Do Daimler 4.2 engines like their oil?

[Alfasudcrazy]

I just drove my 1975 Daimler back from Birmingham to Ireland. Lovely drive and nothing went wrong. The car is amazing. Just noticed that it used about one and a half litres of engine oil along the way - checked it a few times. Is this normal on the 4.2 engine. There was no smoke coming out the back and the oil pressure was good. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[John S Farrington]

The 4.2 litre engine normally will not consume more than a quart every 1000 miles. As mileage grows, the consumption can get larger but it will usually be accompanied by exhaust blue smoke. You might have some oil leakage that is causing oil replenishment. The camshaft covers can leak significant oil if the seals get loose. Check for leaks around the oil filter and vicinity and also in the rear of the cylinder head. One last tip. There is a screen in the front of the head that is in the crankshaft vent. This may be spotted by the bulblike rubber junction connecting to the vent pipe. If the screen inside of the vent becomes clogged, internal crankcase pressure will become the source of significant oil leakage. If your engine is in good repair, you probably have an oil leak. Running a compression check on the cylinders would give you an idea of how the piston rings are. The cylinders should develop about 155 psi each and not have over 10 psi variance between cylinders. I hope this advice is helpful.

 

[piman]

Hello ASC,
another point to consider, a car that does very short trips and doesn't really get warmed up will take water into the lubricating oil. This will evaporate on a long run, especially at higher speeds, and give an apparently high oil consumption figure.
I would see how the car settles down as you put some miles on it.

Alec

 

[Alfasudcrazy]

Thanks guys - will check those points out