How Hot Is Your DipStick!!

[TakeLifeEasy]

On our way back from Cornwall last week, we stopped off for a bit of a break after running the van for about 2 hours. It was a very warm evening but I was surprised at how hot the engine bay was and nearly burnt my hand on the dip stick when checking the oil. Even after the van had sat for about 20 mins, the dipstick was hot. So I ran the van for about 25 mins the other night and the engine bay felt hot again. So my question is how hot should these engines run? I don't have an oil temp gauge and even with the engine running what seems to be hot, it was cruising along fine. So I am just wondering if the engine is hot because we have recently had hot weather and I am being overly worried or there is something not quite right and it is getting too hot?

 

[rickyrooo1]

sounds like yours is running too hot, as a rule of thumb "the dipstick test" is usually a way of checking the engine cooling, it should be warm but not uncomfortable, i would guess you have cooling tinware missing or your timing is out - are you running lean? this creates more engine heat. i wouldn't continue to drive far until sorted, overheating will result in valve regression and new heads...... ask me how i know!

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Hi, sounds like you know from bad experience!!!! All tin wear seems to be accounted for. My timing was out and is now set OK, could this make that much of a different? I ran the bus this morning and it seemed cooler but I now have a complex about the heat and am not sure if I am reading too much into it now!!!! I did notice that a heat exchanger pipe (the silver pipe from the fan housing going into exchanger just under part of the engine) had come loose so I fixed that which I assume would have had some effect? Talking of which, I often wonder if it is better switching the dials on the interior heating to on so it drags the hot air away from the engine and into the cab? I will check all the seals to see if there is any leakage allowing hot air back into the engine bay.

How do I test if the engine is running lean? I have a PICT 34 carb and noticed the tick over does seem to be a little high.

Many thanks for your help.

 

[Trikky2]

Talking of which, I often wonder if it is better switching the dials on the interior heating to on so it drags the hot air away from the engine and into the cab?

No, turniing on the heater has the opposite effect. The heater uses some of the air blown by the fan and diverts it into the heat exchanger, rather than it being blown over the cylinder heads.

 

[Trikky2]

As for the dipstick test - hmm - oft quoted - but not reliable.

- on a normal day on a beetle - yes pretty much.

On a hot day in a bus - not so much. Buses run hotter because the engine has to work harder.

In hot weather the engine and hence the dipstick will also be hotter.

When one of these engines is working relatively hard its perfectly normal for the oil temp to reach anywhere between 90 and 110 C.

Think of it this way. If you boil some water in a saucepan for half an hour, with a dipstick stuck in the water to the full mark on the stick, how cautious would you be about grabbing it? :mrgreen:

 

[Tristan71]

Might be worth making sure the cooling fan hasn't got anything in it lots of people forget this (Engine off key in pocket)

 

[Wannabay]

i've fitted one of the 'savemybug' temperature sensor dipsticks
they do work, as I found out recently on a long weekend trip from London to Cornwall recently
inexpensive, easy to fit and no messing about with extra dials

 

[dustrat]

I recently had a simular problem with my Ghia. It turned out the the insullation on the fire wall had come adrift and was partially blocking fan housing air intake. No wonder engine was getting hot.Worth checking.
Robert

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Thanks all, checked the insulation and all seems OK. I can hear a good strong sucking noise coming from the outside air vents so assume van is working well? I am now thinking that the engine is running lean as the carb was recently replaced so maybe that is the next thing to try. I will also shut off the levers so no airnis being pulled into the cab given the engine all the air flow!
Will report back, many thanks.

 

[Tristan71]

Don't assume anything !!!!!

 

[bluenose]

I think mine is prob running a bit hot too. Dizzy felt really hot after a good run out even the cap, I never touched the dip stick I will try next time see how hot it is. I just don't want any worry gauges in the cab I'll end up obcessed with them

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

So I continue to try and narrow things down and before I go off and attempt to make the carb run a little richer, I thought I would check the thermostat is opening the fins/flaps on the fan housing. Problem is, I don't seem to have one http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=61228" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Could this be the problem?

 

[Sydney1]

Have you got the Type 4 engine? I've always been worried about mine too and recently found the coil to be too hot to hold. All tinware in place and foam seal sung around the engine. Timing spot on and plug colour normal.

The fan has been removed from mine so had to block off the top of the heat exchangers as they were pumping hot air into the engine bay but still concerned.

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Rickyrooo1, many thanks for pointing me in the right direction regarding the engine running lean. I need to run the van properly to really test but having it tested on Friday showed that it was indeed running very lean