7 replies to this topic

[Classic1275cc]

Hello

I attempted to give my 1994 SPI its winter tlc, I didn’t use it in the summer but I think it was last given a run down the lane about 9 months ago….

Started instantly (clap) but I noticed the oil pressure light didn’t go out, gave it a little blip.. still didn’t go out so shut it off.

Tried another pressure switch from a stored engine and checked the crimp connection to it, still no change …

Luckily happened to have a 1/8 mini oil guage so fitted that directly to the block to see what’s actually going on and nothing, not even a flutter of the needle

I have had all sorts of classic over the years and stored many dozens more for other people and I have never seen a car loose oil pressure by sitting so excluding changing the oil and filter what could cause this to happen while parked?

I will change the oil and filter although logs say it’s got less than 300 miles on this oil changed 3 years ago but I’ll do it anyway, it’s got 10W30 Semi synthetic in it, logs say it’s had this for 14 years (30,000 miles worth) it’s always been mechanically spot on in the engine department

[DeadSquare]

Someone here will tell you how to get oil into the out-put side of the pump, on an SPI engine.

 

With one side of the car jacked up, with the spark plugs out and the engine in gear, by rotating the raised wheel you can turn the engine over backwards and suck oil into the pump to prime it.

[Ghouse62]

Hello,
I am currently suffering from the same problem. My mini had been sitting for several years and I am struggling to get the pump primed. I am doing as described above and it is pulling the oil into the port. How much oil needs to be pulled in before you get a good result?

TIA
Greg
PS
Mine is a 998 (1975 NZ import)

Quick update: Looks as though it take about about half a quart…

Edited by Ghouse62, 18 January 2026 - 09:12 PM.

[Spider]

If you remove the Banjo Bolt from the Block, that connects the Oil Pipe to it, and fill that orifice in the block with Oil, refit the Banjo Bolt, then leave it sit for a while (1/2 to a full day), then remove the spark plugs and wind the engine over on the starter motor, until you get Oil Pressure. It should only take a few seconds, but might take around a minute of cranking, then refit the plugs and go from there. I wouldn't be starting it again, until you have Oil Pressure.

[Steam]

Does winding the engime backwards get the oil to the pump faster?

[Classic1275cc]

Thanks all I will get back to this in a week or two and report back what exactly I do

[Ethel]

Does winding the engime backwards get the oil to the pump faster?

It turns the pump backwards, so you can pass oil through it in reverse, aided by gravity. If the pump's full of compressible air it won't prime itself as well  as it will with oil.

[Spider]

 

Does winding the engime backwards get the oil to the pump faster?

It turns the pump backwards, so you can pass oil through it in reverse, aided by gravity. If the pump's full of compressible air it won't prime itself as well  as it will with oil.

 

 

As there's no seals in the normal sense in the pumps and they are (or should be) a close fitting design, like most other oil pumps, there's no internal seals. It actually needs to be 'wet' with Oil to get an internal seal, otherwise it will struggle to make a low enough pressure on the suction side, to draw oil up from the sump. It's a bit worse in a couple of aspects with the Mini Engine as the Pump is located quite high up, some other engines have the pump in the sump, so they are always in oil (so long as there is oil in the engine !) and the other issue is that since our Oil is shared with the gearbox, there's always going to be metallic debris in the oil from the baulk rings, which does grind away at the pumps internals.