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Date:         Mon, 2 Jan 2012 10:27:28 -0800
Reply-To:     John Anderson <wvukidsdoc@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Anderson <wvukidsdoc@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Oil in Coolant
In-Reply-To:  <CANLfs5Fowa8brK5oyQciBZRgtViLG9v9oEf3Uh6FaRrWWAZZMw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Finn, So if there is a benefit to a waterboxer this may be it. To get much oil in the coolant (not the other way which is much easier) you need to have a place where pressurized oil can meet coolant. As coolant is at over 10psi in operation, you need oil at 30-40 psi or whatever to put much in the coolant. Now the coolant can of course suck vacuum when shut off and cooling and I guess could suck from sump pressure areas (past the lower cylinder liner o-rings not that there is much oil there after shutdown and windage stops) but that could only be minute, and you'd have a lot more coolant going the other way if it were happening. Is there much foamy milk in the oil? You will of course read head surface/head gaskets for most engines because most engines inline 4, V6, V8, whatever have pressurized oil passenges going up to the heads to oil valve gear and/or lifters, and they are always in some close approximation to coolant passages which would be all around them. The waterboxer does not of course being a little ole VW Bug engine that got wet linered. Hence the oil cooler(s) as suggested are your main spot. Now that don't mean you are out of the woods from overheated engine damage by a far piece, but look to the coolers first, check the compression (leakdown if you can) and if it's good, and you aren't losing any coolant anywhere after it is all back intact, it may have dodged a bullet. I'd probably send for an oil analysis at Blackstone an oil change or two down the line as well after all together if you find the issue and think you are OK just to verify no coolant in oil as it will eat bearings for lunch. John ----- Original Message ----- From: Finn Runyon <finnrunyon@GMAIL.COM> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Cc: Sent: Monday, January 2, 2012 8:23 AM Subject: Oil in Coolant So several kind people have suggested that the oil in the coolant which I am told from the previous owner was the result of the coolant junction behind the right rear wheel blowing apart, and that the engine overheated, might be as simple as the oil cooler and or seal failure.  I would love to think it was this simple, but fear for the worst.  Obviously if it severely overheated it would not run.  It starts right up, seems to have normal power, but because of my fear that something more serious is wrong, I have not run it much beyond getting it on a trailer to tow it to my home.  It idles a bit rough until it warms up.  Would warped or damaged heads cause the oil/coolant issue? Thanks! Finn 87 and 89 Westys


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