[Vwdiesel] Prevention - was Engine Hints

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

> I currently run a Valve Cover (VC) that  has a small integrated pocket in
>  which some steel wool is placed - the purpose, obviously, is to allow the
>  oil to congregate on the steel wool and drip back down into the engine -
>  instead of being blown out of the Vent into the Air cleaner.
>
  These often get clogged, either from wrong oil or leaving it in too long.
Most likely wrong oil.  It leads to high crankcase pressures which can
blow oil past the rings.  That's partially why the "y" hose was invented.
The other thing is that crankcase pressure can vent directly without
rushing up through the oil return holes.  That vaproizes more oil and
also keeps it from returning.  Ideally I'd think there should be a restrictor
in the valve cover vent when you have the "y" hose.  Some pressure
does come out the valve stems it seems.

>  On my gas engine there was a plastic sheet, often called a windage tray,
>  that was situated dirctly beneath the VC on top of the cam towers.  Would
>  this tray prevent the oil from being blown out if i installed on on my
>  diesel?

  I don't think these came on any of the diesels but they sure wouldn't
hurt.  I bought one for the Rabbit but with Total Seal rings, fresh engine
and no turbo, there wasn't enough blowby so I pulled it out.  It made it
more work to do a quick check of the timing since you couldn't see #1
cam lobes through the oil filler.
>
>  I have also seen discussion of putting a VC breather filter on.  to do
>  this you have to completely remove the breather hose and plug the hole on
>  top of the intake.  Then you just put a filter on top of the VC.

  I don't think you want a filter on the intake, not the regular kind anyway.

Those crankcase filters are designed for INCOMING flow of air not
outgoing.  On early cars the incoming comes in through a "steel wool"
filled oil cap.  The outgoing flow goes through the PCV valve and nowdays
the incoming comes through one of those filters in the air cleaner for a
"Positive Flow" thus the Positive Crancase Valve.  No intake flow could
lead to a vacuum situation in the crankcase.  Nuff of that...
>
>  Does anybody have any experience with any of these?  I'd like to hear
>  what you have had luck with.
>
 Never had a runaway.  All mine seem to have had good oil.  Even ones with
worn rings or cylinders seemed to vent well enough that I never had any
inkling of a runaway.
>
>  I currently run a windage tray in my oil pan - a nifty little tray that
>  keep the crank from sloshing in the oil and supposedly prevents the oil
>  from foaming so much - IT was a good idea- I think.
>
  I put one of those in the Rabbit when I found that I had more power when
I was a little over a quart low on oil.  It seemed to help but not as much as
running low on oil.  ;-)  I thought it would do a little more but every bit
helps.  :)
     Loren