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Subject:Re: Fwd: '87 Westy - Oil Change, out of hibernation
From:Dave Mcneely
Date:Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:14:39 -0500

---- Rob <vwrobb@gmail.com> wrote:
> Medford Oregon
> http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=79527&cityname=Medford-Oregon-United-States-of-America
> Maybe 10 miles from Scott's shop, probably less.
>
> Run what oil you want and get an oil pressure gauge and an oil temp
> gauge so you can SEE how well the oil is really working for YOU in
> your Vanagon. Keep records and let us know how it worked out come Oct.

I do have an oil pressure gauge, and I do monitor, though do not log the pressure.  Since installing the auxiliary oil cooler and switching to 40 weight oil for summer I have never seen the gauge read under about 15 psi.  I run 20W50 oil for 8 months.  However, I wonder if the 40 weight is the best when I travel into cooler climes, such as high altitudes in the Rockies.  With the 20W50 the pressure did drop to around 10 psi in hot conditions and long highway runs.

Thanks for the suggestion, and for the information.  I did not realize that Scott was located that far inland.  I have been in the area, and it is marvelous.  I have camped in snowfall at Crater Lake in August, which is not very far from Medford, and I have on the same trip experienced temperatures around 105 F at Klamath Falls.  Yes, it gets hot in Oregon, though not as hot as the southern plains and the Southwest.

Here are comparable data for a station about ten miles from my home:

http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=128343&cityname=Guthrie-Oklahoma-United-States-of-America

>
> Rob
> vwrobb@gmail.com
>
>
>
> At  3/13/2013 08:04 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> >Scott, in coastal Oregon it is unlikely to ever be 115 F.  I have
> >run my 2.1 with 170K miles for hours at temperatures approaching
> >that, at highway speed.  I think VW meant the single weight
> >recommendation, and what multi-grade has the capacity to maintain
> >viscosity with that condition?
> >
> >mcneely
>

--
David McNeely