Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 19:06:36 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Overfilling the oil issues
In-Reply-To: <606E53C8-B117-4511-9FCE-BEE7C01438BF@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
The only place that extra oil is normally vented out is the crankcase
breather. This is due to the extra churning and aeration. That extra oil
going through the engine also damages the catalyst and o2 sensor. If really
overfilled and kept at high speed long enough the next vent is the
crankshaft seals. Also the extra oil makes for a lot of extra heat and can
actually thin the oil enough for the oil pressure to drop. The final vent
can be at the top of the case when a rod comes through.
If you need to regularly add oil you need to ask why? Especially on a fairly
new engine. When checking oil it is imperative that the van be level both
front/rear and side to side. Note the full mark is already too high and
these engines tend to burn off the excess. Anything above the lower mark is
plenty. When they get just below that mark I add a 1/2 quart.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Robert Stewart
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 5:58 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Overfilling the oil issues
I recently did a 4 hour drive in the rain the other day in stop and go
traffic and when I got home I checked the oil to see it was down just below
the lower dip stick marker. So I filled it up but added to much and when I
checked it was at the very top of TOP of the dipsticks marker.
I drove it for about 30 minutes and when I returned I parked the van on a
slight hill facing downward.
Today I came back to van to see that there is now a small puddle outside
under the engine between the engine and where the automatic transmission
connects to the engine.
Did the van just vent out the extra oil?
Did parking on the downward hill drain the extra oil out?
Or do I have a seal broken somewhere?
Please note: The van's engine is only a year fresh from a rebuild with only
5,000 miles on it. Mostly local backroads driving of no more than an hour.
I only have made 4 long drives with the van since the rebuild no more than 3
hours per drive. Oil has always been changed with Mobil 1 - 15-50, with Mann
Filters. I have an external oil cooler and tranny cooler on the van which is
an 88 automatic Wolfsburg edition that had all new rubber hoses installed at
the time of the engine rebuild.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
Robert
Bloomingburg NY
