Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:14:04 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Busted Down Near Tekonsha, Michigan
In-Reply-To: <CAKA=wSZAHmvud7b+DAYepZk5NM603vqmnU+gcPkct=YrNtKMXA@mail.gmail.com>
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Pete, before doing anything else - check your compression!
This was my horror once driving across Oklahoma on a Saturday night in
late October of 1999.
I was cruising along and heard a "Pop" noise in back. Thought I had hit
a cup or something. Then a tractor trailer rig began closing from behind
and in the approaching light I could see clouds of billowing smoke
swirling behind. I checked all insturments and all was well so far as
they were concerned. I pull up on an off-ramp and into a gas station
where there was light and a mechanic aide. Got out, walked to the rear
and the backend was covered with oil. Looked underneath and oil was
dripping everywhere. Couldn't really see what was happening, so I gave
it up for the night, got a AAA roll-back tow into Clinton, OK, parked it
at the local Holiday Inn and waited until Monday when businesses opened.
On Monday I got it to a garage and first thing spotted was a rocker box
gasket bulged out sufficiently to let oil out. Blowing in the breeze of
cruising, it spread oil every where. Had them replace the gasket, put in
some oil, started it up, and "POP" goes the gasket. Now it's more
serious. Next step was compression check. Forward cylinder on the driver
side had no compression. But you could hear blowing into the crankcase.
"UH-OH!" At TDC with both intake and exhaust valves closed, there
should be no air going anywhere - UNLESS there are burned valves or
severely worn rings or cracked heads or holes in pistons. I decided to
rent a truck and auto trailer and haul the thing on to Birmingham which
was my destination.. Once there, I had the engine pulled, and torn down.
There it was - the source of the smoke. a piston with a hold burned
through the top on one side, and the side of the piston galled and the
cylinder wall scored. Rebuilt the engine and now have near 150,000 on
it. No probs.
Figured when the piston burned through, the case was pressurized, and
that pressure from the case went through the pushrod housings into the
rocker covers and blew the seal - and being under pressure - was blowing
the oil out and onto the pipes underneath. as well as through the engine
exhaust. Never saw a temp rise n the coolant gage, no low coolant
light, no low oil light. Just caught the fact there was a problem by
looking out the rear window. Had I driven just a bit more, the engine
probably would have have thrown a rod.
Point being here - check your compression first - before doing anything
else. Be sure your basic engine is ok, then tear into the other stuff.
John
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
On 11/24/2011 7:57 AM, Pete O wrote:
> much to my horror, saw crazy blue/white smoke billowing out
> behind in the headlights of the truck behind.
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