Hi Drew,

15K miles is a lot for those gaskets; you might want to get them swapped
if the engine is leaking; they are quite cheap. I had one fail on my wbx
as I shut down after pulling into a clients parking lot.... I lost 2
quarts of oil out of the #1-2 head as the parking spot sloped sideways a
bit. Very embarassing.

The clatter is not ununusal if the vehicle has been parked for a while;
the hydraulic valves will pump up after a 20-minute ride.

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
www.busesofthecorn.com
www.pottsfamily.ca

VW Vanagon wrote:
> Volks!
>
> Good news is that Blackbeard just came home from the collision erasers and
> he looks UNBELIEVABLY GREAT!!!
> Shop is about 3 freeway miles from my office.
> Bad news is that when I parked, I noticed white smoke in the back (outside
> of the van).
>
> Got out and looked, and it was oil burning back from the exhaust-ish area.
>
> Just had the valve gasket jiggy-mabobs (that IS the technical term, right?)
> replaced probably 15,000 ago but have been noticing some spotting back there
> while parked overnight.
> Now....
> He has pretty much been sitting for a week straight, so if there was a minor
> leak it would have obviously accumulated and explain the smoke.
> I also heard what seemed to be clicky-clacking lifters . . .
>
> My question:
> How concerned should I be at this point???
> As you can tell, pretty much mechanically retarded . . .
> Anything else I should have looked at?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Drew, Las Vegas
> '90 GL "Blackbeard"
>