Date:         Sat, 20 Jul 2002 20:49:54 -0500
Reply-To:     Harmon Seaver <hseaver@CYBERSHAMANIX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Harmon Seaver <hseaver@CYBERSHAMANIX.COM>
Subject:      blowing oil]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

   I've got something weird going on with the '82 diesel westy I just bought. I
had drained the oil and refilled with exact amount, drove around town a bit, not
smoke, no drips from leaks. So today I filled it up with fresh fuel and a jug of
injector cleaner, went out on the freeway to check it out, also to check out the
speedo which I fixed, and found I could run a steady 65-67 top end so did that
for about 4 miles, during which I noticed some blue (maybe black or grey, hard
to tell when it's all behind you) smoke for awhile but which quit after a couple
miles. When I stopped, there was that nasty black film all over the rear end
again, but when I wiped it, it seemed almost more like black water than oil.
   So, since I wanted a longer run, and it wasn't smoking anymore, I washed off
the rear end and hit the freeway again. Checked the oil first, it was right up
to the max mark. Went about 15 miles pedal to the metal, 65-67mph. Stopped,
looked at the rear end, not a trace of oil (or whatever that black stuff was),
checked the oil, not down at all, so I hit the freeway again, but shortly after
I got on the freeway and got up to speed, I started seeing a real light grey or
white smoke which continued for maybe 10 miles. I drove 30 miles altogether
after the stop where there was no oil, went to a gas station to top off the tank
so I could see how much fuel I'd used (it was getting a little over 25mpg), but
to my surprise, the back end was totally black with oil, and, even worse, the
engine was down 2 qts.
   So I put in more oil, and wiped off a big place on the back so I could see if
it was blowing oil again, and headed for home, same thing flat out, but now I'm
in a bit of a head wind so only going about 63. I drove about 45 miles
getting home, there was no smoke the whole time that I could see, and it used
not a bit of oil.
   So -- what's going on here? I've blown any number of oil seals on engines
before and had the rear end of a vehicle covered with oil, but it didn't stop
and start again and it also left plenty of oil on the ground when it was parked.
And, I have to assume that the smoking and the oil on the back are from one and
the same cause -- no smoke, no oil usuage, and no oil on the rearend.
   Is there some sort of PCV valve that is getting plugged up or
something? Sorry, I've ordered a Bentley, but it's not here yet. And if it's
that, why isn't the engine covered with oil? It seems like it's blowing out thru
the engine, which would indicate a holed piston, trashed rings, or the like, but
then why would it stop, and why is the starting and power so good?



--
Harmon Seaver
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com