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Date:         Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:45:16 -0800
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: hidden oil leak ??
Comments: To: A J I <flavanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

glad you found it ! oddly..........I've never seen a leaking oil pressure switch by the crank pulley, on a 2.1 waterboxer......on practically hundreds of vanagons.

I never work on something with a time deadline. I *always* always, always find 'there's more.' more than one expected.......to do really 100 % complete work that is. You can finish up after the superbowl if you need to anyway. I'll be watching 2. ----- Original Message ----- From: "A J I" <flavanagon@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 7:29 PM Subject: Re: hidden oil leak ??

> UPDATE: > Well its been almost a month now and I have replaced the crankshaft seal > but > that didnt help. When I was replacing the water pump I had more than a few > listmembers tell me to replace the oil pressure unit as well. I should > have > listened! > That $6 part was the entire root/cause of all my problems. I replaced the > oil sender today and did some serious run time which in the past would > have > produced large oil puddles and considerable spray all ovet the rear gate > of > the van, nada, nothig the mysterious oil leak is gone. It was the oil > sending unit. > The weird thing is I have cleaned and really looked over the old unit that > was the cause and I cannot find anything at all from outward appearance > that > would make one suspect it as the cause. It looks just fine. Be assured > that > it was the cause of the oil spewing because there isnt a drop at all on or > near the motor even after 1/2 hour run varying to 3200 rpm in park in the > driveway and then a drive of about 45 minutes where I was cruising at 65 > mph. > I will add that anyone that is ever replacing either the water pump or the > crankshaft seal should at the same time replace the oil sending unit. It > is > in expensive and really easy to do when all the parts are out of the way. > By > the way I believe that the old sending unit was the cause of the oil alarm > whenever I did a hard right turn. I tried a couple today on the test run > and > the van performed just fine and no oil alarm so I cured two problems with > the one repair. > I changed it out with just removing the belts but it was a bit of a hassle > would have been a snap when the stuff was out of the way. Thank you > everyone > for all the help and input. Tomorrow before the superbowl (Go STEELERS) I > am > going to replace the rear wheel cyclinders and shoes. The Vanagon will > once > again be right and running properly. just in time for the celebration. > Thanks again everyone, > > A J > > > > On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 7:56 PM, A J <flavanagon@gmail.com> wrote: > >> OK here is the background. 1991 Vanagon GL it has 40,000 on a "crate" >> replacement engine. Runs great,but. About 3-4 months ago ,the first time >> it >> happened, I was driving along about 60 mph and noticed that the rear >> window >> was "filming" up and there was an occasional puff of smoke, dropped to >> about >> 50 and went straight to the driveway. >> >> The next day went out and cleand the entire bottom of the motor with carb >> cleaner and let it sit for a day, no drips. So went for another drive, >> about >> 5 minutes into the drive the same thing happened. This time I sprayed off >> the bottom while it was warm and looked for leaks, nothing. >> >> Next day I put some clean cardboard down on the drive and then did an >> short >> run through the neighborhood came back and parked on the cardboard. Most >> of >> the dripping was at the rear cross motor mount but there was some at the >> side by the valve cover. I replaced both vaqlve covers figuring that if >> they >> were leaking the air blowing by would deposit the oil on the crossbar and >> spray it on the rear deck. >> >> Another drive more oil. >> >> I cleaned it all off again and this time put down cardboard but didnt >> drive >> just ran it in place. Nothing for about 4-5 minutes then it started >> leaking >> and seemed to be coming from the motor mount. Could not see any oil from >> the >> top of the motor only from the bottom. From the top looking down it is >> all >> clean and neat looking like nothing is leaking at all so it is not being >> flung through the compartment by the belts. >> >> I figured that the only place that I couls not see was the probable area, >> the crankshaft seal. I ordered a nea seal, replaced it and went for a >> drive, >> yep in about 5 minutes it started spraying the rear of the van just like >> before. >> >> I cleaned it all off and let it cool off. The next day I went out with >> the >> cardboard and with it running in place and changing rpm between 2000 and >> 3500 it was a good five minutes before I saw it start leaking. I cant >> directly see it but it is leaking on to the left side of the mount and >> dripping off the bar, The rear of the motor is not wet and there is no >> oil >> leaking down the side. This wont leak until the motor heats up. >> >> I am wondering if it is possible for the oil cooler to leak by spraying >> the >> oil onto the mount figuring that after the motor heats up it opens the >> gap >> between the gasket or whatever, sound plausable? If I remember correctly >> this started after I changed the oil and installed the fram filter. I >> wonder if it is possible for the filter to not bypass and then create >> enough >> pressure to force the oil out? >> >> There is no oil in the cooling system so I believe the oil cooler is not >> leaking internally but wonder if it is possible for oil to leak out >> between >> the cooler and the block, well not leak but spray. Would it be possible >> to >> tighten the cooler to the block by removing the filter and torquing the >> bolts or should it be removed and a new seal installed? Or should I just >> consider something else because there is simply no oil at all dripping >> off >> the filter or the block just from the bar the the motor mounts to. Is it >> possible that the oil could be coming from the motor mounting bolts. >> >> Keep in mind that it does not drip and wount drip out until the motor >> reaches temp and will stop as soon as it is shut down. Any help, >> opinions, >> or guess appreciated. >> >> Thanks, >> >> A J >> >>


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