Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 09:53:35 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: Oil overfill... or not? (long post)
In-Reply-To: <20100805120319.L447W.1330852.imail@eastrmwml32>
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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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