10W30 Dino Oil, 185,000 orig miles, 65 since the rebuild. I am using OEM
Mahne Oil Filter from Bus Depot. I have not changed the oil yet.

On 1/25/06, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
>
> Dustin Jones wrote:
>
> >I'm glad to be back on the list, here is the scoop on my 91 Vanagon
> Carat.
> >On my way home from Virginia Beach, I threw a rod and blew a hole in my
> >block (possible because I had a head gasket leak that I neglected ???). I
> >towed the van to PA ($450 ouch) and saved my money. I bought a used block
> >from a local listmember, and had a mechanic put on brand new
> >heads,seals,gaskets......the works (Baum's in New Cumberland PA,
> excellent
> >mechanic). As of a week ago I have been driving the van and all seems
> well.
> >I have been checking the oil level and all fluid levels religiously.
> >Anything else I should be doing to make sure everything is OK? I have a
> oil
> >pressure kit from volks cafe lined up and will be installed hopefully
> next
> >week.  Thanks for your help in advance, its good to be back in the saddle
> >again.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> What weight oil are you running, and is it dino or synth? How many miles
> now? Have you gone through the break-in mileage and done the oil change,
> filter change. What oil filter are you using? The right answers are
> important.
>
> Have you read up the information about bearings, rods, and stretching
> rodcap bolts on Bob Donalds website. Good stuff. Most - but not all -
> rod failures in the 2.1L WBX occur when the rod bolts have stretched
> sufficiently to allow the rod end cap to go oval, thus allowing a loss
> of oil at the bearing. Result: the bearing runs dry, the metal first
> galls then gets really hot then seizes. The sudden stoppage in a moving
> mass is going to break something and most times it a rod which when no
> longer restrained flys through the case. Bob offer's a solution.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>