James wrote:
>Actually, that's a pretty good test...if you know what a normally hot
>dipstick feels like.  It takes a little practice, but also an over heating
>engine *smells* and feels hot.  John Muir's book deals with this pretty
>well.

I'm wondering about the smell thing. My van often has a hot oil smell in the cab 
when I have the heat on. Is this normal? Could I measure oil temp with a 
long thermometer through the dipstick hole? What temp, under what conditions?

Second question: My van has the original paint but it is quite checked, or
cracked in some areas. Especially the top half which is white.
I wonder if htere are any ideas on how to preserve this, and stop potential
rust. Given that it is the original paint, I'd like to avoid repainting.
What can I do? Wax? Clear coat over it? Dip teh whoel thing in Vasoline?

Note: I only get the top 30K of these digests, so please email as well.

Thanks
Bill Crick
76 type II/IV/VII