Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (December 2013, week 5)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 31 Dec 2013 12:22:44 -0800
Reply-To:     Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: oil light question
Comments: To: Steve Cotsford <cotsford@AOL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <41DF4132-CA9E-4087-AC0A-87517E4BB9BD@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

You definitely want to hook up a guage. The port between the pushrod tubes takes pressure off the main bearings, the most important area. It's difficult to get at (you have to remove the rock shield, which is attached over an exhaust stud. I just cut the front leg off since the nut was frozen).

I think others have said you can use a flexible brake line to attach to the port in the case.

Wear limit is 28psi @ 4000 rpm in hot engine, 8 psi at idle. My worn 1.9 starts at 60 psi cold idle, drops within minutes to 8. I'm right at the bearing wear limit, and this is with 15w-40 dino oil. You (and I) want to go to a thicker synthetic, like Mobil One 15w-50.

Stuart

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Steve Cotsford Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 11:44 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: oil light question

It seems very quiet in Vanagon circles today. Probably means that people are resting or socializing and generally doing worthy things :-)

I have read some articles on Vanagon oil pressures and I get the impression that its fairly common for older 2.1s to have problems in that area.

I have seen other types of engines with low oil pressure and generally the oil light will start flickering at idle when the oil gets hot and thin. I am unfamiliar with the Vanagon system with two senders however.

My oil light will start blinking on and off at a regular fairly slow timing and no changes in engine speed seem to affect the blinking. However when the engine is switched off and restarted, there is no oil light. However after a few minutes, the regular blinking starts again. And once again, the speed of the blinking, on-off,on-off seems to be completely unaffected by engine rpm. My gut feeling is that its not oil pressure or lack of that is causing this but some other fault. Engine is a 2.1 from a Syncro I think and its installed in my 1989 Bluestar Vanagon. I am unsure of the mileage but was told its a little over 100k.

I can go buy a mechanical gauge and screw it into a pressure switch point but which one? The one near the distributor or the one down between the pushrod tubes. Which makes the most sense? Are they both connected by oil passages within the engine? Is this a common fault and is it likely to be related to something in the gauge assembly and not in the engine at all?

Thanks for any help. Enjoy your new years eve :-) Cheers Steve=


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.