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Date:         Tue, 9 Aug 2011 15:37:35 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Oil level vs temp test
Comments: To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com>
In-Reply-To:  <435FD0FD5CAB4A2AB23F0B066EC68F46@KarlPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Please understand that I'm not talking about oil frothing due to an overfilled engine (above the upper notch), I'm testing what David Beierl wrote on July 20 in the thread "Watching Oil Temp (long, as usual)":

"Dennis Haynes has determined experimentally that a major cause of high oil temp in the WBX engine is frothing, which has led to his recommendation to fill only halfway [between] the mark[s]."

Since I see no difference in temp when the oil is at the 3/4 spot between the marks and the 1/4 point, I reckon that frothing ain't occurring in my engine, on this drive when the oil is at the higher point.

This van has the stock dipstick.

-- Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott Bend, Ore. 1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people. 1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer from a defunct company in San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westralia.

Sent from my kitchen.

On 08/09/2011 03:19 PM, Karl Wolz wrote: > Keep in mind that the dipstick is an approsimation, kinda like the fuel > guage, and it is common for our vans to have the wrong dipstick, leading to > a bit less accuracy. > > The statement, "one should see lower oil temp if the oil level was kept > below the halfway point between the two notches on the dipstick" is not > quite accurate (not arguing with your quoting ability). I would argue for, > "one MAY see ..." > > With the crankcase overfilled, the crankshaft hitting the top surface of the > oil pooled in the crankcase will whip air into the oil, kinda like whipping > cream. If the oil is filled with tiny bubbles of air, it tends to not be > able to lose heat, as the air is an insulator, thus causing the oil to get > continually warmer. The theory is that if your oil is running warmer than > expected, the problem may be an overfilled crankcase. Since you have > observed no difference after draining a pint, you are most likely not > getting "froth" in your oil. > > You have my permission to add that pint back; the more oil, the better, so > long as you don't have too much oil! > > Karl Wolz > > > > |-----Original Message----- > |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] > |On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel > |Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 2:31 PM > |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > |Subject: Oil level vs temp test > | > |A couple weeks ago it was mentioned here that one should see > |lower oil temp if the oil level was kept below the halfway > |point between the two notches on the dipstick. > | > |Last weekend Mrs Squirrel and I went camping in our nearby > |National Forest. The drive that-a-ways saw oil temp rise from > |what appears to be "cruising" temp of around 190 degrees (F) > |to about 215 on the steep bits where I had to downshift to > |second gear (auto trans). > | > |Ambient temp was in the mid-80s, and the oil level was 3/4's > |up from the bottom notch to the top notch, or halfway between > |the halfway point and the max point. > | > |So this morning I lowered the oil level to the 1/4 point > |(halfway between the min notch and the halfway point between > |the notches) and have just now returned from the same drive, > |or at least the portion of it where I saw my first temp rise > |on the last drive. This is a 14 mile drive with an 1800 foot > |elevation gain. Like on the previous drive, I kept the engine > |to 3600 rpm in second gear on the steep bits. Today's temp is > |in the mid-80s. > | > |I saw no difference: from "cruising" temp of 190F, the oil > |temp again rose again to around 215. > | > |Perhaps a longer drive or one under different conditions might > |show the predicted improvement in oil temp. > | > |-- > |Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott > |Bend, Ore. > |1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people. > |1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer from a defunct company in > |San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westralia. > | > |Sent from my kitchen. > |----- > |No virus found in this message. > |Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > |Version: 10.0.1392 / Virus Database: 1520/3823 - Release Date: > |08/09/11 >


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