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Oil consumption in a BJ8

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Randy Harris

Randy Harris

Jedi Warrior
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'66 BJ8 - As far as I know bottom end has never been rebuilt.

Can someone tell me how much oil I should be consuming in say 2,500 miles of average driving. I hate to admit it but my dipstick was far lower than I expected this morning. Haven't checked it in a while - my bad! I don't see it coming out as blue smoke, the plugs look good, compression is fine, I have almost no leaking issues and the car runs really well. So, I'm assuming that since the engine hasn't been rebuilt perhaps it's just a natural function of old age (I mean, the car is 41 years old). Could it be that the rings are letting enough oil by to burn cleanly but not be detected at the tailpipes?

I admit it, engine stuff isn't my strong suit. Someone please help me understand this.

Thanks
Randy '66 BJ8
 
Hi Randy, I would say for a worn engine that one quart low over that mileage would be about what one might see.--Fwiw--Keoke
 
If you are down a quart in 2,500 miles of driving, that would be normal for your car... much of it will just leak out the rear oil thrower into the bell housing, this is the little puddle of oil you see under the gearbox after you drive.
 
Well, I wish it was just a quart every 2,500 mi. Based on the fact that I added 2 1/2 quarts today, I'd say I'm using a quart every 600-800 miles. That seems kind of excessive to me. It does blow a little blue smoke upon startup w/choke. And again if I step on it before she's warmed up I'll get a bit of colored smoke.
So, can I assume that a quart every 750 miles is abnormal? If so, what should I be looking for?

Randy '66 BJ8
 
Me thinks you be looking for a rebuild in the near future Randy.. What is the oil pressure at idle hot?:---Keoke
 
Keoke,
My (guage indicated) idle oil pressure is around 20lb. Freeway cruising is 50-55. To me that seems fairly normal and within the accepted range for a healthy motor. I don't remember the compression readings we took 6 months ago but I know that one cylinder varied from the others, which were all within a couple lbs of one another, by about 5-7 lbs. Like I said earlier, the plugs look quite good.

I've been so obsessed with an oil consumption issue with my E-type for the last year that I have neglected to regularly check dipstick readings on the Healey. It just always seems to run so well, especially since I had the carbs rebuilt. Hope you're wrong about the motor rebuild in my future - but it wouldn't surprise me.

What kind of oil consumption are others on the Forum experiencing?

Thanks
Randy
'66 BJ8
 
Randy,
I just changed my " break in " oil and filter a couple of weeks ago. I had around 1100 miles on the oil. I checked it right before I changed it and there was no noticeable drop in the level on the dipstick below full. I get the oil spots under the bell housing on my garage floor like everyone else, but it apparently doesn't add up to very much volume. It is just enough to let me know that it leaks a little bit.
 
Well Randy,If it isn't coming out the tail pipe and there are no pools on the garage floor,or the undercarriage is not awash with oil, I do not know where the oil is going. Albeit 20 Lbs is a bit low considering a good engine will show 30-t0-40 lbs at Idle. Oh! what weight oil are you running?---Keoke
 
Randy -

It does sound to me like you might have a scored cylinder or your oil control piston rings are starting to wear.

Do you use the original type air filter? If so, I'm not a fan of them, they let too much dirt into the motor and can cause premature cylinder wear.

The only other thing I can think of that might cause the blue smoke and loss of oil is if there is a failure in the head gasket somewhere... but this doesn't seem likely to me. You may want to retorque the head just to make sure, before yanking the whole motor out.

I'd do a compression check on the car, and see how the compression is doing between cylinders. If all cylinders compression is a bit light, it may be just piston ring wear (rebuild time) ... or if one cylinder is running low it may be a bad head gasket or scored cylinder

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif
 
healeynut said:
Randy -

It does sound to me like you might have a scored cylinder or your oil control piston rings are starting to wear.

Do you use the original type air filter? If so, I'm not a fan of them, they let too much dirt into the motor and can cause premature cylinder wear.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm thinking rings too. But I just don't understand why if it's rings, I wouldn't have smoke while driving, only upon cold start. My old MGA had a ring problem and you could see the car coming from 1/2 mile away.

Yes, I run stock air cleaners. What type do you recommend if not these?

Randy
 
Randy,Bad valve guides or faulty seals are usually associated with the type problem you defined.--Keoke
 
Randy -

Ok, I didn't realize its only blue smoke on start up. If that's the case it's more likely either worn valve guides or your rocker arm shaft has sprung a leak (it could still be rings so a cold compression test is still a good idea anyway).

You can check the rocker by taking your valve cover off and then run the engine - if oil is visibly coming or squirting out of the rocker arm shaft (typically out of the tops of the rocker arms or the sides of the arms) then that's your problem. Just have the rocker rebuilt... it's not too expensive ~ $200 tops?

If the rocker isn't spewing oil, then it's possible your valve guides are worn... if this is the case I'd just suffer through it until the next engine rebuild or you have to take the head off.

For air cleaners I'd go with an aftermaket paper filter, K&N type or the foam "Longflo" style sold by Victoria British.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Do you use the original type air filter? If so, I'm not a fan of them, they let too much dirt into the motor and can cause premature cylinder wear.
[/QUOTE]
While what you say about "wear" is correct Alan, it is NOT IF you Service them. Neglect them, YEP! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

Guys, you all seem to have missed ONE thing Randy said!!

Never been rebuilt!!

Sorry, Randy.

It IS getting to be "time" to do so.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif
Ed
 
Naw ED, /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonod.gif go back and read post #279152 on 04/11/07---Keoke---- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
A differential compression check (or leak-down) will tell you for certain the condition of your rings and or valve seats. If you cannot perform the leak-down, then warm up your car, take it out for a drive, find a significant down hill run say an 1/8th-1/4th of a mile, bring her up to speed and then let off the gas on the down hill such that the engine compression is holding the car back (no breaking) then as you get to the bottom of the hill step on the gas and look in the rear view mirror. White smoke means oil is getting past the rings. Leak-downs are more scientific but harder to do. My daughter goes to grad school in Hayward and if you want I will show you how to perform the test. Bob
 
Bob, Didn't you mean Blue Smoke?---Keoke
 
BobHorvath said:
A differential compression check (or leak-down) will tell you for certain the condition of your rings and or valve seats. If you cannot perform the leak-down, then warm up your car, take it out for a drive, find a significant down hill run say an 1/8th-1/4th of a mile, bring her up to speed and then let off the gas on the down hill such that the engine compression is holding the car back (no breaking) then as you get to the bottom of the hill step on the gas and look in the rear view mirror. White smoke means oil is getting past the rings. Leak-downs are more scientific but harder to do. My daughter goes to grad school in Hayward and if you want I will show you how to perform the test. Bob
Click to expand...

Hi Bob

Thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it in the future.

However, no smoke (of any color) from the tail pipes once the car is warmed up - ever. Even under compression stress such as you describe above. I live at the top of a steep hill, it is an easy test for me as I do it every time I take the car out.

Just did an oil change on Saturday. I'm watching the oil like a Hawk for the next few months. We'll see....

Randy '66 BJ8
 
Just did an oil change on Saturday. I'm watching the oil like a Hawk for the next few months. We'll see....

Randy '66 BJ8[/quote]

Randy my friend uses that word "We'll" a lot around me.
Seems to me that "We'll" is spelled exactly like roger.
Being I've been following this post of Randy's, I offered to help him do an oil change at my house on Saturday. Come on over and "we'll" do a oil change.

So if anyone wants to know how Randy's oil consumption goes over the next few months, just ask me. "We'll" let you know.

OK, enough about Randy, let's talk more about me!
If you've ever meet Randy, you'll know what a great guy he is and what a great sense of humor he has too.
Cheers, Roger
 
AUSMHLY said:
Randy my friend uses that word "We'll" a lot around me.
Seems to me that "We'll" is spelled exactly like roger.
Being I've been following this post of Randy's, I offered to help him do an oil change at my house on Saturday. Come on over and "we'll" do a oil change.

So if anyone wants to know how Randy's oil consumption goes over the next few months, just ask me. "We'll" let you know.

Cheers, Roger
Click to expand...

Yep, sad but true. With three disintegrated discs in my lower back, I'm afraid my crawling under the car days are pretty much over. It's great having a friend that enjoys tinkering with Healeys. Even better having one that owns an identical Healey. You see, Roger uses his car as a test mule and then I benefit from the finished product. Hey Roger, when do I get my new and improved stealth cup holder?
Seriously, Healey ownership is only enriched when you have buddies that are equally as crazy as you are about them.

Cheers!

Randy
'66 BJ8
 
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