Date:         Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:43:53 -0400
Reply-To:     Bostig Eng <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bostig Eng <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Subject:      Re: borescopes anyone was Re: dumb dumb blue paper shop towel in
              crankcase ..duh
In-Reply-To:  <4c4.87a9598.323b46d3@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

We use a borescope during the inspection process as engines come in... for
the $100-$200 range I doubt that you'll be happy with the quality of the
unit you get, so make sure you buy it from and place with a good return
policy. They are incredibly useful, I've used one for everything from
combustion chamber inspection, and viewing impossible to see locations to
mousing in the framerails of the van(we ended up putting a shop vac over one
large hole, then used the borescope to locate and scare the mouse over the
hole... caught and released the little guy, must've been a wild ride though)

As to whether you'll be able to see anything, it depends on two things, the
quality of the borescope, and the route it will take. If you don't have one
of those 45 degree mirror attachments, you can only see about 60 degrees
from the direction the borescope is "looking" (depends on lens too of
course) 

Jim


________________________________________
Bostig Engineering
Engine Systems Voodoo
http://www.bostig.com/
617.272.3800



-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Grunthaner [mailto:FrankGRUN@AOL.COM] 
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 7:59 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: borescopes anyone was Re: dumb dumb blue paper shop towel in
crankcase ..duh

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)
>