18 replies to this topic

[miniyellowmini]

I have a 1984 998 fitted with an A+ series engine.

Fitted my new oil pressure gauge at the weekend and getting around 75 on startup and it drops to about mid 60's once warm. Does this sound fairly healthy? Can't seem to find any info on ideal pressure. Cheers

[IainStallard]

Seems all good!

Sorry to hijack your thread but is 45lbs too low when warm?

[Badboytunes]

Sounds good to me

[Cooperman]

As a rough guide the following pressures are fine:

Initial start-up at c.2000: 70 to 85 psi
Warm at 3000 rpm: 45 to 60 psi
Warm at 5000+ rpm: 50 to 70 psi
Tickover warm: 20 to 25 psi

If an engine is not within these figures, however, it doesn't mean it has a problem requiring a strip & rebuild. It just indicates that the engine has done some miles and is getting a bit worn, but may still do a lot more work. Regular oil changes and filter changes using only a top quality 20w50 oil will preserve the oil pump & bearings a bit.

[cal844]

that sounds about right Cooperman!  i know my 998 (my avatar) pressure drops to around 20 psi after a long run (100 miles+)

[adampat84]

I was reading in an old 1984 "mini mechanic" 40 is the minimum recommended for an a-series anything  below that that should be investigated.. (doesn't state rpm though)

Edited by adampat84, 19 August 2013 - 10:17 AM.

[Cooperman]

If an engine has only 40 psi at 5000 rpm there is probably an engine wear issue, assuming the oil is not old and dirty and is of the correct 20w50 grade of good quality.
If the engine is removed, stripped, inspected & measured with parts replaced as necessary it can be a relatively inexpensive job and will preserve your classic car in good condition for a long time.
With a Mini the oil pump tends to wear and the subsequent slowness in the pressure building up when started from cold will lead to premature bearing wear. An oil pump costs around £30 for a top quality one and a set of big-ends, main and thrust bearings is also low-cost. It's an easy DIY job with just a few special tools (flywheel puller, torque wrench and some measuring equipment).

[miniyellowmini]

Thanks for the replies sounds ok then that's a relief. Hopefully taking it on a bit of a run this week which will give me chance to check it at the revs Cooperman has provided.

I do change the oil and filter regularly, every year after about 2k but possibly don't use the best oil I should, last time it was Comma 20w 50 but I was under the impression as it does have frequent changes this would be ok?

[IainStallard]

Thanks for the replies sounds ok then that's a relief. Hopefully taking it on a bit of a run this week which will give me chance to check it at the revs Cooperman has provided.

I do change the oil and filter regularly, every year after about 2k but possibly don't use the best oil I should, last time it was Comma 20w 50 but I was under the impression as it does have frequent changes this would be ok?

Comma Classic or Comma Sonic? Comma Classic (Same as Halfords Classic) is fine when changed regularly. Comma Sonic is a better oil as it doesn't degrade as quickly as classic. I use Millers 20w50 and change every 3000 miles and is perfectly fine

[miniyellowmini]

Thanks for the replies sounds ok then that's a relief. Hopefully taking it on a bit of a run this week which will give me chance to check it at the revs Cooperman has provided.

I do change the oil and filter regularly, every year after about 2k but possibly don't use the best oil I should, last time it was Comma 20w 50 but I was under the impression as it does have frequent changes this would be ok?

Comma Classic or Comma Sonic? Comma Classic (Same as Halfords Classic) is fine when changed regularly. Comma Sonic is a better oil as it doesn't degrade as quickly as classic. I use Millers 20w50 and change every 3000 miles and is perfectly fine

Comma Classic I think, came in a tin. Got it at Castle Combe last year

[Cooperman]

Comma do seem to make some fine oils. I use their 5w30 fully synthetic in my BMW Diesel and it meets the BMW LL-01 & LL-04 specifications.

So long as a good 20w50 mineral oil is used in a Mini there should be no problems. Morris Oils do an excellent mineral oil for the Mini at a sensible price.

[miniyellowmini]

Comma do seem to make some fine oils. I use their 5w30 fully synthetic in my BMW Diesel and it meets the BMW LL-01 & LL-04 specifications.
So long as a good 20w50 mineral oil is used in a Mini there should be no problems. Morris Oils do an excellent mineral oil for the Mini at a sensible price.

If its good then I'm happy to stick with the Comma just wondered on quality as it always seems cheap compared to other oils.

At the risk if going slightly off topic, how often do you change the oil in your BMW Cooperman? I have a diesel BMW too as my daily and the OBC always gives a crazy figure like 18k intervals. I know modern fully synth oils last a lot longer but never feel comfortable leaving it so long.

[DILLIGAF]

With hot oil the BMC manuals used to recommend inspection when the oil pressure was 12psi and below at idle.......

[Cooperman]

I had a petrol 325i until recently and always changed the oil at around 8000 miles. I recently bought a 2007 730D and the service intervals surprised me, especially as the oil in diesels does seem to get very grubby quite quickly. So I changed it after owning it for 5 weeks despite the service interval indicator saying it still had 7000 miles to go. I think I'll continue to change it every 8000 miles although it is expensive, holding about 8 litres. By the way, I also removed the inlet manifold swirl flaps and fitted blanking plates to prevent the possibility of a swirl flap breaking off and going into the engine, which I believe can happen. At the same time I removed and cleaned out the EGR valve.

I was told I can get the 730 re-mapped to give 275 bhp and 430 lb.ft of torque, but I don't know whether I'll bother as it goes very well as it is and I get 32 mpg in general driving.

 

Sorry, it's not a Mini topic guys.

[jaydee]

Have a friend on FB that has a workshop they're BMW specialists, i remember him posting the strip down of an engine out of an X5 that was serviced at manifacturer's intervals. Anything was covered in gunk.. 

BMW is aware of the problem aswell, as they're trying to lower the oil change intervals on their new models, anyway even the best synth oil cant last 15k miles, let alone 20+