Date:         Mon, 18 Dec 1995 09:36:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      RE: Smokin' 'n' leakin' !


>A bigger worry is the amount of oil leaking I'm getting.  After parking at
>home, I noticed a trail of dime-sized oil spots behind the Bus showing 
where
>I had driven it, still wet.  Underneath, a spot of leakage (from last night
>and today) more than a foot square.  Is this even too much leakage for a
>Bus?  (I checked the level and it doesn't seem unusually low, but you can 
be
>sure I'll be keeping a close eye on it for a while.)


I had EXACTLY this happen to my '69 bus in Colorado, especially when
coming to a stop at a stop sign. Turned out to be a mostly-shredded main
oil seal (yup-- the one around the crankshaft just inside the flywheel,
that you have to take the engine out to get to).

On many engines, you need only replace this seal and go merrily on your
way. But occasionally (and in my case) it's caused by the crankshaft
moving forward and back as you press the clutch. And THAT is caused by the
crank's thrust bearing seat being badly worn-- usually so much so that you
can no longer adjust it out by shimming the flywheel as per the normal
procedure. And THAT means that not only do you have to rebuild the entire
engine, but you also have to shell out extra for a new crankcase, since
the one you have is shot and can't be salvaged. Send it to /martha, who
will put it to her own pyrotechnic uses... At least you now have an excuse
to gt a full-flow case.

For me, I bought a '74 bug engine from a wreck, and lived happily ever 
after.

I suggest you grab your engine crankshaft pulley (engine not running, of
course  :^)  ), and pull it HARD toward you. Then push it HARD the other 
way.
Do this several times, and feel how far it's moving fore and aft. The 
factory
spec is tiny, with very little tolerance: it should move around .002" to 
.004".
Yes, that's THOUSANDTHS-- it should move about the thickness of a human 
hair.
With the hefty heave you have to give it for the test, basically if you can
feel it move, it's probably got too much slop.

In my case, it moved about the thickness of two pennies pressed together.
This was gargantuan-- the engine was junk. If yours moves only the thickness
of a fingernail, say, then it might be possible to adjust it out with
flywheel shims-- depending on how many shims are in there already.

Good luck and good hunting!

Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '80 V6anagon
                              '71 VW Transporter