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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - where does my oil go!

Well there it is the midget is consuming 1 liter of oil every 100K/M

And since my plugs look clean and i don't have a big cloud comming out of the back. Consuming might be the wrong word

pissing is the right one

Had my engine out 1500K ago and when I seperated block and gearbox the was no oil in the belhousing.
So the rear oil "seal" seems fine (it should leak to there if it was faulty right?)

It did sit on the oil pan when it was out and I have filled it with 15W40 instead of 20w50 since winter was comming and I have had troubles warming up the oil wit 20W50 in the winter before

It does not seem to leak at the timing cover so what is next?
sump gasket?
Onno Könemann

Onno,

If it were the sump gasket you either would see oil on or around the pan, or under the floor pan of the car. You might guess how I know this.

My guess with your problem is that you have a small cloud following you. Have someone drive behind you, or you follow someone driving your car, and watch during shifting up and down.

Regards,

Larry C.
Larry C '69 Midget

and no cloud not even a little one and consumtion like that should be visible on the plugs

the floor pan is indeed covered in oil (lets call it good rust protection)and there is always a drop of oil hanging on the botom of the sump

I am how ever afraid of nastyer leaks
like from between the backplate and the engine (is it posible)
or the rear crank "seal"
And i would like to hear how to rule them out (if i havent al ready) without pulling the engine
Onno Könemann

Onno, winter or not I think part of the trouble is the new oil is too thin and you won't get 15/40 significantly warmer than 20/50 anyway.

These engine were designed with 20W50 as the optimum oil viscosity so the clearances will have less control over oil loss through the rear scroll if it is an A series

I think yours is an A series isnt it?

and for oil leakage from there, we have miles of anecdotal evidence that you need to maintain lower pressure inside the crankcase than outside it, by using induction generated low pressure.

This will "tend" to help keep the oil inside rather than outside the sump

but all Spridgets make their mark, habitually.
Bill

Real seal, only got over the problem by replacing A with K
Alex Sturgeon

yes got a 1275 (1330 actualy)
and the crank ventilation is on the maifold so vacuem is there
Onno Könemann

Onno

You can check you have vacuum by (engine idling) removing the oil filler cap; the idle speed will increase as the engine sucks in more air through the breather pipe (and the vac diappears).

If this doesn't happen - you may have a problem with the breather regulator fitted on and above the inlet manifold in the breather line; or maybe a leak in one of the breather pipes.

A
Anthony Cutler

This thread was discussed between 12/01/2009 and 13/01/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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