Club 80-90 Forums

The van has overheated again and the oil light came on and flickered and then eventually stayed on. It felt not in the engine bay and in the little gap in the tinware under the left carb there was smoke coming through. It also looked like there was an aweful lot of oil domn there, lying on my new clylinerhead.

Ok I havent had the timing down on a strobe yet, I just set it at 5BTDC by hand using a test light. I really throught that this had worked as the timing was way out from what I set it, and of course once I had done the timing by hand it started on the button when I turned the key for the first time for 6 months.

Basically it runs nice and gets to about 45 mins on idle, stationary and then the oil light starts to flicker

All the tinware is in place now and its got a new oil filter and fresh 20W50 mineral in it.

Im lost for words - It goes right back to the new head I had fitted. There appears to be oil dripping from the end of the lower clylinderhead tinware. Which suggests the newhead is leaking oil

I think the van needs to go

We were planning a 3 month trip around France and Spain as well

forgot to say that there is smoke coming out of the back pipe on the air box as well, the one that doesnt have a pipe on it. Burning oil me thinks

IIRC I dont think you have the thermostat etc. connected. Not a problem (usually!) but could you take a photo of the little tab that comes out of the top of the fan enclosure that normally opens and closes the air flaps? Just want to make sure they aren't stuck shut or anything silly.

VWCamperfan wrote:IIRC I dont think you have the thermostat etc. connected. Not a problem (usually!) but could you take a photo of the little tab that comes out of the top of the fan enclosure that normally opens and closes the air flaps? Just want to make sure they aren't stuck shut or anything silly.

It is pointing upwards and when I push it, it goes 1/8 of a turn towards the front of the van and springs back to the upright position. So I think the failsafe is working. Although somone told me it should go from the verticle to the horozontal, i.e. 90 degs towards the front of the van!

Thanks for your help over the last few years

I belive that the engine is overheating and the oil is thinning, hence the reduction in oil pressure.

Gonna kill myself and then phone VW elite

Just got to work out how I can get my breakdown insurance to take me there. Unless anyone knows anyone good in Wales

Cheers

It should move a full 90 degrees. The flaps inside the fan housing have to be horizontal to allow the air to flow through and vetical to shut the air off.
Try this... Measure about 2 inches away from the control rod towards the front of the van where the air would normally flow and where you should have the air flap if open. Drill a small hole through the top of the tinware and poke a thin but longish object through the hole and move the control for the airflaps. If the airflap is fully opening the object you have poked through will rise upwards (pushed up by the airflap). When at its top position, see how much of the long thin thing you have left inside the hole you drilled. Shouldn't be very much if the airflaps are opening fully.

VWCamperfan wrote:It should move a full 90 degrees. The flaps inside the fan housing have to be horizontal to allow the air to flow through and vetical to shut the air off.
Try this... Measure about 2 inches away from the control rod towards the front of the van where the air would normally flow and where you should have the air flap if open. Drill a small hole through the top of the tinware and poke a thin but longish object through the hole and move the control for the airflaps. If the airflap is fully opening the object you have poked through will rise upwards (pushed up by the airflap). When at its top position, see how much of the long thin thing you have left inside the hole you drilled. Shouldn't be very much if the airflaps are opening fully.

OK cheers ill have a look at it, however the tab bit that the thermostate cable attaches to is def in the verticle position. Basically if I pull it towards me it goes to the verticle and couldnt really go any further. If I push it towards the cab (closing the flaps), it goes 45 Degs and is aligned diagonal, pointing towards the halfway mark along the roof. If thatr makes any sense.

What I am trying to say is that having the cable loose and pulling the tab its verticle and thats as far as it would go

Confused

The failsafe is in the verticle position, thats what the spring failsafes to...I mean the tab and not the flaps

Cheers

Ill go and have a look and take some photos I think

Yep, I know what you mean, no problem.
Yeah, take some piccys just to be sure but from what you say it should be ok and springing back to the vertical upright position for flaps to be open.

A quick test for later to check engine temp. If after running engine for a fair while you suspect it to be overheating, turn of engine, wait 5 minutes and take out dipstick. Now gently pinch the lower end of dispstick between finger and thumb. If you can just hold onto it without screaming the neighbours up then its at correct temperature. However, if your screams of burning pleasure bring the ambulances around because you have torched your pinkeys... Then it could well be running a tad warm!

VWCamperfan wrote:Yep, I know what you mean, no problem.
Yeah, take some piccys just to be sure but from what you say it should be ok and springing back to the vertical upright position for flaps to be open.

A quick test for later to check engine temp. If after running engine for a fair while you suspect it to be overheating, turn of engine, wait 5 minutes and take out dipstick. Now gently pinch the lower end of dispstick between finger and thumb. If you can just hold onto it without screaming the neighbours up then its at correct temperature. However, if your screams of burning pleasure bring the ambulances around because you have torched your pinkeys... Then it could well be running a tad warm!

Thats intresting as I tried this earlier and I could hold the dip stick, quite easy as well, imediatly after the oil light came on. But it did feel hot in the engine bay and there was smoke coming out of the air box hole


IT def only goes 45 degs towards the front of the van

Im starting to think that it could be the oil pressure release valve or faulty oil pump

Cheers

I can't remember the exact layout of your engine but could you see the flaps through the spark plug hole on the top left of your piccy? May need a light of some description!

Ps. Forgot to mention. That smoke coming out of airbox... Does it do it from the start, only when you stop the engine or only after engine has been running for a while and then when you stop it? Just asking because that is where the crankcase breather pipe runs to and it will be a bit smokey in there when the engine is turned off but it may do it when cold or warm too.

VWCamperfan wrote:Ps. Forgot to mention. That smoke coming out of airbox... Does it do it from the start, only when you stop the engine or only after engine has been running for a while and then when you stop it? Just asking because that is where the crankcase breather pipe runs to and it will be a bit smokey in there when the engine is turned off but it may do it when cold or warm too.

It does it when its hot and after I have stopped the engine

Thanks for your help - and back to the drawing board. I have a new oil presure snder to fit and Ill have the timing done with a strobe and then see whats what

Keep hold of the old oil pressure sender. Not saying it's going to do it but some of the new ones begin to leak oil after a while around the connection on top.