http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_362_263/oil_pressure_gauge_kit.html
Best money and two hours you'll spend.
I had one on my '84 and am installing this one on my '85 this weekend (and
I'll transfer it to the Subaru engine). It didn't keep me from blowing up
my engine, but at least I knew I was on borrowed time:
http://volksweb.relitech.com/21rodbrg.htm
For more fun reading on oil look up "tribology," which is the science of
lubrication. You will learn that two of the best known lubricants are whale
oil and castor oil (Castrol's original formula).
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
James Eaton
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 5:16 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: oils and gasoline
>
> Date: Mon, 27 May 2013 12:57:38 -0500
> From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Engine Oil Question
>
> I don't think it's better, I think it's very good and moderately
> priced. I know from many thousands of miles of experience that without
> the right oil (of which Castol 20W50 is one) and the right filter, you
> stand a good chance of hearing your waterboxer's oil buzzer go off on
> a hot day of freeway driving.
>
> It has been explained to me by people who are in the business of
> selling oil and in the business of building engines that the
> waterboxer does not have tolerances that would take advantage of the
synthetics' advantages.
> It's like putting high test in the gas tank; it won't hurt the car
> but it won't help it either, and costs more.
>
> Jim
>
Hmmm,
Even back in the '80s, when I had my Rabbit, we were advised that if you
wanted your engine to last you should run synthetic oil, especially if you
ran a lot under adverse or high load conditions. And that was back when
synthetics were all thin, thin, like 0W20. Now that synthetics are the same
weight as regular oils, only with wider range (e.g. 15W50 is the same
thickness as 20W50, except in the cold, where it's thinner for better lube
at start-up), all engines, even those needing heavier oil to cope with high
temperatures, can find a synthetic to do the job.
And I have a contrary observation to your line about premium octane
gasoline; our '91, with 290k km, gets 2-3 mpg more on 91 octane than on 87
octane on the highway. (The owner's manual recommends the use of 91 octane
under hot, high load conditions, which described our camping trips in
eastern Ontario last summer.) A colleague who teaches and researches gas
engine maintenance and repair suggested that the improvement is likely due
to the superior flame front propagation properties of 91 octane under higher
loads, and to the lower alcohol content (apparently in Ontario premium does
not have to have the 5-10% alcohol that regular does).
James
Ottawa, ON
'91 Westfalia Weekender
=