Thanks to everyone who responded to my post about my sudden, severe,
fleeting oil leak.

It's at European Car Care in Fairbanks now, and they rolled it inside,
cleaned off the oil cooler/filter area,  and started it cold (-15 F
this a.m.).  It reproduced the symptoms exactly as I observed a while
back.  They observed the leak coming from the oil cooler seal.

So, congrats to all who correctly diagnosed the problem!  Your
prize of one pint burnt Mobil1 5w30 can be picked up at my cabin during the
hours of 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM AST Monday through Thursday.  It is in a pan
shoved beneath the sauna; please, no pushing or shoving.

Isn't it odd, though, that it leaked not one bit for a couple of hundred
miles, and through four pre-heated (plugged in) cold starts.  It seems to
me that warmer, thinner oil would sneak past the seal sooner than colder,
thicker oil.  But then, colder thicker oil could do a better job pushing
the seal out of the way.

Another hypothesis is the seal itself being the variable, changing
properties as it is warmed by the preheated oil, and doing a better job
of sealing.

The rule of thumb in Fairbanks for preheating your car is "one hour per
every 10 degrees F below zero".  I added about 25 degrees to this (a
Vanagon correction factor), and plug in the van beginning at 15 F, for a
minimum of two hours.  At -20, I plug it in for 4-5 hours (this is all on
an outdoor outlet timer).  Below -20, I just walk instead.

Alas, there are none of these seals in all the vast parts houses in
Fairbanks, and the van will spend the holiday weekend in the lonely,
frozen lot at the repair shop.  Wish us luck as we try to fit two humans,
230 lbs of three dogs, 8 skis, 8 poles, two -25 down sleeping bags, and
a vegetable lasagne into my SO's Accord, as we head to Denali Park for
Thanksgiving with a park service buddy and some wide open spaces.  I really
should have a backup Syncro, ready to be called into service when these
things happen.

Cheers,

Chris Wyatt
'87 Syncro GL
Fairbanks, Alaska