Still battling sand seals

[ORANGECRUSHer]

Ive had little luck with my sand seal. I got a new one this spring since I didn’t drive it all last year and it was leaking again. I had luck for about a month until i took it for a 45 minute driveon the highway a week ago. During the drive I actually felt a change at one point and when i arrived at my destination oil was everywhere. Ive read as much as i can regarding the way a vw breathes, crankcase pressure, and the like. Ive applied that utilizing oil separators, one-way crankcase vents, and venting the valve covers, case and filler. I just checked compression and leak down both giving me no clues as to what problem i have. I’m running 1/2” hose from all my vents to a bugpack breather box and im about to try venting straight to the atmosphere on the filler or the case in hopes I just don’t have a big enough outlet. But im not very optimistic.
Just thinking Id throw this out there in case anyone else has had similar troubles and found a fix. I’m about ready to rebuild the cylinders and possibly the heads in hopes its blowby that isnt showing in my tests. If i do this is it for the bug this year since i have no shop to work in at the moment. I just want to drive the thing a bit for petes sake. Not asking to offroad or anything crazy.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[ORANGECRUSHer]

Well after draining about a quart of oil thru the oil filter thinking maybe i had filled it to full i ran to the gas station and oil is everywhere and literally pouring from the seal AT IDLE! I’m gonna try going back to a stock pulley and loose the seal. Too bad I don’t have the stocker in my bins of parts.

If oil is coming out this quick at idle and the engine runs good im thinking crankcase pressure is not my problem. I would be noticing air movement at the vents. However, i was recently told the seal is to keep dirt out not oil in so im still baffled. Maybe it’s time for a new engine?
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[Dark Earth]

Have you seen this ??

http://www.vw-resource.com/crankcase_ventilation.html

I would either get a stock pulley with grooves and run a hose to the carburetor air cleaner or find a different non grooved pulley to run with the sand seal.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Vanapplebomb]

Could it be possible that the oil return groove is clogged? I have seen this with people who misuse rtv silicone sealant. If it is blocked, the pressure of the oil being pushed out of the bearing will have to go somewhere, and if the oil return groove is really plugged up, the next path of least resistance would be for the oil to push past the sand seal.
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1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[turbo2387]

is it a quality pulley and its matching seal?

[chubby53]

I don’t know if this would make a difference. But have you checked your endplay?
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My build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=385100

[ORANGECRUSHer]

Went back to stock pulley and leaks have dwindled. Haven’t run long enough to be sure. When i took the sand seal out the seal had separated from the carrier which seems to happen a lot if you dont use sealant between the two. That obviously was the culprit this time. Wondering if i need to shim the pulley a bit to back it off from the seal so its not creating friction and making it grab the seal. Perhaps when i get back into off-roading ill guve that a try. For now i need to rejet. Seems this change has made some kind of difference in the way it runs, or my rings are about to give up lol.

Hope this helps someone down the line.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[Bashr52]

Are you running the spacer between the pulley and crank? The snout on the sand seal pulleys is actually shorter slightly than a stock pulley, so without the spacer the pulley face will ride against the face of the seal and cause issues.

[ORANGECRUSHer]

That’s a good point and no I didn’t have a spacer, none was ever provided. The past couple days ive been having trouble getting off the highway and coming to an idle and having my oil pressure alarm going off. Not sure but i think the oil is getting warm enough its thinning and affecting the pressure. When i check it the level its fine. If i give it time to cool down it goes away or if i drive around town it doesn’t happen. I never had a cooling issue before i changed to the stock pulley. I traded one problem for another. And its still leaking especially if i fill it to the range on the dipstick. I’m worried ill blow the engine soon despite how well it runs otherwise. Ive been chasing this issue for so long im starting to think a new engine is my only solution. I really wish i new someone who understood these engines that could take look at it besides me. I’m no dummy but obviously my talents aren’t enough in this case. I need fresh eyes.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[Bashr52]

Here is a pic from the CB Performance website. Note just below the seal there is what appears to be a large washer. That is the spacer that fits between the pulley and the case.

[ORANGECRUSHer]

I ran into a crusty old guy at the steel yard who seemed like he understood my problem. He said the 1835 tends to have a lot of blow by and if i have a high pressure oil pump that will add to the problem as well. I do have an aftermarket pump with the filter but no idea what it puts out.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[Bashr52]

[ORANGECRUSHer]

I’m wondering about my cooling too. However I haven’t had tge oil light come on since that week i had that coming off the highway. I think my main jet was a little lean. Things have been ok. Im getting oil on my belly pan, but not to the degree thats alarming or flinging all over ruining my cool. So im driving it at least. Thanks for the support.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[Mikedrevguy]

Have you done compression check?
What’s the engine mileage?
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74 1303 (RevBug): plan for German Look
76 914 with 2260
79 VW Iltis
69 Bwajaja
"The wise speak because they have something to say; while the foolish speak because they have to say something." Plato

Illigitimi non-Carborundum!!

[dustymojave]

More important than a compression test, is a "leak-down test" to check for piston ring or valve guide blow-by.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.