Alan & Thomas

Very thorough suggestions and possibilities.

This info is very helpful.

Another interesting piece of input ...

I received a note from someone who has the same engine done by the same
engine builder.

He has the same problem and like mine ... has been leaking since day
one.

Also .... tying in to Thomas's theory,

In addition to the engine rebuild ... The same shop rebuilt the clutch,
transmission and most of the major drive line components.

If the root cause is somewhere in these scenarios ..... its going to
take one heck of a good shop to diagnose it.

Right now .... that's my major concern.

Finding someone good enough and honest enough to properly diagnose and
fix the problem.

So far, thanks to list members ... the following shops have been
recommended in this area:

Anchorage:

VW Dealer  Eero Vw ... lead mechanic Carl Vernon - not a strong
recommendation
Johnson's VW service - Strong Recommendation
Accurate Import Center (AJ Owner) - Strong Recommendation

Glens Auto Repair (Glen Owner) between Stirling and Soldotna - Strong
Recommendation

Fairbanks:

Ed Simons at the Nissan place - Strong Syncro Recommendation

Larry Chase
Email: RoadGuy@RoadHaus.com
Web: www.RoadHaus.com
Cell: 480 620 8966
What: North American Road Trip
How: RoadHaus - 1990 White VW Westfalia Syncro
Today: Roaming the Yukon & Alaska.

- - -

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 03:53:08 -0700
From: "Wagner, Alan" <AWagner@mednet.ucla.edu>
Subject: RE: Digest Number 1669
Hi Larry,
Maybe I'm preaching to the choir here, simply ignorant, or both (again),
but in my experience with Type 1 engines in Bugs, air-cooled vanagons,
and my own tired Syncro, this type of leak is often a product of
excessive blow-by. Bigger pistons and cylinders on "built" Type 1 motors
are notorious for this, producing a similar oil leak exacerbated by high
operational loads and temperatures. Basically the engine case becomes
pressurized by combustion gasses and forces oil out of the weakest
link...the rear crankshaft seal. Perhaps with only 10,000 miles on your
recent rebuild your rings have not yet fully seated, or perhaps they
never will due to the break-in procedure, wrong cylinder hone
crosshatch, component installation (ring end-gaps wrong or improperly
spaced) or the piston or cylinder components themselves may be faulty in
design or manufacture. This blow-by can be quantified to some degree
using a leakdown test and compression test, and observed firsthand by
plugging the breather fitting in the intake air boot and monitoring any
outflow from the breather pipe at differing engine rpm and loads. If
that proves fine, and with the numerous gasket changes you indicate, I
might be forced to look for a crack in the engine case in this
area...although aluminum is much more resistant to forming the types of
cracks found in the AS21 or AS41 Magnesium Type 1 case. In previous
repair attempts was the gasket on the backside of the pump changed as
well as the pump cover gasket? If the pump cover was removed without
reinstalling the oilpump with a new gasket behind it (with proper
cleaning followed by Gaskacinch or Aviation Permatex) the cover change
might have wiggled this joint and INCREASED the leak. Lastly, if someone
in an effort to stop the leak used silicone on the cover gasket they
most likely plugged up the groove under the gasket that is meant to
capture any oil that weeps past the gasket and return it to the pump.
Use only very light sealant products mentioned above and the factory
"paper" gasket for a proper seal here.
Best luck with your engine and your travels!
Regards,
Alan

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 08:11:38 -0400
From: "Forhan, Thomas" <thomas.forhan@mail.house.gov>
Subject: Good Show: Diagnosing Larry's engine
I'm not a fan of "me too" posts, but what Alan suggests makes sense.
Larry said the problem has existed since rebuild, so Alan may be right
about the rings never breaking in.
His oil pump, rear seal or cracked case suggestions also line up with a
thought I had last night, but could not connect to leakage:
I was thinking about the leak being worse under load, and wondering if
the internals and clutch had been balanced as one unit before assembly.
If not, or if done but not reassembled correctly, when the engine is
under increased load the uneven forces in the crankshaft could push
further apart the leak source: crack, seal, oil pump, whatever. So under
increased load you would have an increased leak.
Definately not a BTDT, just a flight of engineering fantasy.
Thomas Forhan