Morris Minor Owners Club

I check some past entries and could not find anything related to my issue, so I thought I might send a question out there--I have a 1959 Morris 1000 Saloon with a 1098 engine. Not long ago I had the transmission replaced, along with all oil seals on the engine. I am loosing oil, and I notice lots of wet around the dipstick. My dipstick is a bit loose--it seems to slide in well but can bounce, meaning it does not click into place. Is this normal? Is there a way to have it fit more securely so oil does not leak from there?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated--

Thanks--

Sean

there should be a plastic sleeve in the dipstick hole, these can be bought from esm

That car should have the earlier 948 engine - it had a different dipstick that had a little washer on the collar to seal the hole. later 1098 block has a much bigger hole - which should (as au has pointed out) have a plastic sleeve/funnel thing to guide the dipstick. But I believe the dipsticks are different length for each engine - so you need to check that you have the correct one or you could overfill the engine - even more leaks! Usual reason for leaks is pressure in the crankcase - make sure the breathers are all clear. Also - when engine is hot and idling - remove the oil filler cap - is there a plume of fume/smoke ? If so - indicates engine is worn and combustion gases are passing the piston rings into the crankcase.

Thanks for the tips--I have a 1098 conversion (done by the previous owner) and the dipstick has a sleeve it slides into--the sleeve sticks to the dipstick and not into the shaft. Is the sleeve just supposed to go into the shaft and stick or click in there, or are there any other mounting items involved? Should I just get a new sleeve?

Thanks again--

Sean

If you pull the dipstick out while the car is running and you see oil misting out, then the motor probably needs rebuilt-if anything new rings and pistons. Either that or you have crankcase breathing issues. Have you done a compression test? Is there oil leaking out of the rear "seal"? It could potentially be a result of too much crankcase pressure.

srwilco wrote:

Should I just get a new sleeve?

Yes

srwilco wrote:Thanks for the tips--I have a 1098 conversion (done by the previous owner) and the dipstick has a sleeve it slides into--the sleeve sticks to the dipstick and not into the shaft. Is the sleeve just supposed to go into the shaft and stick or click in there, or are there any other mounting items involved? Should I just get a new sleeve?

Thanks again--

Sean

Yeah, mine does that too sometimes - i.e. the sleeve comes out with the dipstick. It doesn't leak any oil round there so I just live with it but you can buy new sleeves for a few quid now.