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Date:         Sun, 21 Jul 2002 09:34:24 +0100
Reply-To:     Clive Smith <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Clive Smith <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM>
Subject:      Re: blowing oil]
Comments: To: Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>which would indicate a holed piston

I don't think so!

Clive ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Drillock" <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 4:24 AM Subject: Re: blowing oil]

> I'd say you are pushing that littlediesel engine too hard. These are > pretty good engines in light vehicles but they can have short lives in > Westys where they have to be wound up just to get down the road. > > A likely cause of the intermittant oil loss is blow by pressure in the > case. Cleaning the oil breather in the valve cover may help but try > slowing down before you get a big surprise. A top end rebuild might fix > it for a while but slowing down some would be cheaper > > The route for the oil loss is often through the dipstick/filler cap. The > blow by pressurizes the inside of the block and forces the oil up the > filler tube and out the top. VW had a supplimental breather kit > available for these vehicles but they were not a cure-all. As you run at > high speed, oil works it's way up the breather system into the intake > until it gets partially blocked and you see the extra oil being burned > in the exhaust. Then the continuing pressure looks for another way out. > The oil filler tube connects below oil level in the pan and the dipstick > releases pressure while the oil climbs the tube. Once the oil fills the > tube it blows out rapidly all over the back of the van. How oily is the > iside of the license plate door? > > Mark > > Harmon Seaver wrote: > > > 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 > > > > > > >


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