Date:         Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:59:15 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: borescopes anyone was Re: dumb dumb blue paper shop towel in
              crankcase ..duh
Comments: To: trclark@SHAW.CA
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

I have not followed this thread, but the boroscope keyword caught my 
attention. I have used an Olympus boroscope with Sony digital camera to examine the 
oil pan and crankcase cavitation/areation problems in my I4 conversion. The 
details are in the archives. In quick summary, the interior is easy to inspect 
with the boroscope in a static mode as you might expect. Unfortunately, key areas 
like the oil pickup inlet are inaccessible because of the size of the 
boroscope probe (1/8 inch diameter). The internal contrast ration is very poor - 
black on black and it is difficult to image below the oil surface.

When running, the crankcase is a maelstrom without the windage tray in place. 
As I described previously, you can see the oil quickly foaming in front of 
the boroscope pickup. With the addition of a windage tray and set of oil baffles 
with directional flow doors, the oil system is very well behaved - looks like 
black rain pouring in fine streams. 

Any chance of discerning a paper shop towel texture in the black on black 
static system would be dubious at best.

Frank Grunthaner
In a message dated 9/14/06 8:47:34 AM, trclark@SHAW.CA writes:


> So I spent a few hrs yesterday here in Vic, BC looking for anyone that rent
> borescopes nope
> any one willing to come out  for 1 hrs yup $150-200 for the visit :(
> 1 shop(Ellice) with a borescope belives they wont be able to see anything
> any one ever use a borescope to peek in the crankcase do these guys know
> what they are talking about
> 
> So looks like anybody with one will set me back 100-200 eitherway
> so I figure I need a new toy this month & I think back how many times
> I wouda like to see in wall or down some drain, or some other crevice,
> down the spark plug hole & up at those valves
> & now in crankcase so I think this puppy at $299 looks a good bet
> any of you 'real' mechanics care to suggest a quality budget device that you
> have experince with
> (options i figure it should have min 1/4" diameter, digital camera ability,
> 7000 fibers)
>