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Date:         Thu, 22 Jul 2004 16:36:28 +1000
Reply-To:     Stephen Overmyer <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Overmyer <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU>
Subject:      Re: Lifter Noise
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I have found over the years, the best way I have avoided getting that annoying clacking sound of the lifters was to never start/run the van for short periods. Besides it's the worst for you vehicle and pollution.

After quite some time attempting to determine exactly what conditions led to the situations that I experienced the syndrome I related it back to two events...

One was after that occasional short start to drive the van out of the garage to give myself more room to work on something or do something on, or perhaps wash the van.

The other was a short drive of only 2kms to go to band rehearsals at another member's studio after we switched from rehearsal space some 20 minutes drive away. I had to drive, despite my dislike of short drives for environmental reasons, since I had two keyboards, an amp and a Santur to take with me. The van never warmed up and then several hours later, late at night I had to drive back again.

The lifters inevitably clacked the following day after either of these two events.

Wasn't long before I just pushed the van out of or in again from the garage without starting....situation 1 eliminated.

I don't play in that particular band anymore = no short hop to rehearsals.....situation 2 now eliminated.

Never had a lifter problem since....and have always just ran dino 20W50...

I echo all of John's comments below should anyone have persistent problems however avoiding the above situations has been 100% successful...at least in my case :)

Cheers, Steve O NSW Australia '92 Transporter WBX Kombi '00 Transporter Double Cab '03 Transporter Double Cab (work truck) '78 Landrover Series 3 Soft top (ex-Aust Army)

From: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET> 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.


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