Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:18:31 -0700
Reply-To: Ben S <phlogiston420@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ben S <phlogiston420@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: diagnosis of high oil temperature--is my engine dying?
In-Reply-To: <11a301c883c5$b46d0a20$6401a8c0@DJZL7KF1>
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thanks for the input guys. i don't think this is a cooling problem
either, since i first observed this problem in december after driving
around all summer with good oil pressure. i like the idea of having
the oil tested... unfortunately i just changed it and have only about
400 miles on the new oil, and the old stuff is in a drain pan mixed up
with residual used oil from my motorcycle and my sister's wrx. i
guess i will cross my fingers and hope that at least my engine makes
it until the next oil change!
how hard is it to check the end play in the crank? can this be done
from the "front" belt pulley end or does it require dropping the
tranny to check at the flywheel?
thanks for heads up on the oil testing, though--i'll certainly take
that route if wendy survives to her next oil change!
Ben.
On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 3:17 PM, Scott Daniel - Shazam
<scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
> My 3 main thoughts :
>
> 1. I can't think of any reason the oil should be getting hotter than it
> used to, under the same conditions. Your cooling system and coolant temp
> sound just fine as usual, and well maintained. And I can't imagine that now
> the oil cooler is suddenly less efficient – but do consider that, but seems
> very unlikely to me.
>
>
>
> 2. since you are so interested in staying on top of this – bravo - it's
> strongly indicated that you should send an oil sample (after 3,000 miles on
> it, or at an oil change ) to an oil lab for analysis.
>
> Hergurth lab I think in Vallejo, if they still exist. They tell you about
> 40 things about the oil, including abnormal amounts of bearing and ring and
> piston material metal. And you can talk to an oil engineer too about your
> engine. I can't recommend this strongly enough , and I can't think of one
> time any vanagon owner was smart enough to avail themselves of this very
> valuable service. Costs maybe 45 bucks.
>
>
>
> 3. I think it's engine wear – likely bearings. I've read of a few
> people replacing the oil pump to help with this, though oil pumps don't
> usually wear much. One very brief fast simple small test that might
> reveal something, you can check crankshaft end play. If that's significant
> that would point to main bearings. Or main bearings loose in the case – a
> vw malidy.
> Them vw's ya know. I am seeing more and more that a waterboxer is just
> a traditional 1600 type air-cooled engine beefed up and adapted to water
> cooling. Perhaps future Subaru power is indicted in your case.
>
>
>
> But seriously, consider that oil analysis. You can really learn a lot about
> your engine's condition.
> I'm mildly frustrated because it's my experience that very seldom do
> people hear about some 'new thing' to them – a book, an herbal supplement,
> or whatever, and check it out.
>
> They tend to stay thinking they already know everything there is to know,
> which is a joke of course. I hear of some new thing – I want to check it
> out, or at least be very informed about it.
> And I've recommended oil analysis in cases like yours many times, and
> have yet to hear of one person doing it. * It's like they'd rather wonder
> and speculate and yak on lists about it, rather than get factual information
> to work with. *
>
> Very brief story- had this customer with an oldish 240 volvo. The engine
> was just noisy and 'odd' ,. compression wasn't horrible, but the engine was
> just 'tired in a very nebulous way'' ( old volvo's are like that) . The
> woman was German too – after the analysis came back, showing several metals
> about 60 % higher than they should be , we knew – her engine was 'kaput."
>
> Scott Daniel Foss
>
> www.turbovans.com
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