Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 13:53:58 -0700
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: In Missoula, overfilled oil
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good i-dier to have the diff oil level checked.....just in case that's
involved.
otherwise, I'd probbaly tell someone 'keep your fluids full, < not overfull
> and drive it nice and you'll likely be all right ."
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"" <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2010 9:29 AM
Subject: Re: In Missoula, overfilled oil
> 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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