Date:         Thu, 2 May 1996 11:13:50 +1200
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         william.warburton/OU=tritec@dsw.govt.nz
Subject:      Unusual Oil leak ('68 Single port)


Item Subject: Message text

 Hi Volks,
		Firstly, I'd like to say hello to anyone that remembers
me from a couple of years back when I used to subscribe to this list
from Edinburgh, Scotland. I'm currently in Wellington, New Zealand,
half way round on my world tour. My girlfriend, Judy, and I had hoped
to join the Brick Tour last summer in the US but we got held up in
Chile and didn't make it in time- I sent a postcard to apologise,
but I'm not sure if it made it. If not-Sorry! I'll post more VW info
from our trip later (such as we have).

 Secondly, my oil leak...We bought a '68 Dormobile when we got here
(four bunk camper conversion from the UK, for anyone that doesn't know)
We've been really pleased with it, and are planning to tour the South
Island for a couple of months later in the year with it. However it
has developed an oil leak from the rear of the engine (REAR is rear).
 There seems to be a slow oil loss from the crankcase/pulley junction
which results in oil drops being sprayed around the engine compartment
(drips on the vacuum advance, misting on the distributor cap & carb.
small pools on the tinware by the pulley). The only theory that's been
mooted so far is that the oil control rings might be bad (compression
is fine)- my VW mechanic claims that this can cause oil to be blown out
past the shaft (?). I am skeptical about this. My best guess is that
the oil return scroll (or, horribly, the crankcase around it) has been
damaged (possibly by overtightening the fanbelt?) and is no longer doing
its job.
 Anyone any opinions? Seen this before? It isn't losing a lot of oil
but is does make a mess and I need to sell this van after the trip, so
it would be good to be able to put it right first, and I'm also
concerned about dirt accumulating on oily cooling fins etc. when driving
on unsealed roads.

 Catch you later, good to be back!

Cheers,
	W.
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