Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:54:08 -0500
Reply-To: Pete Owsianowski <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Pete Owsianowski <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Busted Down Near Tekonsha, Michigan
In-Reply-To: <4ECE5F3C.7000603@charter.net>
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Hi, John!
Top end was just rebuilt 2 years ago with all new German valves, pushrods, water pump. It really appeared it was tranny oil leaking. Check the oil and it was up to the fill line. Will dig in after thanksgiving.
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 24, 2011, at 10:14, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
> Pete, before doing anything else - check your compression!
>
> This was my horror once driving across Oklahoma on a Saturday night in late October of 1999.
>
> I was cruising along and heard a "Pop" noise in back. Thought I had hit a cup or something. Then a tractor trailer rig began closing from behind and in the approaching light I could see clouds of billowing smoke swirling behind. I checked all insturments and all was well so far as they were concerned. I pull up on an off-ramp and into a gas station where there was light and a mechanic aide. Got out, walked to the rear and the backend was covered with oil. Looked underneath and oil was dripping everywhere. Couldn't really see what was happening, so I gave it up for the night, got a AAA roll-back tow into Clinton, OK, parked it at the local Holiday Inn and waited until Monday when businesses opened. On Monday I got it to a garage and first thing spotted was a rocker box gasket bulged out sufficiently to let oil out. Blowing in the breeze of cruising, it spread oil every where. Had them replace the gasket, put in some oil, started it up, and "POP" goes the gasket. Now it's more serious. Next step was compression check. Forward cylinder on the driver side had no compression. But you could hear blowing into the crankcase. "UH-OH!" At TDC with both intake and exhaust valves closed, there should be no air going anywhere - UNLESS there are burned valves or severely worn rings or cracked heads or holes in pistons. I decided to rent a truck and auto trailer and haul the thing on to Birmingham which was my destination.. Once there, I had the engine pulled, and torn down. There it was - the source of the smoke. a piston with a hold burned through the top on one side, and the side of the piston galled and the cylinder wall scored. Rebuilt the engine and now have near 150,000 on it. No probs.
>
> Figured when the piston burned through, the case was pressurized, and that pressure from the case went through the pushrod housings into the rocker covers and blew the seal - and being under pressure - was blowing the oil out and onto the pipes underneath. as well as through the engine exhaust. Never saw a temp rise n the coolant gage, no low coolant light, no low oil light. Just caught the fact there was a problem by looking out the rear window. Had I driven just a bit more, the engine probably would have have thrown a rod.
>
> Point being here - check your compression first - before doing anything else. Be sure your basic engine is ok, then tear into the other stuff.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
> On 11/24/2011 7:57 AM, Pete O wrote:
>> much to my horror, saw crazy blue/white smoke billowing out
>> behind in the headlights of the truck behind.
>
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