Can you check end play while the engine is stll in the van?? I have thought there may be something wrong with breething system..the engine ( whole van ) sat for 3 years without a tranny hanging at a weird angle.. Sounded horible when first running again. Blows a lil white smoke when cold but starts and runs decent.. I will most likely put a subie 2.5 in this syncro, but i would like to get till spring with the wbx'r if posible ..

Thank you,
Jay Lefstein.
Sent from my mobile device.

On Sep 19, 2010, at 3:46 PM, "Scott Daniel  - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> the crank pulley seals on waterboxer engines ..
> in syncro's or 2WD's ..
> in my expereince, almost never leak.
> 
> like if I'm doing heads on a bare block..
> I seldom see any sign of oil leak at the crank pulley ..ore barely.
> sometimes I put in a new crank pulley seal, but it's not like it's a weak point or anything that I have noticed in dozens and dozens of wbxr engines work on.
> They don't leak as much as  rear main seals do ...and those aren't bad, generally, but those leak sometimes of course.
> 
> Whenever there is an oil seal leak ......
> sure, with luck it's a tired seal, and that is the problem.
> However..
> when that's not 'it' ....when it's more than a hard or tired seal..
> need to consider blow-by pressure, crankcase breathing system,
> and oil clearance on the bearing by the seal.
> 
> the pulley itself is all right ?
> not a big groove worn in it or anything ?
> and lubing the selaing surface when installing new seal of course, right ?
> 
> I suspect it's more than just 'a seal' ...
> or it could be, considering how carefully and thoroughly you've worked on it in that area.
> 
> see if the oil breather tower is ok..
> I never have a problem with those, but there is a spring and a diapham or something in there, and that does control crankcase breathing.
> 
> here's a cheater trick..
> might not work on a waterboxer ..
> but on some other engines ..
> if there is an oil seal leak caused by crankcase pressure enough that the seal can't prevent oil leakage there...
> running with the dipstick pulled up a half inch so crankcase pressure is relieved...
> might stop the oil leak, and will tell you for sure crankcase pressure, usually due to high miles on the engine is making a leak occur at the seal in question.
> 
> I have never done this on a waterboxer..
> but I do it on my volvo ...makes oil fumes come out the dipstick a bit, but it keeps the oil from going past the new cam seal in the head, and getting into the timing belt area.
> 
> yeah, for an experiment ..
> I'd put a hose on the dipstick tube ..( remove dispstick )
> run that upward  some and aim it overbaord, and see if running with relieved crankcase pressure this way stops the seal from leaking ..
> if it does ..
> then you know it's either 'pretty tired engine' or crankcase breathing isn't working as it should.
> 
> and example of the ole 'substitue and bypass' diagnostic strategy ..
> if you suspect crank case pressure is part of the problem, relieve it, even temporarily and unkosher-ly ,  for troubleshooting and diagnostic reasons.
> 
> also, any time you have excessive bearing clearance next to an oil seal ..
> the oil seal usually can't deal with it. I hope it's not that.
> Might check crankshaft end play ...to get some idea if the crank is loose in the bearings ..
> might not reveal anything, but it might too.
> 
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jay lefstein" <jleftbrane@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 2:52 PM
> Subject: help needed can not drive van...oil seals for Syncro
> 
> 
>> hey guys I am losing the battle with an oil leak on my syncro... I
>> have replaced the oil cooler seal, oil pump seal and oil filler tube
>> gasket..
>> 
>> when i did this it appeared that the main pulley seal was fine ( i
>> removed the pulley and saw no oil... at least i think i aw no
>> oil... ) .... I guess i was wrong ;(.. so i put it all back together
>> washed the oil off the back of the van and drove 200 kms........
>> bummer the oil was leaking just as bad as before if not worse...
>> so I ripped the exhaust and heat sheild back off, pulled the main
>> pulley off and pryed out the seal and replaced it.... put it all back
>> together and ran the van for 15 mins...
>> then splash a ton of oil started spilling out from behind the pulley
>> ( worse amount yet )
>> I am confident the i put the seal in correctly..
>> 
>> now this is the question.... have any of you seen a syncro specific
>> seal for this app.... i don't see any listed but the seal i took out
>> seemed a bit different then the one i put back in ... it seemed to
>> have a second outward facing lip ( which i assume is for keeping out
>> water...
>> 
>> does anybody have the correct seal part number  and where to get them
>> quickly in canada?
>> and any thoughts or suggestions of what could be wrong?
>> 
>> thanks
>> Jay 
>