If your problem is the rings wouldn't you get crappy mpg and burn
>oil/have blue exhaust?  You'd get crappy mpg cause after a while of
>burning oil, you'd foul the plugs and valves.

That is the kicker.  I don't really know  what the problem is.  If one
cylinder has bad compression and is markedly improved by adding a little
oil, is'nt that the rings.  I feel as though I have checked every possible
cause.  The other interesting thing is that plugging in the ox sensor
causes a greater loss of power while trying to accelerate acctually there is
very little loss of power with the oxs out.  So when this first happened I
unplugged the sensor and drove it as little as possible and then put it away
for the winter.  For the summer I decided to drive it and just for the hell
of it plugged the oxs back in.  no problems?  I guess this means I am
oppening it up for comment, please tell me what this weirdness is.

ps the compression is still bad, and the only sign of problem is a sooty
tail pipe.

seth gordon
84 wolfsburg weekender
-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Porter <fporter@eyring.com>
To: Seth F Gordon <sethgordon@montysbay.com>
Date: Monday, July 06, 1998 7:05 PM
Subject: Re: no power: running lean (i think)

>If your problem is the rings wouldn't you get crappy mpg and burn
>oil/have blue exhaust?  You'd get crappy mpg cause after a while of
>burning oil, you'd foul the plugs and valves.
>
>Seth F Gordon wrote:
>>
>> I have very similar symptoms with my 84.  I thought it was a valve for
sure.
>> after compresion tests (compression improved w/some oil).  I have come to
>> the conclusion it was the rings.  The point to this message is that I
burn
>> very little oil and have an average gas milage 18-20 mpg?  who knows? the
>> shop will probly find your problem but that was  (is) my experience.
>>
>> seth gordon
>> 84 wolfsburg weekender
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Fred Porter <fporter@EYRING.COM>
>> To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
>> Date: Monday, July 06, 1998 6:03 PM
>> Subject: no power: running lean (i think)
>>
>> >Within the past week, my 87 syncro has suffered a dramatic loss in
>> >power.  With the following symptoms, does my diagnosis of running lean
>> >sound correct?
>> >-no clouds of black or blue smoke coming out of the tail pipe (not
>> >running rich or burning oil--burning oil would indicate a loss of
>> >compression through the rings)
>> >-it still idles and revs smoothly, just no power.
>> >-the temp needle is running unusually high.
>> >-fairly good gas mileage.
>> >-It seems to run ok when i first start it cold in the morning, but as it
>> >warms up and the temp needle goes past the LED power degrades. BTW, the
>> >blinking LED has NOT come on.
>> >
>> >if it is running lean, my first suspect is the AFM--slow response or
>> >limited travel of the vane.  What would be other sources of the problem?
>> >I would question clogged fuel injectors since it is still running
>> >smoothly--all 4 injectors would have to be clogged equally.
>> >
>> >recent maintenance:  new cap and rotor, 15w50 oil and filter, new air
>> >filter, new ignition switch
>> >less recent maintenance: new OXS, new plugs
>> >
>> >when i drop it at the dealer tomorrow, i'm going to have the following
>> >checked:
>> >ignition system, fuel injectors, compression leakdown, EFI diagnostic
>> >
>> >if it is loosing compression via the valves, what are those symptoms?
>> >
>> >thanks,
>> >fred
>> >87 syncro 180+kmi
>> >
>