Light rust on cylinder fins ok?

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

Hey guys, I was power washing the undercarriage of my 74 Thing and noticed the cylinder fins are lightly rusted. Is this normal with the aging process?
I live in Florida and the humidity is surely the cause, I have been having some overheat issues this summer and have checked everything but the timing. Could this be causing some of the problem?

I say overheating but have yet to get an accurate temp reading as my digital turkey thermometer only says "HI" after it hits 210 Deg. The symptom is that when the car runs for a little while the power drops off and it begins chugging if i push the gas pedal to try to get any acceleration. It gets progressively worse unless I let it sit for 20-30 min, after which it runs ok for another 5-10 miles.

Temps do seem to vary from the oil diptube to the Cylinder fins. I let it Idle up for 5-7 minutes the other day and the oil was showing 178 Deg while the cylinder fins were above the 210 deg or "HI" mark.
Should the fins be reading the same as the oil?

The engine is aprox 2 years old.

Things I've changed/fixed recently (maybe I screwed something up)
New belt, (blew the old one on the highway)
New Distributor cap (bought the listed one from nearest parts store)
I made sure i had the wires on the right plugs and it runs fine when I start it.

Since the overheating I've changed/replaced
Fuel filter (it was black)
Fuel pump (it was old)
Fresh fuel lines
Pulled the airflow tins off and made sure no obstructions (this is where I found the light rust, very good airflow btw)
Changed to a lighter weight oil
Degreased/Pressure washed the undercarriage to get rid of oil/grease/gunk
New air filter

I'm taking the car in to the mechanic to get some pesky oil seals redone, and I'll be asking him the same questions, but I was hoping I could go in there with some foreknowledge of what my issue is.

Thanks all, Shamu

mstatedog · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:59 pm Post subject:

no, buy a Berg Oil Temp dip stick and check your timing.

dog

KTPhil · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:55 pm Post subject:

Light rust on barrels is of no consequence. In fact, clean dry rust increases the surface area and might aid coolling!

What oil seals are you replacing?

Poor timing will cause overheating and you should start there.

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

ok excellent, mainly the only thing i havent checked is the timing.... Never done it, dunno how.

The seals being replaced? Unsure as it only started leaking after I had a local oil shop change the oil, and the guy put in 4 quarts instead of 2.5. Being my first VW I had no idea until it started leaking. So, I'm taking it in to get the leak ID'd and hopefully fixed.

I'll have the mechanic check the timing and anything else I can think of. I usually get them to teach me a little of what they are doing when they do it. Maybe I can get him to show me how to check timing.

bugninva · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:30 pm Post subject:

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

out of curiosity, are there aluminum cylinder fins?

J.R. Svaren · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:00 am Post subject: aluminum cylinders

Yup! Just be ready to empty your bank account $$$$$$

bciesq · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:21 am Post subject:

Ian Epperson · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:44 am Post subject: Re: aluminum cylinders

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

Wow, those prices are, as my Guatemalan buddy says "Expensier!"

I'm in west orlando, bout a mile from the metro west area.

bciesq · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:47 am Post subject:

KTPhil · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:15 pm Post subject:

"I had a local oil shop change the oil, and the guy put in 4 quarts instead of 2.5. Being my first VW I had no idea until it started leaking. So, I'm taking it in to get the leak ID'd and hopefully fixed."

Yikes! That much oil might blow out a flywheel seal, requiring engine removal and clutch replacement. Hopefully that didn't happen to you, but if your clutch starts slipping, bingo. Check for oil dripping at the bottom seam between the engine and tranny.

The only external "seals" in the VW are flywheel, pushrod, and valve cover (and maybe a pully "sand seal" on a buggy). Others are internal and won't cause leaks. All but VC gaskets require engine removal and some disassembly to replace.

I pulled my T3 motor and replaced those seals--a lot of work but mine was so dirty and oily after years of sitting following dirt road driving I had no choice.

That oil change place may be in for a big bill. Make sure a VW shop does the inspection.

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

The oil is coming from the area where the engine hooks up to the trans area... so I'm thinking thats the spot. It's not a huge leak just a silver dollar sized spot on the ground each morning, the clutch is good still. It's been a few months since the overfill, and just the small leak so I'm hoping its just that one seal. The mechanic is VW certified so I should be good there.

If the timing were off, wouldn't the car run rough?

My typical startup routine is to give the gas one good stomp, turn the engine over and it starts right up. I do have to keep the pedal pressed a little to keep the engine running until it warms up, (2 min?) after this it runs/idles fine until it gets hot and starts chugging when i press the gas.

Question, If they do wind up pulling the motor to fix the seals, would this be a good time to have them work over other areas of the engine? If so, which ones? It runs fine except for the overheat issues and I wouldn't mind getting out cheaper rather than expensive.

KTPhil · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:51 pm Post subject:

If it runs hot or poorly when warmed, check all the regular "tune-up" things: valves, dwell and timing, carb adjustment. See what your plugs look like, too, after a long run at regular/high speeds. These steps often reveal what is amiss. Until those things are right, diagnosis will be just a guessing game.

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:02 pm Post subject:

LUNATIK

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

Oil, I've been running 10w30
Oil temp after a 20 min or so drive is around 193F
I had no idea there were "hot" and "cold" plugs, I'll check mine to see what I've got. (I forgot to add I had changed these when I changed the distributor and plug wires) They look good though and aren't oily or burnt.
I'll see if i cant find a better thermometer at Wally world today.

Shamu

LUNATIK · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:41 am Post subject:

I bought mines from CB performance, head temp and oil temp. On oil temperature I like to see from 180 to 220 F, others can say more about oil temps but I like to see it close to 212 F due that the boiling point of water, that means that any humidity inside the case will be taking care off quickly.
If your engine is hotter than 350F then you have a problem, could be the thermostat or obstructed louvers in the engine cooling system.

I have a laser thermometer from Autozone for a quick reading, is very accurate, you can try that. Temp the heads and the oil sump and see the difference.

Regards,

bciesq · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:43 am Post subject:

Shamu63 · Samba Member Joined: August 04, 2006 Posts: 83

ahh wow, ok... next thing is drain and change the oil. I also bought the "coolest" plugs they had in stock, and I'll be changing them when the engine and day cools down a bit.

I just picked up a new digital thermometer that hits 450F (My autozone doesn't stock the laser ones)

After driving home (total time driving there and back with extra stops, 40 min or so) the cylinder fins were at 291.2F and the oil was 202.4F.

Also, I bought a timing light so i can learn how to do this myself.

Shamu


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