On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com> wrote:

> My recollection, FWIW, is that the oil started frothing just above the full
> mark; the admonition being to definitely not overfill, and perhaps a bit
> under the mark would be better than over it.
>
> This turned into a discussion on the lack of a plate in the engine to "put
> a
> lid on the oil".  I do not recall what the plate is called, though I'm sure
> someone else will.
>
> YMMV,
>
> Karl Wolz
>

  Oil frothing is a problem in some motors.  When I raced a Porsche v8 928,
one of the shortcomings of this motor in stock form showed in frequent #2/6
main bearing failure at high sustained RPM...This was traced to, among other
causes, oil frothing.  One of the guys took a small camera and actually
documented how this happened on a test mule car..
  Some oils were worse at this than others, as shown in his videos.  One oil
said to contain an aggressive anti-frothing agent is Amsoil.   No 2-6
bearing failures are documented with motors running this oil...small
numerical sample, given.  Lots of variables involved, too...
  Many different windage devices were tried, oil/air separators incorporated
into the breather systems, etc.  All specific to that motor so no use to a
vanagon...but how about just a simple test filling with Amsoil and try
that?  See if your Oil Pressure stays up at speed.  Expensive stuff that
Amsoil and maybe just a marketing hype...but my friend's videos show it
working and I always used it, except one time when I blew up a motor at
Thunderhill Park while running Mobil One...just a coincidence, I am sure.

  Don Hanson