24 replies to this topic

[brivinci]

My Spi has a healthy appetite for oil. Motor is fresh with about 3000 miles on it. Compression test showed 192-200psi across the lot. Plugs seem to burning the right color. I had a thread on my other problems earlier. Car starts and drives ok but it spits dirty soot on start up and the exhaust smells if you are behind it on the road.

 

SW5-07 Cam timed at 106

Maniflow LCB, cat-delete, and Cat-back system.

Oil pressure is good. 75 cold. Never drops below 60 on the move. Rest around 35.

 

SO, since I have had it on the road, I have driven it maybe 3000 miles total. I have changed the oil 3 times in that time. The last time right before setting off for a long trip. I took the car on a wonderful day-trip to  Mini Meet East (North East USA). I had the car running from 7am till 11am, with lots of different types of driving. I ran an AutoX event when I finally arrived and then set off home. In all, I covered about 425 miles. Not bad for a day out in a Mini. When I returned, I was low on oil. I'd say a quart. That seems a bit crazy!

 

The car does on leak...at least while sitting is the garage. If there is a drop of two, I have not spotted them. The oil smells dirty but the car does have some sort of fueling issue but where the heck is all that oil going? In 425 miles, I would think that the plugs would be black as night with oil if it was coming from there? Someone on here mentioned that some exhaust systems can actually create a sonic pressure thing that could suck oil out of the cylinders but that seems pretty far fetched.

 

What do you all think? Thanks

[cian]

Sounds like valve stem oil seals man

[philip663]

As said above, if it smokes on start up usual its the stem seals, it could be burning a lot without you noticing, there's a way to check if there shot, something to do with a big hill! Look it up

Phil

[brivinci]

The seals were new but I dont trust that for ruling that out. I will have to look into that. Seems to be worse on start up then once warm BUT people who have driven behind me say it is very "dirty" indeed.

 

Thanks

[KernowCooper]

Ask Cooperman his 1275 S burns a drop of oil,  No Oil leaks or blue smoke its just the design of the engine, but if others are reporting smoke then its either valve stem oil seals or bores.

Edited by KernowCooper, 20 July 2013 - 04:27 PM.

[jaydee]

The SPI engines are not that thirsty, 1 quarter is close to 1 ltr? If so that could well be valve seals-guides, nothing a head rebuild cant fix.

The problem is that all this burnt oil could soot the lambda and make your car run out of tune all the time

[brivinci]

I really want to do a head on the car away. I was thinking of pulling it and having it done over the winter (if funds are there) as I am in the USA and the prices for heads with shipping and core is just crazy!!

 

I did a compression test and would think that the bores are fine at about 200psi on a warm engine, all plugs removed and the throttle opened.

 

I currently have a scanner and the lambda seems to be operating correctly but I would probably change it out soon just to be safe. 45k on an almost 20 year old car. Might be time, especially after all this burnt oil.

[jaydee]

The compression suggests its healty engine, burning a lot of oil its not reccomendable for you cat aswell, you could have problems with your MOT in long terms.

[Fast Ivan]

you need to get the head off and check the bores while its off. I remember your last thread on your running issues, also, looking back you had running rich issues since the rebuild, this may well be the route cause of your problems, I also note that you like to leave the engine running to get warm, I may be wrong here but I don't think that is very good for a fresh rebuild either.

Hopefully its head related and therefore an easy solution.

 

P.S. I may well be heading to the US around March next year, Fort Laurderdale, I can easily bring a head or two if that's any good for you.

[brivinci]

Thanks! Fort Laurderdale is a little far from me in the NYC area:-) I'll have to think about that though as an option. Most generous.

 

I let the car warm up before driving it yes, but I did not do that untill after I had "broken" the engine in. This last time, the bores were simply honed as everything was still well within spec from the last rebuild, 800 miles prior. I would have to think the bores are still perfectly fine given the compression test results, no? If there was something wrong, it would show up there. What kind of numbers should I be betting. Thought 200psi was good.

 

A note, the car does not have a CAT and does not need to go through any MOT as it is in the USA. Makes things a little easier.

 

Yes, the car is running rich still. Rich or burning oil or both. The main "tell" for this is when you go to stab the throttle off idle. Car stumbles and takes a little to compose itself before revving. Occasionally there is a backfire in the intake. Its driving me crazy!!

[Tommyboy12]

Hardly seems worth shipping out a whole head for a rebuild when a local engine shop should be able to do it. You would only need guides, seals and valves if they are worn. Shipping those lightweight parts out is nothing in comparison to a head!

 

Unless of course youre shipping a performance head over.

[roblightbody]

My 94 spi guzzled oil until I got a temperature problem fixed.  It was running cooler than it should have done.  Once this was sorted, the oil consumption became normal and there were no more blasts of smoke out the back.

[brivinci]

Temp is spot on. I actually replaced the temp sensor recently just to be sure. Gauge reads perfect as it had before.

 

As for the head, if its coming off again, its getting upgraded. It would have been done already if I didnt have to rebuild the motor twice in 1300 miles. (in-bore issue). I contacted a company in Canada that has a good rep and can sort a very nice head for me. I think for something like 800USD.

[brivinci]

One thing that just came to me when reading another post was the crank ventilation breathers on either side of the motor. I have noticed that the one on the flywheel side usually has oil collected on the outside, top of it. There is a lip in its design and the oil collects there. Does that say anything to anyone? I will have a look at it tonight (if I ever get out of work) and see how much is there.

[jaydee]

Make sure the hose connected to the breather isnt cracked or blocked

I'd strip it apart and clean it, if gets blocked you'll have problems with crankcase pressure building up.