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Date:         Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:00:12 -0600
Reply-To:     "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: In Missoula, overfilled oil
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <4c532cd7.e9c9e50a.0772.6634@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Thanks, David (and all who have responded) -- I just called Steve and left a message. I'm briefly in town where I have Internet and cell service, the cabin is too remote for that fancy stuff.

200 miles ago, with a pretty darn cool engine -- it was 95 (F) so cool is relative -- the dipstick showed oil too high. This morning the level is good, below the upper notch. Operator error? I don't think so, but I'm not as smart as I wish I was so I might have screwed up, Steve might not have screwed up. That's a public record apology.

The transmission fluid reads good, too -- right below the upper embossed dot on the dipstick.

Which leads to a puzzle. The safety chain is wet with oil. It looks like and feels like engine oil. I did not smell it, the trailer is at the cabin.

Steve has noted previously that the differential (these things have differentials, yes?) has come up pretty dry. There is a leak someplace. The engine underside is goopy.

So - I have a mystery here. Is there some way an average squirrel can i.d. the fluid type by examination?

Will check back later for any followup suggestions, and again, thanks, all!

-- Rocky J Squirrel 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) Bend, OR KG6RCR

David Beierl wrote: > At 01:47 PM 7/30/2010 Friday, Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" wrote: >> My trust in Steve's Place in Bend, Ore., just went down a whole bunch. >> Last night, when I was unhooking the Westralia from the van, I noticed >> the safety chain was oily. The dipstick revealed that the chimps had >> overfilled the oil when they changed it last week. > > Dear Mr. Squirrel, > > Spoke to Steve. His advice: > > a) We put in 4 1/2 qt oil so it's not overfull, or else you added > some. Check it when stone cold. > > b) [from me] Does the oil on the stick smell like gasoline? If so > could be washing down the cylinder walls. It seems unlikely to me, but > there are people I trust who are firm that this can add more than a > quart (of gasoline) to the crankcase under the wrong circumstances. > > c) You have a known transmission leak, is this causing the visible > external oil? > > d) Call him. (541) 318-9884 > > Does that help? He was definitely not receptive to the idea that the > motor had been overfilled. ;-) I didn't insist, just asked what he'd > like you to do, and the above is the result. I didn't for example ask > how precisely he *knew* that they'd put in 4 1/2 and not 5 1/2 qts. > > Yours, > David > ps -- He'd never heard of Jack Elliott, so there was a bit of a stumble > at the beginning. > > pps -- If you want to take some oil out, see if Missoula has a hardware > store (all right, I'm pretty sure it does) and get some pvc tubing that > will just go in the dipstick hole, and siphon some out. Remember to > spit if you get a mouthful of oil.


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