Oil leak update!
I'm going in for the crankshaft seal!  All hell broke loose today.  I lost a
quart and a half of oil in the 10 miles home from work this afternoon.  It was
smoking so bad that the cars behind me stayed back a 1/4 mile (burning oil on
the exhaust pipes).  Major clutch slippage in 3rd and 4th gears.  Once home, I
opened the engine lid and found oil had been leaking out of the flywheel
inspection hole all over the top of the engine.  What a mess!
Tonight I got the van in the carport, on the ramps, and most of the engine
prepped to remove.  Tomorrow I'm going to drain the coolant, drop the engine,
remove the clutch assembly, flywheel, etc., and replace the crankshaft seal, o
ring, needle bearing, and felt washer and most likely the clutch disc.  With
that much oil coming out and the slipping clutch I'm certain the disc is
saturated.

Talk about unconditional love......

Andrew G. Martin
'87 Vanagon GL Syncro
174K