Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 17:43:36 -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: Oil overfill... or not? (long post)
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re
Also, the same group that designed that dipstick also
designed the water jacket- just something to think about.
<well, not too sure about that ..
'engine designer group' I suppose >
yeah, but which dipstick system is it ?
could be the AAZ one, or a diesel vanagon one.
6 liters in any case is too much, that's for sure.
try to keep it short-
had a customer add 4 qts extra to his diesel rabbbit engine. 'Extra', not
just 4 qts.
car gets towed in.
remove injectors, crank engine, oil squirts 30 feet.
get that all out, and get oil level right ..fire it up.
smokes like crazy driving .
was that oil in the exhuast still burning out, or ruined engine, or both ?
never did find out really, guy got the car, was the last I saw of it.
durn thangs.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Fisher" <garciasghostvw@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 5:05 PM
Subject: Re: Oil overfill... or not? (long post)
> What's the world coming to when Scott has the shortest post in a thread? I
> was beginning to wonder if you all got copies of "Dragon Naturally
> Speaking"
> for your birthdays or something ....
> Anyway, Dave, something that came to mind is that I don't know how many
> times I've seen somebody "check their oil" and top it off right after
> turning it off. It doesn't take long for the oil to drain down but it
> doesn't happen instantly. I think in that case you get a lot of slightly
> overfilled engines. Also, the same group that designed that dipstick also
> designed the water jacket- just something to think about.
>
> Cya,
> Robert
>
> On Aug 5, 2010 4:10 PM, "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>> I just installed a tencentlife oil cooler set up..
>> I approve of it.
>> the more delux syncro version has a temp triggered electric fan on it
>> too.
>> goes behind right tail light.
>> bit expensive though..
>> around 500 ish I think.
>>
>> Scott
>> turbovans
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Alistair Bell" <albell@SHAW.CA>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 9:53 AM
>> Subject: Re: Oil overfill... or not? (long post)
>>
>>
>>> if you search on the samba classifieds for "tencentlife" , he has a
>>> good looking oil cooler system for sale...
>>>
>>> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=514460
>>>
>>>
>>> I think the coolant cooling system, if in good condition, is good in
>>> the vanagon. I mean it has good capacity to cool. One wonders though,
>>> with our older vans, just how tip top shape the cooling system is.
>>> Oil cooling might be improved especially when driving loaded westy at
>>> speed. Oil temps seem to, in my experience, go up in relationship to
>>> engine rpm, whereas at speed the airflow through rad keeps coolant
>>> temp in check. You notice that rad fan comes on more often when
>>> idling or going slow.
>>>
>>> My highest oil temps have occurred (in my I4 conversion) when driving
>>> fast in hot weather. My highest oil and coolant temps happening
>>> together have occurred when labouring up steep rough roads in low
>>> gears (even down to first), fully loaded westy, summer trips - low
>>> vehicle speed but high engine rpm.
>>>
>>> Ideally, oil temps should be around 100 C, give or take. I had oil
>>> temp and press. gauges in my westy, VDO, and while its debatable just
>>> how accurate they were, they did give relative info that I liked to
>>> have.
>>>
>>> Also, I always used synthetic oils in that engine. Just for peace of
>>> mind and knowing the little engine would be working hard and needed
>>> all the help it could get. Oh and while this is not applicable to the
>>> wasserboxer, I did install a "windage plate" between sump and block.
>>> That is supposed to reduce oil foaming a bit, and reduce oil slop on
>>> cornering.
>>>
>>>
>>> alistair
>>>
>>> PS Adventurous European Vanagon drivers travel in N. Africa and also
>>> there are Vanagons in S. Africa. Web searches might give you info on
>>> their solutions. I know that there is at least on German supplier
>>> (Bernd Jager?) that installs front mounted oil cooler an long supply
>>> lines for diesel installs.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5-Aug-10, at 9:03 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> 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
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