Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 21:11:17 -0400
Reply-To: "Joe L." <jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Joe L." <jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: Stop Leak for minor oil leaks?
In-Reply-To: <01BDC070.64812FA0.kkorn@jump.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I have no idea where the leak is. To give you an idea of how small it is
I clean off the engine (simple green and a hose). Starting from the pristeen
condition it will be about a week before the drip reappears. I have tried to
trace "oil trails" to give me some idea where it is coming from but to no
avail.
If I had to make a guess as to the rate of the dripping I would hazard a
guess of about a pint every six months. Were it not for the tale tell on my
driveway I would not know it was there at all.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:Vanagon@vanagon.com]On Behalf Of Ken
> Korn
> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 1998 1:46 PM
> To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Stop Leak for minor oil leaks?
>
>
> The '82 Westy I just bought was leaking some oil as well. BTW
> this is a 2.0
> aircooled. IMO any oil leak needs to be diagnosed and repaired.
> In my case,
> it is oil cooler seals, which are getting worse and causing overheating as
> well as drips on my driveway. Oil stop leak products are only a bandaid.
>
> I was told that the engine had to come out in order to replace
> the seals and
> check the oil cooler (mechanic estimated 7 hours @$50/hr). I'm
> happy to say
> that it can be done without dropping the engine. I removed the exhaust
> system, then the tin around the rear of the engine, the alternator, the
> cooling fan, then the cooling fan housing. Now the oil cooler is exposed
> completely and I'll be replacing it and the seals this afternoon.
>
> The top of the oil cooler, where the cooling air enters, was half
> plugged up
> with dirt and oily crud. No wonder it was running hot!
>
> Ken Korn
> 74 914 2.0
> 75 914 1.8
> 82 Westfalia Camper
> Austin, TX
>
> On Wednesday, August 05, 1998 11:18 AM, Joe L.
> [SMTP:jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM]
> wrote:
> > For some 3 years now I have had a minor oil leak (a drip, actually)
> > coming from places unknown. Having watched it for this long and seen
> > neither
> > an increase nor any ill effects it does not seem serious enough to spend
> > the
> > time and cash it would take to fix. It IS, however screwing up
> my driveway
> > and I am tired of scrubbing the drips off.
> >
> > Can anyone recommend one of the many "Oil Stop Leaks" on the
> market? I
> > hesitate to use any substance designed to plug an oil passage
> as I may end
> > up with clogged journals but this just may be paranoia on my part.
> >
> > Any Ideas?
>
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