Thanks, David (and all who have responded) -- I just called Steve and
left a message. I'm briefly in town where I have Internet and cell
service, the cabin is too remote for that fancy stuff.

200 miles ago, with a pretty darn cool engine -- it was 95 (F) so cool
is relative -- the dipstick showed oil too high. This morning the level
is good, below the upper notch. Operator error? I don't think so, but
I'm not as smart as I wish I was so I might have screwed up, Steve might
not have screwed up. That's a public record apology.

The transmission fluid reads good, too -- right below the upper embossed
dot on the dipstick.

Which leads to a puzzle. The safety chain is wet with oil. It looks like
and feels like engine oil. I did not smell it, the trailer is at the cabin.

Steve has noted previously that the differential (these things have
differentials, yes?) has come up pretty dry. There is a leak someplace.
  The engine underside is goopy.

So - I have a mystery here. Is there some way an average squirrel can
i.d. the fluid type by examination?

Will check back later for any followup suggestions, and again, thanks, all!

--
Rocky J Squirrel
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR

David Beierl wrote:
> At 01:47 PM 7/30/2010 Friday, Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" wrote:
>> My trust in Steve's Place in Bend, Ore., just went down a whole bunch.
>> Last night, when I was unhooking the Westralia from the van, I noticed
>> the safety chain was oily. The dipstick revealed that the chimps had
>> overfilled the oil when they changed it last week.
>
> Dear Mr. Squirrel,
>
> Spoke to Steve.  His advice:
>
> a)  We put in 4 1/2 qt oil so it's not overfull, or else you added
> some.  Check it when stone cold.
>
> b)  [from me] Does the oil on the stick smell like gasoline?  If so
> could be washing down the cylinder walls.  It seems unlikely to me, but
> there are people I trust who are firm that this can add more than a
> quart (of gasoline) to the crankcase under the wrong circumstances.
>
> c) You have a known transmission leak, is this causing the visible
> external oil?
>
> d) Call him. (541) 318-9884
>
> Does that help?  He was definitely not receptive to the idea that the
> motor had been overfilled. ;-)  I didn't insist, just asked what he'd
> like you to do, and the above is the result.  I didn't for example ask
> how precisely he *knew* that they'd put in 4 1/2 and not 5 1/2 qts.
>
> Yours,
> David
> ps -- He'd never heard of Jack Elliott, so there was a bit of a stumble
> at the beginning.
>
> pps -- If you want to take some oil out, see if Missoula has a hardware
> store (all right, I'm pretty sure it does) and get some pvc tubing that
> will just go in the dipstick hole, and siphon some out.  Remember to
> spit if you get a mouthful of oil.