Club 80-90 Forums

Another oil question I'm afraid! I usually put 20/50 in my 2ltr Aircooled and it usually likes to leak a fair amount out. Where I am currently living - Monchengladbach - it's becoming tricky to get 20/50, but they do 15/40 and 10/40 by the shedload. Will the thinner stuff leak out even more do you think? No idea where it leaks from by the way, as it's all over it. Possibly the fuel pump gasket and pushrod seals, but as it gets sprayed eveywhere by the fan it's a bit hard to tell! Also, my tappets still sound like a bag of spanners so I'm also thinking the thinner stuff may help quieten them down, by getting into places the thicker oil can't. I'm going to have to change it soon anyway, but I just thought I'd get a few opinions.
Oh, just to add, I was thinking of putting some Slick 50 in too - is it any good or a waste of space on old Aircooled engines?

Well, on the slick50 there are plenty of comments around the net both for and against (ie its great or does nothing). I've used teflon (which this is) in VWs for at least 20 years and once had a beetle lose its sump plug (and oil) without me realising and I got home fine! There are claims of an Aussie vehicle which did 600 miles at 60mph with the oil drained and just the teflon treatment. I have not drawn any conclusions though (born sceptic) but see it as a belt n braces insurance really as it does reduce wear. This is why you shouldn't use it unless you've done at least 50,000 miles.

What it WON'T do is repair damage or put right a worn engine - remember that. It won't shut the tappets up either. The thing you do notice is that once the teflon starts to work, the idling speed starts to go up after about 500 miles and you have to turn it down a little. I guess as it plugs the tiny imperfections in cylinder walls, the compression rises - hence rise in idling speed. That was my experience on bugs anyway.

I also have it in the gearbox by the way. I don't use Slick50 but a similar product.

Thanks Cov Kid, I might just give it a whirl when I change the oil next week. I would do it today but rather bizarely, even though I'm in the fatherland, the local car shop takes a week to get the oil filter in! It's really just for a bit of extra insurance, and I was also hoping it may loosen up some of the tappets a bit - a couple of mine are spongy you see, so along with the thinner oil, I though it may help to pump them up properly. I might take them out and see if the oil hole is bit blocked too.

and I was also hoping it may loosen up some of the tappets a bit - a couple of mine are spongy you see, so along with the thinner oil, I though it may help to pump them up properly.

Snake oil, will not fix mechanical problems.

thin oil will enhance tappet noise.
good oil pressure in the tappet gallery is one thing that determines how well tappets perform.
Have you tried to reset the lifter?
Have you tried 20w 50 mineral?

read this..http://www.ratwell.com/technical/HydraulicLifters.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

if the lifter remains noisey with all these things done it only remains to say it's worn out.
they are cheap and relativly easy to replace.

Got 20/50 in at the mo Kev, and it's just about due for a change; the last one was in March, although it loses that much I give it a change every month or so by topping it up! I did the tappets a couple of weeks ago - cold engine, 1 & 1/2 turns in from touching - but I noticed a couple were spongy, in that I couldn't feel when the adjuster was touching the top of the valve because there was no resistance. That was when I noticed the spongy ones, as I tried moving the rocker to the point it couldn't move, then adjusted it from there. The spongy ones however I could compress with my fingers and push the rocker arm quite a way in. If the oilways are slighly blocked then I thought the thinner oil would get in there better to help pump them up more and maybe clean them out. I could maybe even use the thinner oil as a flushing oil?

I prefer a warm engine after a run so the lifters are pumped up
I presume you've took it out for a drive for half an hour with no joy?

You see, it could be a worn out/broken tappet return spring or as you say a blocked hole.
I am not convinced thin oil or additives would open a blocked hole
If you do decide to renew ..make sure you have ALL the replacement parts

Will you be doing the work yourself?
seems easy enough

Yes, doing it myself for sure. The thing is it's my daily so there is only so much I can do because I need to get to work. I'm gonna have another go tomorrow, but this time I'll run it for a couple of minutes to pump them up like you say, then adjust them again. I even bought an extending magnet thing today to get the tappets out so I can check them.

Dubstar wrote: I'll run it for a couple of minutes to pump them up like you say,

er no I no say that..I mean take it for a drive at least half an hour and give it some revs.