Leaky engine poll

[healeyboz]

I wanted to take a poll for the fun of it and for reasurrance issues. Here are the rules:

Please take the poll only if you meet the following criteria....

1. You are in fact talking about an LBC

2. You are running a British Engine that actually runs

That's it. It doesn't matter how much it leaks (oil) or from where. Leak would be defined as a single drop after running.

This should be interesting, however, I believe we will all know the results.

 

[John Moore]

Both my MGB and Land Rover Leak. My bugeye doesn't leak.... yet! But it hasn't ran in about 10 years!

 

[regularman]

The a series is supposed to leak from the rear main scroll seal after running and some oil drips out a bit.

 

[Pythias]

i happened to be at the Healy Conclave, or whatever it was called in SnowMass Colorado in, i believe, 1983.. Donald Healey was in attendance. at the dinner someone asked what to do about the leaky engines.. his reply was

"when they quit leaking oil, it's time to top 'em up."

 

[zimmy]

if it aint leakin , its empty! .....zimmmmy

 

[DrEntropy]

I'm in the minority. But it's also an 1800 five-main 18GB MGB engine. 80K so far, rebuilt from a "spare" out of a '67.

 

[bugimike]

Standard equipment in my boot has been a large piece of heavy cardboard that I can slip under the car when parked in someones "fancy" driveway!! :wink:

 

[healeyboz]

And now I have the stats. My future father in law can no longer complain about the oil in his driveway after I leave.

He said that I was full of it. He had a Mini Cooper that didn't leak. Hmmm... front wheel drive and a completely different transmission. The oil would, in essence, drip into the transmission--not into the bell housing and then on to the ground.

 

[sparkydave]

Wasn't the oil leak part of the automatic corrosion inhibiting system and self-lubricating front suspension? :laugh:

 

[bugimike]

:lol: It works on my BE!! Not a spot of rust in the tranny tunnel!!

 

[GreenHornet]

No leakie No workie
Mine just dribbles a bit. I have put a metal pan with some kitty litter in it under the car at home.

 

[healeyboz]

New oil issue developed tonight. I started this and should not have!! Never fails. I am leaking oil from the front of the engine. The best I can figure is that it is either leaking from the timing cover or the pulley seal. Don't know which. I was able to get to two of the timing cover bolts without taking the radiator out and got about half a turn on both. Obviously if the problem persists I will have to take the rad out and fix the problem.

My question is that if there is too much oil or too much oil pressure, could there be a leak from either of the two areas that I have described?

 

[bugimike]

Yes!

 

[healeyboz]

Thanks Mike. That is good news. I guess I need to get a new dip stick and tube that is guaranteed for a 1275. I just don't know if the one I have is for a 1275 for sure.

What are the oil pressure ranges that I should be looking for. Running at about 40 mph at idle, etc.... How would I adjust it down. I know it is possible to do through the relief spring/valve but need to know how and experience..


TIA.

 

[jlaird]

Too much oil pressure. I wonder, I just wonder.

I get 75 lbs cold running and 55 hot running and Miss Agatha is a leaker.

I wonder if I cut that down some I will cut down the leak prob? Shucks I don't need all that pressure in any case.

 

[healeyboz]

Let's think this one out, Jack and maybe, just maybe, we fix similar issues that we are both having. I will test and post numbers this evening.

 

[jlaird]

OK, it has to be comming from the scroll seal or the oil pump cover plate.

Both have drain holes to return oil to the engine.

Oil pump should not leak a lot of oil through its cover plate and none from where it is attached to the engine, in any case the hole is about 1/4 inch and would drain a lot of oil.

The scroll seal has the same size drain hole. Clearance is 1 to 2 thousands. Preaty close but if oil was pumped throuth the rear bearing under excessive pressure it could by pass the scroll seal and seep into the bottom of the bell housing and thus drain out noticeable when parked.

Seems reasonable but I am just not sure. Need to get a socket to pull the oil pressure spring so I can cut it down a bit more and reduce the pressure to factory specs.

At least it is an idea, I just hate the thought of removeing the engine again when I don't really know what to do once it is out.

 

[GB1]

Minority Here

Jack, your pressure seems very high.

Pat

 

[jlaird]

Yes, I agree, I think too much oil pressure just might be the answer. Barry is going to check this evening as see what is what. I am ready to go to a show tomorrow so can not fit a test in till at least sunday, but I will.

All these folks that said they have leakers in the poll, it would be intresting to know what engines and what their running hot oil pressure is. Of course I under stand there are other places to leak as well but I do know that is not my prob. Engine is dry as a bone elsewhere.

Heh, got a socket so will test Sun.

Anyone else have comments?

 

[aeronca65t]

Mine (a 1500) doesn't leak, even after a furious 4-hour enduro.

I'm not sure about the 1800 in my MGB, but so far, it doesn't seem to (and I intend on pulling it apart anyway, just for a look/see).

I doubt high oil pressure would cause leakage (unless something is already wrong, like a blown headgasket), but I think high <span style="text-decoration: underline">crankcase pressure</span> can often cause oil leakage in many of these Brit-engines.
And I think this often happens when folks disable the PCV system as they "de-smog" an engine.
Be sure that your engine has a way of venting the crankcase and in fact, it's best to have a slight negative pressure (vacuum) in the crankcase.
Old time road draft tubes can do this to some degree, but they don't really work while standing still or at slow speed.