On Columbus Day, Mr. Mac Sticklen wrote:
My '80 vanagon (sic) is leaking oil.  <<SNIP>> I drove around 500 miles,
<<SNIP>> I used 1.5 quarts of oil. <<SNIP>>So is this normal?  Do I have a
full fledged oil leak?  If so, what do I do about it?
My non-volkswagen (sic) specific friend and potential brother in law John
says "put stop leak in it?"  Is this a good idea?  Will it harm anything?
<<SNIP>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That same evening, after eating dinner, gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com
replied:

Mac-

Yes, VW horizontally-opposed motors DO tend to leak a little oil. A little.
Not 1.5 quarts in 500 miles. Keep this up and they'll call your van "The
Valdez", and call you "Capt. Hazelwood". :) You hav a full fledged (major)
oil leak.

Now you could approach this situation three ways.

First, you could pay someone to trace the fault, fix it, and be on your
merry way. Having worked on these things long enough to grow sick of doing
so, this is my favored path. Why get greasy when you can have someone else
do so? Spend the time working at what you love, and pay a certified
mechanic to fix your drip. Happy day.

Second, you could try your hand at it. Buy a manual, a jack, some jack
stands, some tools, some parts, and spend what some might call "quality
time" with your van. You may screw something up, but you will learn a lot
about your vehicle, if that is your fancy. Some folks are sure this is a
way to save money; if you do, let me know.

Thirdly, you can ignore the problem. You can buy case after case of oil and
pour it into your motor, keeping the oil filled to the proper level. Your
leaky motor will efficiently spread that oil across the landscape wherever
you travel, leaving oil splatters that will make beautiful floating
rainbows when it rains. Unfortunately, oil is not quick to disappear; it
washes into streams and rivers where it lubricates fish and plants, which
do not require or appreciate lubrication. Worse, it can make its way into
wells, and lubricate me and you. :(

So have it fixed pronto. Stop leak may buy you a little time; it simply
makes the rubber seals swell up a little. Stops some leaks, but it sound
like you may have a problem that is beyond stop leak. Opinions will vary as
far as if this stuff is bad. I recall trying it on a 914, and it worked
(rear main seal). Lasted another 30k or so.

Good luck,

G. Matthew Bulley
Principal
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Communications for Organizational Development
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free