Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 08:55:59 +1000
Reply-To: Simon Glen <simonglen@BIGPOND.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Simon Glen <simonglen@BIGPOND.COM>
Subject: Re: Repost: Aircooled vanagon acceptable oil temperature /
timingproblem?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I've looked at the "bus-boys.com" website discussioin of VDO oil
temperature gauges and I'm not impressed by the over-simplified
recommendation that an "acceptable oil temperature reading should be
between 190 to 210 degrees, depending on the ambient temperature".
1. Ambient temperature makes an enormous difference. An oil
temperature of 210F would be fine for my Type4 engined Westfalia on the
open road in mid-winter where I live. The weather forcast has predicted
heavy morning frost and temperatures from -2C to +14C for today's
mid-winter temperature. But, during December summer weather 250F would
be quite acceptable on the open road. If I then powered the car up a
long steep gradient, then I would expect the temperature to get even
higher, such as up to 275F.
2. I use a dipstick sender for my car's oil temperature. I am now
used to my car's normal running temperatures. If something goes wrong I
will notice the oil temperature is getting too high and then stop,
investigate and try to do something about it. Just two examples: (1)
unknown to me the carbon brush in the distributor cap disentigrated and
caused the timing to be far too retarded. I knew nothing about it until
the oil temperature started going up abnormally. I stopped,
investigated and eventually found the problem and replaced the cap. (2)
unknown to me rocks in deeply rutted off-road conditions had pushed
engine cooling tin-ware up to the pushrod tubes and had actually
punctured one tube which was slowly leaking oil. The oil level was
declining and the little oil left in the sump was getting hot. The
gauge told me this. I stopped, investigated, found the problem and
replaced the offending pushrod tube at the roadside, topped up the oil
and went on my way. Higher than normal oil temperature will also let
one know about many other quite diverse things going wrong such as too
wide a plug gap, paper caught in the cooling fan fins, thermostat not
working, carburettor running too lean, dust or mud clogging up barrel
fins, etc.
This is why I use an oil temperature gauge. It gives me early warning
of impending disaster. It has been absolutely invaluable and has
allowed me to achieve very high mileages from stock standard unmodified
and well-tuned engines in sometimes very arduous conditions. It really
does not matter whether the dipstick sender is not giving a totally
accurate reading. It is the relative reading that is important and by
this I mean that once you have established normal readings for your car,
an abnormal reading will alert you to danger no matter what that reading
is. And, that, afterall is the whole purpose of having contact with the
engine room by means of a gauge whether it be for oil temperature, amps,
coolant temperature, oil pressure, cylinder head temperature, etc, etc..
So, I believe the first thing one must do after fitting an oil
temperature sender and gauge is to establish what is normal for your own
particular engine, provided that it is well tuned to start with.
Simon Glen
Toowoomba, Ausatralia.
80 Westy Pokey wrote:
> I am posting this again because I only got one reply and
> Gerry seems to have been having problems lately:
>
> This weekend's hot weather pushed my oil temperature to 250F
> to 275F. I didn't run her long last night, but I did notice
> that the 12 O'Clock position on the gauge is 210F, so
> although my 250F to 275F is hot... I think Adam's 110C to
> 115C is not right. What is that in Farienheit? Bus Boys gauge
> page:
>
> http://www.bus-boys.com/bbvdo.htm
>
> Says: "Acceptable Oil Temp reading should be between 190 to
> 210 degrees, depending the ambient temperature. 72-83 Buses
> and Vanagons tend to run a little on the warmer side, so an
> external oil cooler may be needed to bring the temp in-line."
>
> Adam has suggested my high oil temperature could be a timing
> problem... can anyone elaborate?
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
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