Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 08:16:34 -0700
Reply-To: Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Westy Oil light flickers briefly
In-Reply-To: <e3.2dabac4.2e9a6fdc@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Good Morning Frank,
I fully agree with everything that you and Boston Bob are saying. I was trying to keep it simple for the original Newby question about his occasional oil flicker.
I started out digging into the oil pump and the main bearing discussion, but decided to not confuse the new guy too much in one swoop and trying to not scare the crap out of the guy with the engine rebuilt discussion. Apparently this is a good topic of disussion.
I thought that he should try changing the oil to the synthetic oil as a first attempt to fix the oil flicker since it worked for my engine, sort of. True there may be other issues with the age of the components on this engine, but let's not scare him away from his new van.
True there are many oil filters that meet the demands of our engines, again I picked on the easy ones that came to mind. The point is the idiot at the local Sears or Valvoline shop will not put on the correct filter for our vans, which was his initial question.
Cheers,
Joel
Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM> wrote:
In a message dated 09/10/2004 12:56:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
First
ONLY EVER USE THE VW SPECIFIED OIL FILTER, NOT THE ONES AT THE CORNER OIL
CHANGE STORE. GO ONLINE TO www.busdepot.com or www.gowesty.com or
www.volkscafe.com and purchase the MANN oil filters from any of them.
This is crucial. the VW specified oil filter has a relief valve not found
on the FRAMM or BOSH oil filters that will cause a drop in oil pressure.
Joel, I'm gonna have to jump in here and disagree with you. There are many
filters on the market which have both the relief valve and anti drain back
valve necessary to the waterboxer engine beside MANN & BOSCH filters. I sell
HENGST filters and they are equal to the MANN or BOSCH. There are many others
also. The important thing is that the filter have both valves and have a
quality filter material.
The other thing here with the initial question is that he says the motor
was rebuilt but we don't know if that included new bearings properly sized
and installed and we don't know about the oil pump. What is needed now is to
install an oil pressure gauge, to determine the best way we have available,
the oil pressure in that engine. There is no way to know if the bearings are
worn out other than checking with an oil pressure gauge or opening the motor.
I can tell you one thing for sure that if that motor has more than 200,000
miles on the original bearings they are most likely worn to the point they
will cause the oil light to flicker. Then next thing that will happen is that
a rod, most likely number three, will poke its ugly head out through the top
of the engine case. Just ask Ina or any number of folks on this list. Now
it was number four rod on Ina's engine but I don't think that makes a whole
lot of difference ! The bottom line here is that when that oil light starts to
flicker you'd better find out why quickly. It may be an electrical problem,
it may be a filter problem, it may be an oil problem, it may be a relief
valve problem or it may be a bearing problem. If it's the latter your in for
seeing a rod poking through the case in short order ! That oil pressure
warning light system, no matter how Micky Mouse it is, was installed by the
engineers for a reason !
Cheers,
Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm) a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
'87 Westy, '90 Carat & Lionel Trains
Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/) & _CCVWC_
(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_Frank Condelli & Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or http://frankcondelli.com
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