main crank seals, oil cooler, possibly cylinder heads, and pretty much anywhere else it can find its way out of. 5 If all this leakage was from blow-by, surely it would burn a lot of oil. Does a leak-down test positively identify the source of the leak? If the valves were not holding, could the air flow into the head and down the pushrod tubes into the case? Something does not add up here. I am going to carry out a normal compression test this evening and see if I can increase the results by putting engine oil in the spark plug holes.

I do not have a particular problem with power or the running, but the oil leak is too excessive on long or uphill/headwind journeys. Does anyone have any advice on my next move as at the moment it looks like an engine strip and rebuild!

As always, any help is much appreciated! Regards Michael 81 Westy 'Daisy'


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.