Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 16:55:23 -0500
Reply-To: Bulley-Hewlett & Associates <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Bulley-Hewlett & Associates <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: condensation, knocking was: Uh oh!
volks,
i think i am in trouble. i got in the vanagon this afternoon and started
it for the first time in a week or so, and i hear a bit of a knock and i
notice a lot of water coming out of the exhaust. i haven't really tried to
drive it like this. i basically repositioned it in the drive, so i can
remove the LP tank for some rust removal. i find it very hard to believe
that having the LP tank disconnect and remove would cause these symptoms,
but i am open to anything at this point.
what have i done?
thanks for your time.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Robyn-
Don't sweat it. First the knock:
Did the knock go away after a few seconds? Does the van have enough/too
much oil in it? What was the temp outside and the viscosity of the oil? My
guess is this: If your van has any miles on it, there is probably some play
in the bottom end or rod bearings. That's okay, and quite normal.
Normally, if you drive your van daily, the anti-backflow valve in your oil
filter keeps enough oil in the circuit to prevent that little knock at
start up. Oil is "waiting" right against those bearing that have the play
in them. After sitting for a week, however, the crankshaft may have
emptied, and you heard a knock until it filled back up. As long as the
knock went away after 5-10 seconds or so, no sweat. If not, it still could
be a no big, as the colder weather could have thickened your oil , and a
lifter may not have been full. If the motor was over filled, the crank may
have been slapping the thick oil. This is NOT okay, and you should drain
the oil down to the proper level.
Bottom line, as long as you have oil pressure, and the oil is at the right
viscosity and fill level, drive it gently and see if it goes away.
As far as the water coming out of the exhaust, again, no big. With the
change in season, your motor is accumulating more condensation inside, and
it takes some time (15-20 minutes of hard driving) to cook it all off of
the internal parts/exhaust parts. This condensation can produce a LOT of
water out the exhaust, enough to dribble out somewhat profusely. My
air-cooled Westy puts out enough to leave a big wet spot (leave that one
alone).
By the way, this condensation is the bane of motors. If you only take brief
trips in the winter, you may think about combining trips or getting a
beater car for winter service, (to save your Van). Reason: if the
condensation isn't completely driven off (like 15-20 minutes of hard
driving will do), it combines with waste produces in your motor and forms a
very corrosive mixture, primarily Sulfuric Acid.
The chemistry geniuses on the list can fill in the details, but the bottom
line is this: when you turn your motor off, the corrosive mixture settles
in your exhaust and in your oil. It rusts your exhaust system from the
inside out. It attacks the soft metal in the bearings of your motor. Short
life for the motor.
We had a friend of the family who drove 2 miles to work each day in her
Buick Skylark, which had the (normally) very dependable 350 or 301 engine
(I forget which). She went through four exhaust systems and an engine in
the 8 years she had the car. She sold it with 21,000 mile on it, and it a
mechanical junker. The motor never got warmed up, and never drove off the
condensation.
Best of luck,
G. Matthew Bulley
Principal
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Communications for Organizational Development
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free
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