We left the watery lake behind and headed for a dry one instead.
The Black Rock Desert is where 50,000 people descend each year for Burning Man. But right now it’s completely empty.
Until our friends pull up doing 50 miles an hour in reverse. Because that’s the sort of fun you can have on a dry lake bed.
You can also roller skate.
And skateboard.
No, I don’t have a small ax. Around this bus we use hammers and screwdrivers to split wood.
Back on the road with Play-Doh for hours.
Okay, so basically I’m doing everything I can to destroy this bus. I changed the oil a few days ago and have been checking for leaks ever since. There hasn’t been any. So I’ve been less than diligent when it comes to actually checking the oil level.
So today we’re barreling along and right as we hit a big hill the engine starts to tick. I pulled over immediately, still pointing up the hill. I got online and started checking to see what it could be, and it sounded like “rod knock” was the culprit.
We sat there for an hour contemplating the possibilities. We were fifty miles from the nearest town. The engine was probably gone anyway, so we decided to screw it and just try and get to town.
As I was about to fire up Ali asks, “Did you check the oil?”
“Yes.” I fired back. I had indeed checked it right when we stopped, but you can’t really check oil when it is hot. The dipstick had oil all over it, but it was impossible to really read the level.
I hesitated a second, and then checked it again.
Dry.
We were parked on a hill and the dipstick was at the front of the pan, so it probably wasn’t really dry, but it was very low. The rod that had been ticking was also at the front of the engine.
I added two quarts, fired up, and the tick was totally gone.
Thank you, Ali.
Now obviously, I didn’t do the engine any favors with that move. I certainly didn’t extend the life of it any, but it did run perfectly from then on, so it doesn’t appear that it is dead just yet either. Everyone tells me this 318 is a tough engine, and it seems to be.
Now I need to figure out why/where I lost two quarts of oil since the change.
36 Comments on “Got Oil?”
My bet is the oil leaked into the bilge 🙂
Now that’s a good one!!!
+1
Burning, leaks or didn’t add enough oil after changing it. If after a couple of days the level is still up my money is on didn’t add enough oil after changing. Also check the transmission level. I think there is a path between the transmission and engine for oil to travel, maybe via vacuum line, PVC valve, or re-breather.
No, don’t think it will be in the bilge. But, could it be mixing with seawater and going out with the coolant? Do you always remember to close the exhaust seacock? You would have seen milky looking oil though if that was it.
I bet it’s OK if you are observant enough to stop when you hear it ticking.
I’d like to go through black rock, and about now is probably the most kid friendly time to do so….
The ticking you heard likely was the hydraulic lifters running out of oil; not a rod knocking. while not great…its not catastrophic. Your trusty 318 should be just fine.
You were climbing a hill. Probably burning some oil. Take a paper towel and wipe the inside of your tail pipe. Probably a little oily.
This is sounding more and more like a boat blog!
We camped there alot before the first Burning Man and enjoyed the hot springs. Great spot.
Hope you cycle back through the Eastern Sierra!
Have fun!!
Sure we will cycle back through the Eastern Sierra – at some time. Now we are at Grammy’s enjoying some down time.
Just looking at those pictures makes me want to go find a tree to sit under.
318 nice engine just like the good old 327 283 265 soo good – they quit making them of course- followed you since first boat out of Ft Lauderdale-saw daughters sweat shirt = WSU– ??? Washington State?? my daughter swam for them- my daughter lives in Shakopee minn- Walden Creek RV steve Melbourne Fl
WSU sweatshirt hand-me-down from cousins that went there. Thanks for being with us so long Steve.
Common place for an oil leak would be the lower side of the valve cover gaskets. Another spot would be from the rearmost side of the ‘valley’ gasket between the engine heads, and from the oil pressure line you made up of rubber hose. The clamps on the hose to the oil pressure gauge should be re-tightened periodically or it may leak.
I used to check our oil level each morning after a days drive, and would add a quart as needed, then make a note of the date and mileage in the vehicle ‘log book’. We got about 500 miles to a quart after we bought it: It had been sitting for 4 years. We would get a puff of blue smoke on first startup in the morning (from senile valve stem seals). The only way to see visible smoke from the tailpipe was to leave it running after a drive, and get out to look. It never was visible from inside the moving motorhome.
i used to check the transmission fluid level once every 2 weeks, after having topped it up before we started each vacation. It had a slow leak from the shifting shaft seal. Had to take the engine cover off to do that. I had replaced the tailshaft seal or that would likely have been leaking trans fluid more-than-a-little.
Does that old engine have a breather tube? I had a jeep with a 360 engine that started throwing oil out of every gasket on a trip. It would take a qt every 1k miles or so. Turned out to be the little foam insert in the breather cap was hard as a rock. This caused a positive pressure in the engine that pushed oil out everywhere. Cleaned the breather cap foam and the problem went away.
Maybe the pvc valve could use a replacement or a cleaning. It’s job as I understand it is to seperate out the oil from the air alowing the oil to drip back into the crankcase. Otherwise the oily air gets sucked thru the carb and burnt. You would see residue in the carb if this is the case
All that overheating before. You may have just burned a little more than usual. What Cory said about the lifters is spot on.
Awesome pictures as usual. 🙂 I’m taking your old GPS for yet another offshore passage on the 10th. It’s still “tickin'” too. heh heh
I’ve been skimming through this blog of late and was wondering why on earth your children are not in school?
I love this comment. LOVE. Well our kids aren’t in school because Lowe is 4.5 and preschool isn’t necessary. Ouest is 6 and I feel we have Kindergarten covered. Plus putting them in a closed up room for 8 hours a day (plus homework) seems cruel. Now, roller skating on a dry lake bed is VERY necessary.
Best answer yet!
Second. 🙂
Third!
Thumbs up!! I’d actually just been thinking what an awesome, kick-ass woman your girl will grow up to be. Surfing, skateboarding, creative, keen problem-solver, and unafraid of the big, bag world out there. Your kids will be amazing adults and I appreciate your fearlessness as parents.
Thanks, Kathy. Appreciate hearing that.
You have got it down Ali! It is a proven fact that children an not digest more than 2 or 3 hours of “Learning” a day. Max. When I see your kids playing, it says it all!
Marcus, you do realize that people are free to educate their children in a variety of ways? It’s called homeschooling and was the norm until the 20th century! And if home happens to be a vintage Travco motor home then so be it. There are an enormous amount of curriculums available and can be mixed and matched based on what works best for the individual child. Some use very little book work and are much more hands on. Pat and Ali have already mentioned their education plans in a previous post.
I’ve been skimming through this blog since early and was wondering why anyone would submit their developing children into forced conditioning of hierarchical thinking, maladjusted reality constructs and authoritarian behavior models that get imprinted onto children in schools. I guess I thought it was obvious to people that the construction of one’s reality tunnel doesn’t have to be contracted out to societies or ideologies. If someone is reading this blog, I think it should obvious that Pat & Ali are creating their own life, and not accepting the status quo. A question like the above seems not a real question at all, but a thinly veiled criticism. I’m sure that’s not the case however because that would appear to be passive-aggressive, and self serving and petty way to boost one’s own feelings of superiority on the monkey ladder. But maybe the question will inspire Pat and Ali to think about getting a 9-5 job, a mortgage and a big flat-screen TV so they could stay glued to the news and programming, and live vicariously through other people’s reality shows while they send the kids off for standardized testing. Or not.
I imagine Pat and Ali’s kids are educated far ahead of kids their age who are attending brick and mortar schools – in reality anyway. I applaud what they are doing FOR their kids.
Pat, the Limo does not leak anymore but it does burn a quart every 350 miles. I used to add a quart when the low oil warning light came on but now I add 2 quarts (total 7) so I am good for another 700 miles :-). I occasionally hear the lifters going click-click (big ends sound like clang-clang) first thing in the morning if the engine fires before getting oil pressure (courtesy of the upside down oil filter).
The trick with the dipstick is to remove it, clean it with a rag and try again. You should get a good reading even when the engine is hot as long as you turn the engine off first.
What weight oil are you putting in?
Darn, I missed your driving up the areas where I spend so many years hiking.
What looks like nothing more than sagebrush and sand has so much more to see, even for the children. Some great mountain lakes and hot springs and the ghost town of Bodie, easy to hike to volcanoes and when the mountain passes are open, Highway 120 (Tioga pass) which goes to Yosemite, is one of the best (but steep) drives anywhere in the country.
I hope you enjoyed the area.
Seriously now . . . I’m only 66 and still wondering if you would be interesting in adopting me? 🙂
P.S.- I have no idea HOW, exactly, it is that you come up with such interesting engine issues !
Living and sailing in the Caribbean for over 40 years I have met hundreds of families home schooling the children – and met a lot of the young adults years later who grew up that way – some times they even attend a local school here for a year or longer while the parents get jobs to replenish the cruising budget. Colleges often pursue these students for their cultural and geographic diversity. It does take dedication on the part of parents and children along the way but as an alternative education to traditional classroom instruction it is certainly viable and probably advantageous for many of them.
My two grown sons went through public education.
I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a lesser form of child abuse.
Wish I’d have had the sense to home school them.
We have six wildly creative, soulful and adventuresome children. It’s been my experience that there are many ways to educate children and encourage a lifelong love of learning. All of our children have had fantastic, dynamic, gifted teachers and a few duds, but even those experiences taught them how to deal with challenging situations. No one reasonable method, curriculum, institution or philosophy is perfect nor “correct” for every child. We’ve both homeschooled and sent our children to traditional school, where they were never “closed up” in a room for eight hours. In fact, we’ve had quite the opposite experience. Our children’s experience in Jesuit schools has been invaluable in stretching their thinking beyond themselves, encouraging them to serve others, especially the disenfranchised here and around the world. One thing’s for certain: nothing beats a family spending time discovering the world together, reading together, laughing a lot, creating music and art together and loving one another unconditionally. I honor your choice to raise your children in a manner that fits your truth. You have a beautiful family.
Two comments:
1) School your children as you see fit. Not sure why this keeps coming up. They are doing fine, as I’m sure you are aware.
2) Do the Burning Man thing if you ever get the chance. It’s pretty awesome!
Ok, three:
3) you guys Rock! Keep it up!
Here is something that adds to the proof that the US education system is deficient (in many ways!):
“More U.S. Scientists and Engineers Are Foreign-Born”
(http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2011/usforeignbornstem.aspx)
“Foreign-born entrepreneurs helped start one-fourth of all new U.S. engineering and technology business established between 1995 and 2005, including Google and eBay. In high-tech Silicon Valley, California, more than one-half of business start-ups over that period involved a foreign-born scientist or engineer; one-fourth included an Indian or Chinese immigrant.” And: “In 1994, there were 6.2 U.S.-born workers for every foreign-born worker in science and engineering occupations. By 2006, the ratio was 3.1 to 1.” (2006 was 10 years ago, I’m sure the ratio is even smaller now.)
Of course, this is only one area of discipline – hi-tec, and I certainly don’t recommend anyone choosing it! (Based on my own experience. I did PC design/drafting and always wished I’d been a farmer or an anthropologist).
My point being that I think the educational system in the US does not meet international standards.