Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there, there's a patch of oil creeping onto the floor yet the dipstick is showing a healthy amount of oil. I think it's coming from the fuel filter. Could this just need tightening or what could this be?

Many Thanks.

xpress wrote:Hi there, there's a patch of oil creeping onto the floor yet the dipstick is showing a healthy amount of oil. I think it's coming from the fuel filter. Could this just need tightening or what could this be?

Many Thanks.

Can you confirm you mean fuel filter as a moggy was never fitted with one as standard and I would be surprised if you had oil coming from a fuel filter..

Do you by any chance mean the oil filter? if so what type of filter do you have.. the original paper element or an after market spin on type.

small amounts of oil tends to spread out a lot so even small amounts of oil looks like a lot, which is why you are not seeing any lose on the dip stick..

I read your subject heading and my immediate thought was "just the one ?"
The percieved wisdom with minors is that if the engine stops dropping oil then you have run out

You need to find exactly where the oil is coming from - so - wipe it all clean - then run the engine for a while - and inspect carefully! A Series engines do rather tend to 'mark their territory' - so unless it's massive - don't worry about it!

It is called chassis lubrication. It is surpising how far a small drop of oil will spread, especially on a wet surface, you just have to be carefull not to park on newly paved driveways. If it is the oil filter it will be easy to spot, apart from that the most common places are the front and rear oil seals.

thanks for your input. it seems strange because last summer it was bone dry and not a patch of oil on the floor anywhere. would the cold weather have caused oil to appear? and you're right, i don't think it's that much oil, it's showing full on the dipstick, might just be some run-off while slightly on a slope/incline. i am going to check if the oil filter is seated correctly. thank you.

Wipe the oil filter bowl clean and inspect for any traces of oil seeping down the side with the engine running. It may need the bottom bolt tweeking up a bit.

mine drops a bit of oil unless its loosing loads dont worry .

it's the oil filter, just went to garage again. maybe the seal.

Usually the seal does not need changing, if it does not leak leave it alone. First check that the filter bowl is screwed on tight and if it still leaks after that then you will have to take the bowl off and if you are carefull, support it somewhere with the oil in it. You will then have to remove therubber O ring from inside the housing and replace it with a new one making sure that it is correctly seated. Run a smear of oil around the seal before replacing the filter bowl and testing.
Turn the engine over with the ignition off until the oil pressure light goes out, this makes sure that the filter bowl is full and there is oil around the engine
For future oil changes a canister oil filter conversion is a worthwhile mod.