Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 10:29:47 -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
In-Reply-To: <0e7001cb30ec$36d7d280$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Thanks Scott and all,
Back in to check up on the comments on this oil thing. I checked the
trailer safety chain again and the oil has no noticeable smell other
than a vague oil smell. It is not red, it is brown. It looks like
nothing so much as engine oil.
The underside of the engine has some oil on it, the forward underside
crossover exhaust pipe has a burned and goopy mess about two inches wide
near the engine centerline, so whatever is getting on the bottom of the
engine and the drooping trailer safety chain seems to be coming from
farther forward.
But I don't know what the stuff it, I don't know how many miles I've got
before things get damaged. I'm over 1,000 miles from home. So the best
idea I have is to contact Mountain Imports and have them look the van
over on Wednesday morning, when we're going back down to Missoula from
Polson here (south shore Flathead Lake) and see if I can get them to
perform a quick check of the diff/transaxle lube level and top it off if
required. That may get me home.
If anyone has a better idea, I'll check back later today.
Again, thanks to all for the assistance.
--
Rocky J Squirrel
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR
Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> progress is being made.
> it would have to be engine oil, transaxle differential oil, or ATF from
> the auto trans portion of the transaxle.
>
> 'gear oil' has a strong well, 'gear oil like smell' ..
> much stronger than engine oil.
>
> ATF is reddish of course.
> sounds like it's probably not ATF.
>
> and you say the differential was low before ?
> that's not right of course.
> if the differential oil pan gasket is original ..
> those get completely rock hard and can't seal after a long time.
> Wouldn't be surprised if yours was due for replacement years and years ago.
>
> the differential should not use a drop of oil, ever.
> it's quite common for gear oil to seep paste the too-old and hardened
> diff pan gasket.
> The output flange seals can leak some too ..
> though they usually don't.
> wiggle the output flanges ( can you bare to be under that much though ?
> ) up and down to see if they move at all, they shouldn't.
> a leak there would be fairly obvious.
> pan gasket is a straightforward repair ..
> VW dealer is the best place that I know of to get one ..
> would need to be ordered usually ..
> a VW specialist might have one .
> and who knows, maybe a FLAPS can get one easily ..IF that is the problem.
> at least get the differential gear oil level checked.
> needs to be say at least 3/4 full.
>
> have fun !
> Scott
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike "Rocket J Squirrel""
> <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 10:00 AM
> Subject: Re: In Missoula, overfilled oil
>
>
>> 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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