1098cc oil consumption

[patrickhowell]

Can someone give me an idea how much oil a Minor engine in good condition ought to use; and (assuming oil cost is not a consideration) at what level of consumption the engine ought to be overhauled? My Traveller has done 96,000 miles, reputedly without a rebore.

[dalebrignall]

i think the standard set by bmc is 1 pint of oil every 500 miles . bear in mind that they do leak oil as well . basic rule of thumb keep an eye on the dipstick once a week .it also depends on what type of driving you do if its just round town it will be less than if you do lots of hard motorway use when the engine uses more oil .there are things like stp you can add to the oil if its using lots .if this is the case then its time for a rebuild , hope that helps a little dale .

[ianmack]

I would say the engine needs an overhaul when it puffs blue smoke. If it isn't noticeably smoky or smelly oil is a lot cheaper and easier than a rebore.

[bmcecosse]

But do make sure that the crankcase breathers are clear and connected to the air inlet in some way - pressure there forces oil up past the rings. And of course - use 20W50 oil (not 10W40) and the Morrisons stuff at £10 is plenty good enough for a Minor engine.

[patrickhowell]

Thanks for the input, folks. Mine does not put out blue smoke, but it is using/ losing about a pint every 200 miles or so, and chucks out black spots of oil/ carbon on cold starting. In all other respects it is starting/running/ pulling normally. Patrick

[bmcecosse]

Well -it's either burning it, or leaking it. Certainly unacceptable consumption. Sometimes if the valve guides are really worn - that can increase consumption, and may be worth a 'first fix' to see if it helps.

[patrickhowell]

You could be right there. I once inadvertently left the oil filler cap off, then noticed that the car was not ticking over as it should, which suggested that air was being drawn into the cylinders (thereby weakening the mixture) via the rocker box cover and the valve guides. And yes, there is a leak from the rear crankshaft oil seal.

[bmcecosse]

Well the thing is - it's not a 'seal', it's just a scroll -so when the main bearings wear this allows more oil than intended to flood the scroll that is intended to return oil to the sump - and if there is some pressure in the crankcase - that also helps to push the oil out. At 96000 miles - your engine has done well - maybe time to give it a rebuild. But again - if you only do say 1000 miles per year- maybe that oil consumption is 'livable'.