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Date:         Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:28:56 -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: Altitude Sickness and Buzzing alarm.
Comments: To: robby kilborn <robbykilborn@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

my first thought is get rid of that 10W30 immediately.

I'd run a good 15W40 , or a 15W50. Mobil 1 is a common 15W50. and there are lots of great 15W40's .. I recently put Royal Purple synthetic 15W40 in a waterboxer van of mine .. with an oil pressure guage on it too .. the engine and van loved the oil ..and oil pressure was always good.

I just bought a rebuilt 2.1 long block .. they were adamant about not using 10W40 in it .. so imagine what they'd say about 10W30.

2.1 waterboxer engiens are considered to have a weakness after high miles with the rod bearing oil clearnace...due to the 2.1 stock rod bolts , stretch type ..strecting more . the cool thing I gather these days .is to use non-stretch 1.9 wbxr rod bolts on 2.1 connectiing rods.

and not to go on about oils.. but just learnred about a high zinc formulation oil for older type cars .. their propaganda says modern API rated oils are designed to protect catalytic converters .. and not the engine as much ( as oil used to ) .. there's less ZDDP in modern oil... and modern engines all have roller cam followers to keep things happy with modern oil with less ZDDP in it .. so .. for older, flat tappet cam follower engines ( waterboxers ) high ZDDP formulation oil is 'the ticket.' The company I 'discovered' selling high zinc formulation oil for older flat tappet engines is Joe Gibbs Driven ....google it. I got some of their Hot Rod 15W50 to run in one of my waterboxer engines .. it's for non-OBD-II engines with flat tappets ..has high zinc content...and extra corrosion preventative additive .. spendy at around 10 bucks a qt ..and that's not even their synthetic blend.. But I'll bet this is MUCH better oil for our old fasioned engines .. compared to the modern-formulated stuff.

but .....I'd sure get a heftier oil in there ASAP

And checking the true oil pressure would be nice ..as with a gauge.. it's tricky on a wbxr engine harder than usual to connect a gauge sender to the hole between the push rod tubes ..I made a special 'extender pipe' for that ..but then you can see the true oil pressure at all rpm's and temps .... how about this .. save a sample of the 10W30 that was in it when the oil warning came on .. get a good 15W 40 or 50 in there...send the sample in for oil analysis... find out how much metal is in it, etc.

scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "robby kilborn" <robbykilborn@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 1:52 PM Subject: Altitude Sickness and Buzzing alarm.

> Sheri and I are making our way through New Mexico and I've noticed a > significant drop in speed and power in my van at altitude. The same thing > happened to me when I crossed the Rockies in Canada in 2007 and 2008. Is > there something I should do that would provide relieve to this 'guardrail > syndrome'? It happens on inclines, declines and flat lines. Now that > we're > back down to 4000 feet here in Alamogordo (heading west), its all good, > but > there are more climbs ahead. > > Also, yesterday while driving up a mountain in Fort Stanton rec area in > Ruidoso, I was revisited by the buzzing alarm and flashing oil light. I > have not seen this since the climb in the Rockies in 2007-2008. The > incline > isn't all that steep, but its consistent... and long. What does it mean? > I > have new oil, new filter, good levels... running 10W30... I expect more > of > it in the near future as we continue to climb and descend around the US > and > Canada. > > > Robby > 1987 Syncro.


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