Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 11:03:19 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Oil overfill... or not? (long post)
In-Reply-To: <967A44D9-7740-4AAA-BC23-2E1DF98DC33A@shaw.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
---- Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
> just one thing Dave, the factory "oil cooler" is more of an "oil temp
> moderator". Helps in warm up of engine but really can't pull oil
> temps down that much as compared to a "little radiator type" oil cooler.
so, is this German vehicle just not engineered to operate at the elevated temperatures that we experience in the hotter parts of NA? I know that people do run them in Arizona, Baja, Texas, Southern California. Are my experiences consistent with those of others? I'm not having any running problems, and the engine seems to run at the proper operating temperature, so far as the coolant system reports. Oil pressure is certainly "adequate" as reported by the gauge. Mechanics have told me not to worry about the occasional blinking of the oil pressure light at idle, so long as slightly raising the rpms causes it to stop blinking, and it stays stopped when the rpms drop. But the blinking resulting from long runs at elevated ambient temperatures, coupled with the "low adequate" oil pressure on those runs makes me wonder about oil temperature.
Are the more robust (effective) oil coolers that you mention available for install on the beast? If so, do they add maintenance concerns of their own? I have generally preferred to keep things stock on a vehicle, not wanting to simply create other matters to deal with. After all, excellent engineers designed it -- or not? Of course, the waterboxer is a problematic engine in other regards, too, and its high maintenance demands make me less than in love with it, as some of you already know.
But, it performed well on the trip out west, and my wife loves it for its camping utility. Keeps her off the ground except when we backpack, and she likes the kitchen. When I cook while camping, I often do a good part of it outdoors, and I always wash up outdoors -- easier to me than the tiny sink. Two can hardly work on cooking together with the available space in the camper.
Dave
> On 5-Aug-10, at 7:56 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>
> So, this beast has a factory oil cooler, as we all know. Do these
> sometimes go bad, perhaps having either oil or coolant channels
> partially blocked? Is oil temperature (separate from coolant
> temperature, which is picked up on the thermostat housing I believe)
> the likely reason for these variations in oil pressure indication as
> I suspect? If so, is there a fix, so that oil pressure remains at 30
> psi or so even at high ambient temperatures, and does not drop below
> 5 psi (which brings the blinker on I believe) at idle?
>
--
David McNeely
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