Thanks, Keith.  Indeed, a 2.1L WBX.  I live in CO, so in the summer the
temps get down to the 60s or 70s at night (except in my house).  I'm
thinking 40W still makes sense as a next step.  My engine is a factory
rebuild with 50K on it, so still pretty new and tight.  Did you put in a
higher volume oil pump, or does such a beast exist for the WBX?  On the old
beetle engines I used to build, there was an upgraded pump that just had
longer squish gears and was an easy switch.
bmc  :)
"Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."

> From: Keith Hughes <keithahughes@QWEST.NET>
> Reply-To: Keith Hughes <keithahughes@QWEST.NET>
> Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 08:49:04 -0700
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Oil musings on a hot day....
> 
> Hi Ben,
> 
> I'll assume you're running a WBX'er, since you have a buzzer. Here
> in Phoenix, I've run Valvoline Racing oil during the summer in all
> my air and water cooled vanagon motors. For air-cooled I always ran
> SAE40 unless I was going on a trip where it was too cold for it. In
> the 100+ range, I ran SAE50 and even SAE60 for some tired motors.
> Never had a problem.
> 
> For my '86 WBX, with the same oil buzzer problem, I did 2 things.
> First, I replaced my oil pump and ran SAE40. This worked fine for
> another 50K or so. After that, it was SAE50 in the summer, SAE40 in
> winter. That worked for another 60K, for a total of 210K on the
> original motor (with head gaskets at 100K of course).
> 
> I don't know where you live, but the thing to be careful with is
> too high viscosity in the mornings. Here, where overnight temps
> stay in the 85-100�F range in the summer, it's not a problem. But
> if you're dropping into the 60's, say, you may have starting
> problems in the morning, and while your oil pressure will be fine,
> you'll have some lubrication problems until the oil heats.
> 
> Keith Hughes
> '86 Westy Tiico "Marvin"
> 
>> Date:    Mon, 1 Jul 2002 09:09:13 -0600
>> From:    Ben McCafferty <ben@KBMC.NET>
>> Subject: Oil musings on a hot day....
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> I've been driving around a lot in CO with temps in the upper 90s, and have
>> noticed an increase in the incidence of the oil pressure light/buzzer when
>> the engine is at its hottest.  I am currently running Castro 20W50
>> non-synthetic and Mann oil filter.  (I have had the usual intermittent
>> Vanagon buzzer when decelerating from highway cruises).  I can only assume
>> the oil is hotter and thinner, and being compressed out more easily?
>> 
>> Looking in the owner's manual at oil recommendations, I see that 20W50
>> really doesn't go up to these temps, and I think the fact that the engine
>> works harder at altitude and on hills doesn't help things.
>> 
>> I see that SAE40 is recommended from about 80F to 100F, and am planning to
>> make the switch for the remainder of the hot summer weather.  Anyone out
>> there in severe heat given this a try?  Results?  Favorite brands?
>> 
>> Thanks, and I'll post my results to the list when I have them.
>> bmc  :)
>> "Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."
>