Date:         Sat, 27 Oct 2018 09:50:47 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: The value of instrumentation
In-Reply-To:  <CAKbau52nYjJeGJE-pXh-nuYn4=AhP2JHCJmAqwMfxLs5qwr1Xw@mail.gmail.com>
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Oil temperature gauge IS really useful.  I keep a very good eye on all my
gauges.
    Is there perhaps an oil tempostat with wide-open as the default?  Like
the coolant thermostat?  I'd try to replace it with something like that...
    Adding gauges and extra coolers, lights, etc....One should carefully
consider all the consequences of a system failure...I try to figure ways
that if my "improvement" should fall anywhere in it's complete system, the
default mode is without potential dire consequences...  "Do no harm" is
relevant in vehicle mode as well as First Aid.  At least be certain add-ons
are worth the risk of possible failure.
   I added a Vw oil/coolant heat exchanger to my inline motor after
monitoring the oil temp...with reluctance, because I read these are prone
to failure...but my oil was sometimes getting to 230+ without...Sure
enough, that thing developed a leak and mixed the oil into the coolant!
Big mess, but not "deadly"...These coolers are made so failure only usually
lets oil(at my running up at around 60 psi) into the coolant(at~20psi).
  Any way, glad you caught the climbing oil temp, D.

On Sat, Oct 27, 2018, 8:22 AM Mark McCulley <markmcculley@gmail.com> wrote:

> I have the instrumentation but there's probably a 50/50 chance I would have
> noticed the oil temp creep up like that. Good think you were paying
> attention!
>
> -Mark
>
> On Sat, Oct 27, 2018 at 7:17 AM Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > As some of you know I am now on the quest to hit 350K on the original
> > engine in Fun Bus. I am at 342K now. So Thursday night driving home doing
> > about 65 I see the oil temp climb from its usual 180-190 making it to 240
> > in about 10 minutes. I also see the oil pressure dropping to ~35psi.
> Slowed
> > down and cooled down some. Get home check things out, the oil cooler is
> > cold. It appears the oil cooler thermostat failed. Job for this weekend!
> > Anyway, without gauges I never would have known.
> >
> > BTW except for hoses this oil cooler and thermostat has been on Fun Bus
> > from the beginning. 30 years of service.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
>