25 replies to this topic

[lewBlew]

1991 Mayfair, 73k miles on original engine...

 

Checked the oil and bizarrely it had dropped quite a way below the minimum. Usually it's around the maximum. I used to lose oil gradually due to the clutch red seal but garage floor has been strangely clean in recent months, so I know it's not dropping out the bottom.

 

Only thing I can think of is the cloud of very smelly smoke which pours out sometimes when I start the engine... but surely that can't burn off 1-2 litres in the 3 months since I changed the oil?! Smoke is not so much blue though as a kind of light grey.

 

Head gasket replaced in Feb and no water has been lost. Drives like a dream...

 

Help please?! 

[Coxie]

Probably valve stem seals if it's only smoking when you start it up.
If you're driving along then lift off does it puff out smoke too.
I had a car where the seals were shot and it guzzled quite a bit of oil so this is probably the problem.
Not too bad a job really.

[spiguy]

Key is - how many miles have you done, and how much oil did you use. If you have done say 2000 miles in the 3 months, and you are using a pint in 500 (mine is 500 to 700 miles per pint depending how hard I drive it) then you could easily use 2 litres.

 

Need to quantify it. Although my car uses a pint in 500-700 miles, and I do get a bit of a cloud (around 40% of starts it does it) there is no visible smoke when driving (have asked many people on runs who were behind me). I think mine must just uses a very small amount very consistently all the time, so that it doesn't produce smoke when driving.

 

Also, although it does smoke at startup, suggesting seals or guides, I have done a huge run down a hill on the overrun and then floored it at the bottom and there was no smoke. Minis eh ? 

Edited by spiguy, 04 November 2015 - 01:45 PM.

[lewBlew]

It doesn't smoke when I'm driving along. Funnily enough, I have done a touch over 2000 miles in 3 months since I changed the oil. Maybe time to learn how to do the seals and guides then...

[carbon]

I wouldn't run for a Mini engine for 2000 miles without checking oil level.

 

If it's only dropped a little below the min level on the dipstick in this time I would suggest you have a fairly good motor and it's not using a lot of oil on a relative Mini scale.

 

I suggest topping it back up and just keep track of the level, you may not need to change guides. As Coxie says it could just be the guide seals which need replaced (would check these are fitted on both inlet and exhaust guides)

 

PS. I've managed to go from max to well under min in 250 miles on a long run, but that particular motor did not have exhaust valve guide seals.

[Cooperman]

If a 1275 A-series engine does anything over around 250 miles per pint in normal driving there is not much wrong with it.

On a Mk.1 Cooper 'S' it was not unusual to have to put a pint in after as little as 150 miles if driving hard (which is what an 'S' was bought for).

The difference between max & min on the dipstick is one pint. Don't run it below minimum unless the gearbox has a centre oil pick-up because you risk oil surge when cornering hard with low oil, and that is expensive in terms of an engine rebuild.

[A-Cell]

750 miles per pint more like it. Rover spec in 1980's.

[lewBlew]

Mine's a 998. I did check it during those 2000 miles but only yesterday did I notice the sudden drop. Now back to max. Would still be nice to cure the cloud of smoke.

[Cooperman]

750 miles per pint more like it. Rover spec in 1980's.

That is a very nominal figure. I bet if you had bought a new 1275 Mini in 1990 and after finding it did only 400 miles per pint towards the end of the warranty period at, say, 20,000 miles they would have deemed that acceptable and refused to address the issue.

I once bought a new Cortina 2000E in 1975 and after 2000 miles it was doing 300 miles per pint. I had one hell of a row with the Ford Dealer, but eventually I got a complete new engine fitted under warranty. That was only after a Ford service rep came along to meet with me at the dealer's.

[inim_repooc]

bit off topic but a funny story... I was loosing a fair bit a oil when I first had my mini on the road after light resto... Probably loosing a pint in 100 miles at times.. but only when keeping high revs sustained I got worried about piston rings and all that and then decided to tighten the rocker cover down onto the new Cork gasket, not used a drop in 1000 miles - good little a series! 😂

though it did catch Me out once a long run to skeg-vegas with a friend, topped it up before I left and it was literally just leaving a slight trace of oil on the bottom of the dips tick when I got there... 2nd gear synco seems to have got a bit worse and there is a bit of a crunch into 2nd and 3rd when the engine is warming up - weirdly if I give her a good blast and really get the oil hot and pumping around its like a new gear box till it sits again! ... bit worried about the engine, but it still doesn't miss a beat so I guess I was lucky?

Edited by inim_repooc, 05 November 2015 - 12:20 AM.

[fenghuang]

.... 1275 A-series engine ... 250 miles per pint ... not much wrong with it.
... Mk.1 Cooper 'S' ... a pint in after as little as 150 miles ...

I know these are "old" cars, at least in terms of design, but if the head, cylinders, gaskets etc are all I n good condition (and I'd be surprised if they're not on your car) can the oil consumption really be expected to be so bad as a matter or course? Surely?

[A-Cell]

No, of course not. As I said Rover expected a minimum of 6000 miles to the gallon (750 miles to pint) in the 1980) for A+ series engines on high speed durability testing over 50,000 miles. This was achieved and often exceeded. Remember tha A+ was developed for the Metro. Oil consumption was not a big warranty issue for Metro.

[lewBlew]

My 2000 miles has been mostly long distance - trips to Belgium, Wales etc - so a lot of high revs for long periods. Perhaps this is why. I just had no idea even after all these years that it used so much!

[dyshipfakta]

You think your mini is bad get a Mazda rx8 and it needs fully synthetic nonsense lol

[A-Cell]

My 2000 miles has been mostly long distance - trips to Belgium, Wales etc - so a lot of high revs for long periods. Perhaps this is why. I just had no idea even after all these years that it used so much!

In your original post you didn't say exactly how much oil it needed 1 or 2 litres is big range. Nor how many miles the engine has covered. However if your 2000 miles figure was accurate
1 litre used equates to 1137 miles per pint, not a problem
2 litre used equates to 566 miles per pint, not particularly bad and acceptable.
Neither is particularly bad. Both are acceptable
If I were you I would top it up to the max mark, run it as normal, check it more often, say every 500 miles and get a more accurate consumption rate. Then you will know exactly and can stop worrying.