Smoke from exhaust

How much oil is in there now? Did you drain the extra oil?

Bill Spiliotopoulos, '67 Bug.

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It sounds like you may have blown the rocker cover gasket which causes leakage onto the heat exchanger/exhaust. Too much oil causes excessive oil pressure and therefore weak gaskets to fail. The smoke you see is the oil burning onto the exhaust. When the car is parked for a while you may see a small oil patch under one side of the engine. A leaky rocker cover gasket is not usually a major issue - air cooled vws very rarely don't leak!!! The poor fitting gaskets act as a natural pressure regulator. However I would certainly advise as the previous post - check the current oil level and have a good look under the car after its been sitting a while to check for any serious leaks. Because these cars are air cooled the oil is very important not just for lubrication but also for cooling. Keep note of the oil levels and if the oil drains quickly get the leak sealed ASAP.

Or simply cylinderwall splash from excessive level, no harm what so ever except for nuisance. Can happen intermittently according to incline, drain to correct level

-> No worries.

J.

please explain how the bloody hell that would happen...this should be very interesting...

maybe the crank end seal could leak if there was so much oil that the drain passage would be under the oil level, i.e. not draining?

other places under oil pressure would be... hmm... oil pump cover gasket and cooler seals, but too much oil still wouldn't raise oil pressure, would it?

jan

unless someone's oilpump is sucking air, adding more oil *above* the pickup won't increase pressure...yet i see it posted (regurgitated) time and time again on internet forums that haveing extra oil in the crankcase will raise oilpressure and "blow seals".... another wildly repeated load...

You will get an increased build-up of oil in the Right Head, both from excessive amount and high('er than stockish) r.p.m.

Would this blow the gasket? Nah, not likely, buuut it could make a crap gasket leak more..

J.

left head... :)

But of cause, I saw left in my head, but wrote right, sigh....

J.

it happens!!! are you left handed? if so, you are in the minority of people that are "in their right minds"...LOL

Nope, right handed.

But I wear my watch on the right hand, and I hold a Hockey stick like a lefty(The few times I have hold one that is..). I also mount a Skateboard the wrong way round(maaany years ago).

I have yet to try Snowboarding, but there also I would be most comfortable "wrong way round"..

Lifes small peculiarity's..

J.

Nope, right handed.

But I wear my watch on the right hand, and I hold a Hockey stick like a lefty(The few times I have held one that is..). I also mount a Skateboard the wrong way round(maaany years ago).

I have yet to try Snowboarding, but there also I would be most comfortable "wrong way round"..

Lifes small peculiarity's..

J.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm doing as much of the "regularly scheduled maintenance" as I can today. At the very least the oil level will be correct again (if not changed entirely). As I'm getting into the valve adjust, I read that John Muir says "DO NOT JACK UP!" Why is that!?

if the car isnt level - you will get an armfull of oil when you take the cover off LOL !

Quite the opposite; jack the car up a little on the side you plan on adjusting, and leave it like that for a while to allow the oil to drain OUT of the valve cover area. You get LESS oil spills.

Jan

I suppose you could start an oil change by draining all the oil, then do both side valves, then refill with oil.

I never bothered to jack up the car. There's plenty of room to get at the valve covers and sump plate.