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drooartz

drooartz

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I headed out this morning to join the local British Motor Club in a club drive. First part was to drive to Salt Lake City, about 40 miles of freeway including some steep climbs. Tunebug seemed to be running well, if a bit hot on the climbs. Then I lost oil pressure. Was able to top up the oil and limp to a friend's house. Turns out the little rubber gasket on the cannister-style oil filter had blown--looks like it was cut through by the cannister part. Had my wife (wonderful women) drive down with my spare filter, got it installed and it seemed to be working fine.

More overheating on the way home, had to stop a couple times to let things cool off. Then about 10 miles from home I heard the oil filter go pop. I've got the right habits now, so I had the car shut off before I was even thinking about it. Used the 2 most important tools in the box (cell phone and AAA) to call for a tow. Nice guy with a flatbed towed me home, took real care of the car.

So either something is not right with the filter setup, or I'm doing something wrong. I tightened the filter the second time to just a bit past hand tight. I'm now thinking of converting to a spin-on style filter, hoping that might take care of the problem. Also thinking about having the radiator rebuilt, to help with the cooling issues. Those climbs are pretty steep/long, but my old TR4 went up them no problem--it had a new radiator, though.

A supercharger is also sounding nice now. Don't need more top speed, but some more grunt for these big hills would be nice.

All in all, an interesting LBC experience. Not unexpected, since it was the first long push for the Tunebug. Just have a few more things to work out.
 
Wonders if the oil pressure pop off valve is working?
 
Don't know what that is. Where would I find it?
 
Look in your Car book Haynes or other, is on left side of engine toward rear as you sit in car. It is very near where the Oil line from the filter is attached to the block.

It has a spring under a bolt thing and a pressure releaf pop valve under it. I just may be stuck, or crudded, if car was not run in a while. It releaves oil pressure to keep it below limits.

Try items 30, 31, and 32 in Moss catalog on page 6 as well.
 
A spin on filter is something you will not regret. That little spring usually gets tired and doesn't keep the pressure up. The trick if your motor has some miles on it and your oil pressure isn't what you want is to put a spacer between the spring and the top of the spring. A 1/4-20 x 1/2" bolt works great. The threads fit inside the spring. However, not exactly your problem. Let us know the solution.
 
Bah, right side rear as you sit in the car.

Same side as oil filter. Sorry.
 
Bugeye is a canister-style filter, and seems to be much more complicated than a standard modern spin-on. One of my next purchases, I think, is that adaptor.

Jack, thanks for the clarification. I'll look it up tonight in the manuals, and try to have a look on the car tomorrow. Hopefully it's something simple. At least the car is home safe. Another one of those learning processes. It's a good thing.
 
Guess this needs to be said as well, if that pop off valve is not the problem you have restricted oil passages some where and the block is going to need boiled worst case.

Next I would check the rocker arm for proper oiling, Remove rocker cover and check with engine running, oil should be quite evident but not all over engine.
 
question on oil gunk buildup - is there a solvent you can add to your oil to loosen it and then change the oil again? Seems like there has to be a solution to restricted oil passages in the chemical realm /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

As for thread on filters, the stock system sounds unnecessarily complicated, I say convert! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
One question that noone has asked: What was your oil pressure gauge reading? Hopefully not much more that 60PSI at most, and YES- get a spin-on adapter, one of the best $39.00 you will ever spend!!
Bill
 
Spin on adapter $39 where????????
 
Oil pressure when cold is about 50. Once hot it's running about 30-40. using 20w50 oil.

Probably won't be able to dig into it until tomorrow night, but I'll report back if I find anything obvious. I'm preparing myself mentally, emotionally, and financially to pull the engine if necessary. I'd rather not get there yet, but will if necessary. Like when I replaced the wiring last month, sometimes it seems to be simpler (and probably cheaper) to just get in there and make sure all the little bits are working.
 
I bet you find an old "O" ring gasket stuck up inside the oil filter housing. 2 gaskets makes for lower one to blow out.
As for running hot on a hill climb, retard the timing just a bit and see if that doesn't help.
 
Only one gasket in the filter housing, even a new one won't stick in there! I'm getting tempted to remove the bonnet for some more head room, and try to do a real tune up on the car. Not that I know how to do that (couldn't begin to tell you how to "retard the timing") but that's what my shop manual and all of you folks are for!
 
Drew,

I hate those old canister filters. I threaten to buy a spin-on adapter every time I change the oil, but then enough time passes and I forget what a PIA it was. My biggest problem is the fact that the oil filter placement on my 1275 engine lines up perfectly with the frame rail on my Bugeye. With the securing bolt completely loosened, the entire assembly will just barely come out, and not without getting oil all over the place.

But... that's not really what I wanted to mention to you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif The last time I changed my oil, there were two gaskets included with the oil filter (a Napa Gold filter). One was noticeable wider than the other. The narrower one fit very nicely, and seems to work great. The wider gasket matched the old one perfectly, but that one had been a PIA to fit correctly. It came with a filter element that I bought from Moss.

I suspect your problem might be a bad gasket... or as has previously been mentioned, you may have another gasket stuck up in there.
 
I'll have to check the filter plate again closely to see about an extra gasket. Tomorrow's job. I have a feeling that the engine needs at least a good going over, checking all the assorted other specs that I haven't done yet. More to learn, more to learn...
 
[ QUOTE ]
Only one gasket in the filter housing, even a new one won't stick in there! I'm getting tempted to remove the bonnet for some more head room, and try to do a real tune up on the car. Not that I know how to do that (couldn't begin to tell you how to "retard the timing") but that's what my shop manual and all of you folks are for!

[/ QUOTE ]

You typed this while I was typing my previous message... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

This is the problem I had with mine! The gasket was too wide and didn't fit properly. As I mentioned, the Napa filter had two gaskets, and the narrower one worked great!
 
This *sounds* like a two-gasket problem. The running pressures are good, so that's about the only thing it could be. Hard to see up into that channel but I'll bet there's an old hard gasket there. A small mirror and a pick or awl to dig it out. This has been burned into my mind from 1969, first oil change on an LBC. Old ring was in there but looked for all the world like there was nothing but the space for the new ring.

Went from panic, through confusion into embarrassment. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
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