RE: Oil in the air box

[Jonas Karlsson <jkarlsso@metabolex.com>]

David Ruby wrote:
>Hello crew,
>Seems like ther hasn't been enough tech questions lately, so 
>here's one for the gurus to munch on:
>Working on my '86 8v today, installing extra ground wires 
>(yippee!), I decided to remove the rubber shell from atop the air 
>box (you know, the mass airflow thingy).  Anyway, I was surprised 
>to find oil in the strainer.  Not alot, but enough to make me 
>worry.  The car has been running rich and crappy for as long as 
>I've had it, and nobody can figure out what the problem(s) 
>is/are.  
>Questions:
>1.) obviously, some of this oil is making its way into the 
>intake.  Is this partly to blame for drivability problems?

I doubt it. The oil in this place is not uncommon. If anything the oil 
could impair the movements of the airflow sensor. This would not make it 
run rich ( I don't think so anyway) but behave sluggish. Like you step 
on the gas and it is slow to respond. But it doesn't sound like that is 
happening here. If you can lift it with some needlenose pliers, and 
movement is not hindered, it's OK. 


>2.) why is there a hose from the top of the valve cover to the 
>bottom of the airbox?  This seems to be the source of the oil.

Right you are! The German Engineers (tm) thought this would be a good 
place for a breather hose. 


>3.) Is this indicative of an oil blow-by problem (bad valve 
>seats, perhaps, or ???)

doubt it, there is supposed to be lots of oil in the cylinder head, that 
way the cam doesn't sieze up. =^) Bad valve seats or valve seals would 
cause oil to be sucked into the cylinders, burned, and come out as white 
smoke from the exhaust. 

>4.) Anything else?

I wouldn't be concerned. But one way to deal with this is to buy an upper 
oil baffle. I'm sure one of the list vendors can get you one, if not 
then Techtonics has them for sure. Or you can go to a junkyard and find 
an A2 (hydraulically liftered engine)and get it from there. Just remove 
the valve cover, and it's right there. This will block the oil from 
splashing up into the breather hose. 

>Cheers to anyone who can clear this up to any extent.
>
>-Dave
>86 8v
>

Good luck.


Jonas 
85 Scirocco


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