[Vwdiesel] POLYMERIZED ENGINE OIL

[James Hansen]

Rolf Pechukas wrote:
>>> Smarter?   Better looking?
>> Worse.  Isn't that Rolf Pechukas?
>>
>> -james
> 
> 
> guilty as charged (dumb and ugly)
> in my defense, this was working great for 6 months
> and it's been done by lots of other dumb ugly guys:
> http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-029.html
> (of course, it's how ALL engines used to be lubricated - 'Castol' =  
> castor oil)

Well, except they sort of used the oil up as things went along, none of 
this crankcase recirculation stuff for them, and it was castor bean oil 
that is very tolerant of polymerization.  That said, the 
methanol/nitromethane used in my R/C airplane stuff still uses some 
castor oil, and it still polymerizes on the hot surfaces, under the 
piston etc. Synthetics have been the schiznick for that application.

The first engines with crankcases with recirculated oil were looked on 
as being from the devil- because oil was never meant to be re-used you 
know. It's worn out after the first pass through the bearings.  I have a 
  1918 International Titan 10-20 kerosene tractor sitting outside my 
front window that lubricates everything with fresh oil, and vents it out 
the bottom after one pass.  It uses surprisingly little oil actually- 
the oil pump has little drippers visible through a sight glass- mains 
get like a drop every two seconds.

> 
> they make high-stability high-oleic acid VO these days which is  
> designed for high-heat long-term use w/o polymerization
> that stuff worked great in my engine

I've grown some of that stuff.  Cut out the middle man, I could send you 
some seed for it.   I'm sure if you just poured it in the crankcase, it 
would be self extracting- the camshaft should squeeze out the oil. 
Canola is 42% oil, the rest can just hang around with the polymerized 
goo until the next change.
  ;-)

> 
> if I hadn't been distracted by more pressing issues (sister in the  
> hospital for 4 months), I don't think I would have forgotten to check  
> levels
> which I think was my main mistake here

Too hot you figure because of too little in the sump?

I would also suspect accumulation of byproducts of wear and soot.  Even 
tho your motor is using significant amounts of oil and you are ading 
fresh stuff, the oil has no soot handling additives like diesel oil 
should- and it would tend to accumulate to what would be comparatively 
high levels in short order.  You would need to really old school it, and 
run very frequent drain intervals, which I'm sure you must be doing.

> 
> and when I get this thing cleared out, I am going back to running SVO  
> in the sump
> so sue me

Okay, can you recommend any good lawyers in MA ?
I'm sure they would take the case on spec...


Like Sandy sez, you can itentify the pioneers by the arrows in their 
backs... (and dirty coveralls close at hand).

Take care Rolf, hope your Sis is doing okay.
-james