8 replies to this topic

[Bluemini]

Ok, heres one for you technicaly minded people... :erm:

When you start your mini in the mornings, those of you with oil presure gauges will notice that the oil presure doesnt pick up for a few seconds until after the engine is running. I have noticed too that the idle is quite rough too untill the preasure is up to normal.

What I was wonderring is, is there a way of priming the oil circulatory system before the engine is started? I though maybe some kind of electric pump, but where would it be mounted and also would it affect the oil flow when it is switched off and the engine is running normally?

Come on guys, any ideas will be welcome...

[Purple Tom]

When we rebuilt a Rover V8 from a we tested the oil pressure and primed the pump by getting an old dizzy drive dog, putting it onto a drill and turning the engine using the drill........

Not remembering exactly what drives the Mini oil pump (is it gearbox or camshaft??), perhaps a way to do it would be either a motor geared into the dizzy drive between the dizzy and the engine, or something else......hmmmmm

stuck!

[1991Cooper]

Let's face it Richie you mofo just bodge something together at least that way it will match the rest of your car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol. Nah only joking i'll ask the people at somerford if you like maybe they will know.

[Woody]

The oil pump is driven directly off the end of the cam shaft , so you couldent have a drive inbetween , I allways put "Slick 50" in my engines to protect the bearings at start-up .

[marksmini]

rich you get anywhere with it in the end? ??

[Bluemini]

Naa, still tryin to think of a way

[mighty_mini]

what about plumbing an electri pump in line with the first ignition click, therefore it would stop pumping when u got the engine started.... as for a plce 2 put it, cudnt u put it between the filter and the block? if there was too much resistance from the pump being stopped after, you could put a second oil line in, so it was like 2 lines to the same place... any help??

[Wil_h]

An easy way to make sure you have oil pressure before the engine fires up is to wire the ignition through a normally closed contact of a relay controlled by the oil pressure switch.

Basically when the oil light is on the relay will be energised and the contact open, no ignition. then you turn the engine over until you have oil pressure, the oil light goes out, the relay de-energises switches on the ignition and hey presto the engine starts.

You can use the same theory to switch on and off the supply to an electric fuel pump, so if you crash as soon as you loose oil pressure the pump stops pumping fuel over you mangled body.

Wil

[Bluemini]

Thanks for that guys...