Date:         Wed, 6 Sep 95 0:46:08 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Anderson <ja@coe.wvu.edu>
Subject:      '78 Correct oil pressures?

Well on goes my saga with the '78 $390 demon-spawn Westy.  I mean
what did I expect after all since the body is really OK.  Anyway
after replacing all the fuel lines and all the small vacuum lines
she is running as well as when I first picked her up.  Better in fact
since now the power brakes can pull enough vacuum to actually function.
Current problem/worry involves oil pressure and hydraulic lifters, now
I never had a hydraulic lifter AC engine, and our '86 Wasserboxer used
to make a lot O valve noise particularly when starting.  But the '78
has a real bad tap, tap, tap, from under the cover on the 3 and 4 side.
Does not go away with rpm, sort of less at mid rpm's but grows under
load drastically at high revs.  I figure at least one lifter isn't pumping
up.  Also the pressure light lingers a long time when I start her up,
like 15-20 seconds if I just start and let it idle, if you rev it just
slightly pressure comes up immediately and light goes out, but still the
tapping.  Power is still off as well, but Techron concentrated valve
cleaner seems to have equalized compression, It's now at #1-120, #2-140,
#3-125, #4-135.  I figure severe carbon in #2 and #4 but can't figure
why in just them (could this be related to the lifter problem?)  I
have not yet pulled the valve cover but am sure I'm going to see a gap
on a couple of valves, now with 136k I know I really should pull the
engine and  take off the heads and take a look at things, but before I
do and get the heads rebuilt if the exhausts are toasty, I want to know
if the bottom end is still solid, so what should my oil pressures look
like on this engine.  I've yet to hook up a gauge either (got to find
one, gave last away mounted in dash of the '76)  And can
one check wear (backlash) on these oil pumps? at the moment I only got
the Bentley Vanagon manual as I gave away my Bus manual and it list a
whole 1 page on lubrication and doesn't mention anything about proper
oil pressures or system checks.  I didn't figure the engine for a lot of
time when I bought it, but PO claims never a problem and has been quite
straightforward about everything else.  Thing is the Bus sat quite a few
months before my purchase so lots of time for gunk to settle in the
lifters.  BTW has anyone pulled the lifters with the engine in the car
as seems to be possible and dissasembled and cleaned em.  It might be
worth my effort if it is sensible and feasible.  I really want her on
the road for a little camping in the late fall but don't want to risk
what might yet be a solid rebuildable 2.0.  I've got the cash for Mark
Stephens to rebuild the heads as needed but not enough to rebuild the
whole shebang so I need suggestions, local VW mech said toss in a can
of lifter cleaner/wonder snake oil but frankly if low oil pressure is my
problem I don't care to thin it out even more with a cleaner.  Another
fact is oil has obviously been pretty hot for some time, filler pipe and
breather tube into intake snorkel both have redish/brown deposits from
stuff burning off the oil I take it.

Seeking suggestions or a nice used 2.0 longblock.
John (ja@coe.wvu.edu)