Date:         Mon, 12 May 2014 23:35:07 -0600
Reply-To:     OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: A tiny overfill of oil -- enough to worry about?
Comments: To: mcneely4@COX.NET
In-Reply-To:  <20140512130441.M596Q.472887.imail@eastrmwml213>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

        Certainly there are NorthernStates like Montana, N.Dakota, Minnesota, Vermont, NewHampshire & Maine

(& of course during the past winter Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio & Pennsylvania) where people

with Vehicles with old Engines might want to consider using an Oil that is formulated to perform better in

ExtremeCold WinterTemps ~ & Certainly there are SouthWesternState Areas like SouthernArizona, Southern

NewMexico & SouthWesternTexas where people with Vehicles with old Engines might want to consider using

an Oil that is formulated to perform better in ExtremeHot SummerTemps ~ But if your Vanagons Engine &

It's CoolingSystem are in ProperWorkingOrder it should always Maintain Close to TheSame "WarmedUpTemp"

NoMatter what the AmbientTemperature is & so the Proper way to go about FiguringOut WhatOil ToBeUsing,

is to 1st Determine what Grade (or Weight as most People LikeToCallIt TheseDays) Oil ~ Keeps your Engines

OilPressures where they are Supposed to be when UpTo NormalOperatingTemp ~ This would be the Number

After the "w-" & Use that "Grade" Oil AllYear'Round ~ Then Decide on which Before The"w" Grade you should

run by the Usual Prevailing TempConditions during the Period you plan to Run that Oil ~

        With todays ModernOils there's Really NoNeedWhatSoEver ~> If your Engine & It's CoolingSystem are in

ProperWorkingOrder <~ to have to Switch Oils for Summer & Winter, in @Least 70% of the Lower48States ~

A 0w-X, 5w-X or in some cases a 10w-X ~ AlwaysSynthetic ~ should work Sufficiently in most WellMaintained

Engines ~

                                                                                ORR ~ DeanB

On 12 May , 2014, at 11:04 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:

> Well, different folks use different approaches.  I drain the oil when warm (preferably not hot, because that can be painful), refill with four quarts, measure, start the engine, drive a little, rest the vehicle for an hour or so, measure, and bring up to halfway between the two marks.  Usually, when I then start the engine and drive it a bit, then measure again, the dipstick shows to be near the top mark. I live in Oklahoma, but drive all over. Winter temperatures here can run to 10 below F, but vary wildly, with typical January lows/highs being 20/40.  It can be 60 in January, or it can be below 20 for the high for a week straight.  Summer can reach 115 F. Once we hit May, it is unusual for the temperature to drop below 60 F until mid-September.  I use conventional 20W50 oil April through October (changed early this year because I was traveling to Big Bend National Park), conventional 10W40 if I drive the van in winter. This is on a 2.1 boxer.  1991 VW Vanagon GL Campmobile.  Rebuilt engine with 75K miles.  Has a TenCentLife supplemental oil cooler.
> 
> mcneely
> 
> ---- Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote: 
>> On 05/11/2014 07:06 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>> 
>> "If the oil cooler can really do the job then it should not be problem.
>> The excess will burn off."
>> 
>> So this slight overfill isn't enough to lead to frothing? How much
>> overfill is too much?
>> 
>> I was surprised that 1/2 quart (500ml) raised the level on the dipstick
>> from just below the bottom notch to just above the upper notch. I
>> checked a number of times a waited to make sure that the new oil had had
>> a chance to settle before deciding to add the extra.
>> 
>> --
>> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
>> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
>> Bend, Ore.
>> 
>> On 05/11/2014 07:06 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>> If the oil cooler can really do the job then it should not be problem. The
>>> excess will burn off. I'm curious about your winter blend versus camping
>>> season blend! An easy way to get rid of excess oil is to remove the filter,
>>> pour some out and just re-install it.
>>> 
>>> Dennis
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
>>> Rocket J Squirrel
>>> Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2014 8:00 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: A tiny overfill of oil -- enuff to worry about?
>>> 
>>> 1.9L, with a tencentlife oil cooler setup.
>>> 
>>> I changed the oil today, as I do every spring, from the winter blend to the
>>> camping season blend. Also changed the oil filter. My notes had me put in 4
>>> quarts of new oil, which I did. After letting things settle a bit, I checked
>>> the dip stick -- it was barely up to the lower notch. I checked it a couple
>>> more times, same results.
>>> 
>>> So I put in half a quart (about 500 ml) of additional oil -- and the reading
>>> jumped to just above the upper notch. About 1/8'' (3mm) high.
>>> 
>>> Honestly, it kind of surprised me that 500ml would raise the measured level
>>> that much.
>>> 
>>> I ran the engine until it got hot enough to open up the oil cooler
>>> thermostat and send oil to the remote oil cooler -- but it still measured
>>> high.
>>> 
>>> I really don't like climbing under the van. And I am constitutionally lazy.
>>> But if the community says that 3mm overfill is Not A Good Idea, I will drain
>>> a bit of the oil off.
>>> 
>>> So -- whatcha think?
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
>>> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
>>> Bend, Ore.
>>> 
> 
> --
> David McNeely