Carlbanan56
Senior Member

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Guys, I have posted quite a few times here about my problems with my granddad's 1975 MGB. I acquired the car 2 years ago, and it had been stationary since 1995. Over these two years, I have checked and replaced various parts to get the car ready for what is known as "Besiktning" in Swedish—a mandatory car inspection every 2 years. Once a car turns 50 years old and has passed inspection in the last two years, it's exempt from further inspections. Three days ago, the MG passed the inspection and became road-legal. As you can imagine, I've been enjoying driving the car that I've been working on for 2 years over the past few days. It's been super enjoyable!
As with every previous post I've made, there's always a problem, and this one might not be a simple fix... Yesterday, I took the car for its longest ride yet, about 25 km. Before setting off, I checked the oil, which was right above the minimum mark. This should have raised an alarm because the last time I checked, it was right under the maximum mark. This morning, as I was planning to take the car for another drive, I wanted to ensure the engine had enough oil... but it didn't. Check the picture; the oil level is significantly below the minimum mark.
I could think of three causes for this. The first one is oil leaking out of the oil plug. I checked the plug, and it was dry. The second and third causes both involve the engine consuming oil, which would make sense given how poorly the engine would run. It would start and idle great, but driving was fine only as long as you didn't press the accelerator past a certain point. Initially, I thought this sounded like the engine was getting too much gas, but now I suspect it might be getting too much oil... I'm guessing either the rings or the head gasket are faulty.
If the head gasket is faulty, it should be a relatively simple fix—installing a new one, right? Of course, it will be a significant job, but still relatively straightforward. I'm much more concerned if one or more of the rings are faulty. Then I'll be forced to dismantle the whole engine. Hoping you guys have some insight.
Young and inexperienced
As with every previous post I've made, there's always a problem, and this one might not be a simple fix... Yesterday, I took the car for its longest ride yet, about 25 km. Before setting off, I checked the oil, which was right above the minimum mark. This should have raised an alarm because the last time I checked, it was right under the maximum mark. This morning, as I was planning to take the car for another drive, I wanted to ensure the engine had enough oil... but it didn't. Check the picture; the oil level is significantly below the minimum mark.
I could think of three causes for this. The first one is oil leaking out of the oil plug. I checked the plug, and it was dry. The second and third causes both involve the engine consuming oil, which would make sense given how poorly the engine would run. It would start and idle great, but driving was fine only as long as you didn't press the accelerator past a certain point. Initially, I thought this sounded like the engine was getting too much gas, but now I suspect it might be getting too much oil... I'm guessing either the rings or the head gasket are faulty.
If the head gasket is faulty, it should be a relatively simple fix—installing a new one, right? Of course, it will be a significant job, but still relatively straightforward. I'm much more concerned if one or more of the rings are faulty. Then I'll be forced to dismantle the whole engine. Hoping you guys have some insight.
Young and inexperienced