Dennis I can't thank you enough for that bit of advice. I really wasn't sure what would do more harm than good. Now I'm stalled searching for a $3 tool to align the clutch. Once again I really appreciate you taking the time to pass on that info.
Paul in Tracy 

Sent from my iPlace

On Jul 28, 2013, at 7:31 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I ran into the Autozone today and even the cheap house brand oil is pushing
> $4 a quart. At 4.5 quarts for a fill even the Mobil 1 is about a 1/2 tank of
> gas. 
> Vanagon engines rarely have problems with the rings unless broken during
> install or run dry.
> 
> As for cranking instead of starting a fresh engine until you get oil
> pressure, that is actually a bad practice, especially for the rings. If the
> pump has never had oil in it it may never prime during cranking. Also, the
> pistons and rings rely on splash for lubrication. You'll never get that
> during cranking. The oil pump and galleys can be easily primed. An easy way
> is to remove the oil filter and use a hand pump to put oil into the bearing
> galleys. A simple oil can will do the job. You will know when the galleys
> are filled. 
> 
> When I start a fresh engine as soon as it is going I get it up to
> 1,500-2,000 rpm and hold it. If needed I then quickly get the coolant system
> bled and closed. My goal is to get this done before it warms up. 3-5 minutes
> is my goal. After that I shut it down and wait for it cool and bleed it
> again later. Once things are hot enough for vapor bleeding is a bit more
> challenging.  
> 
> Anyway, I now know if the oil pressure is OK and the lifters should start
> quieting down. Things should be well lubed. Time to do all the final tune-up
> settings. After timing and idle is set I check the O2 sensor for proper
> operation.  Keep an eye on the temp gauge. Turn on the heaters to make sure
> I am getting flow. Then as the engine heats up make sure there is flow to
> the radiator. Test the fan operation. Then go drive. 
> 
> Dennis
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Paul Rogers
> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 10:28 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: What Oil to Use on Startup?
> 
> Thanks to all of of you who chimed in. I should have clarified some info on
> the engine. The guy I got it from is a mechanic and former Vanagon owner. He
> put this brand new engine, at the time, in his van but had to pull it after
> 800 plus miles because it was going through lots of oil. So he pulled this
> one and put another one in his van. Opened this one up and found it had a
> bad ring or rings. Fixed the problem but never used it again. And now I've
> got it. There is a very small amount of oil in it but not enough to show on
> the dipstick. Actually I bought the long block and I'm using the necessary
> parts from my 1.9 on this 2.1. So I'm almost ready to fire it up but being
> it hasn't  been run in a year or two I wanted to be cautious about the
> initial start up and not waste $30 or so of Mobil1 in the event there are
> complications.
> Thanx again and any sage advice about this initial start up would be
> gratefully appreciated. I've got a fair amount of $$ invested and would hate
> to do something to muck it up. My plan is to crank it over without spark or
> gas until the oil pressure builds up and then go for it. I installed an OP
> gauge too.
> Paul in Tracy
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Jul 27, 2013, at 7:22 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> If there is still oil in it and there is no reason to suspect it was 
>> contaminated start it with that and once all is proven well then 
>> change it to what you wish to use. If you do change it first and there 
>> is a problem the cost of the oil will likely be the least of your
> concerns.
>> 
>> Dennis
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On 
>> Behalf Of Paul Rogers
>> Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 12:49 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: What Oil to Use on Startup?
>> 
>> Howdy, I'm preparing for starting up, hopefully, my new to me motor.
>> According to the seller it has around 900 miles on it. But it's been 
>> sitting around for a while. I know it's been over 1 year minimum. Long 
>> term I'm going to use Mobil 1 but I'm thinking for the initial start 
>> up using something less spendy in the event something doesn't go as 
>> planned. I'd really hate to waste $30 plus $$ of the Mobil 1. Any 
>> thoughts on this matter would be gratefully appreciated. Wish me luck.
>> Paul in Tracy
>> I don't think it matters but the motor is a 2.1
>> 
>> Sent from my iPlace
>