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Date:         Wed, 21 Jul 2004 18:25:23 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: Lifter noise
Comments: To: Keith Patterson <KPatterson@SIERRAWIRELESS.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <22B623129C789545A94AFAC6B32DE40A91282B@crystal.sierrawireless.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

VANAGON LIFTER SYNDROME!!!!

This has been discussed a zillion times and is all in the archives. However, for newbies and anybody else that wants a refresher.......

The lifter noise is scarey, aggravating, frustrating, but can be avoided mostly.

1) Drain a quart of oil - add a quart of Marvels Mystery Oil and run it a couple of hundred miles. 2) Change oil to a Dino 20W50 or a Synthetic equivilent.... I use 15W50 Mobil 1 Synthetic. I recommend it, though others disagree. 3) Install a Mann or Mahle oil filter, and ONLY a Mann or Mahle. Buy them in a fourpak from the list vendors for around twenty bucks - Order copper crush gaskets for the drain plug when you order the filters. Install new plug gasket every time you change the oil.

The MMO is a very fine cleaning oil, and cleans up varnish and other crud that may make a lifter sticky inside. Give it a run to clean things up before changing the oil. The lifters tend to leak down becasue of the design of the oil system. By using a filter with a strong internal relief valve spring, the pressure holds the oil in the engine oil galleries and the lifters do not lose their prime and begin rattling. on startup. The system seems to manage a bit better on the heavier oil, and it is one recommended by VW. Experiece garnerd by many on this list suupport the notion that the 20W50 seems to give the best general performance. Other grades can be used under a varity conditions but this seems to be the best over all. Regularly scheduled oil changes will also healp against valve clatter. The WBX is particularly snsitive to this issue.

Regards,

John Rodgers 88 GL Driver

Keith Patterson wrote:

>I've got an 87 westy with a funny problem. If I start it and let it run >for a short time (say 5 minutes) then turn it off, the next time I start >it my lifters make a horrible sound. I assume they are losing there >pressurization. If I drive it for a while the noise goes away. > >Any thoughts? > > > >Thanks, > >KP > > >


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