Dead A Series

[Rich]

The 1.3 van I recently did up is now pretty much dead.

I knew it burnt a bit of oil before, but it has got worse. I told the lad whos van it is to keep a close eye on the oil, but he had been dipping it, not wiping the dipstick clean and re-checking, so assumed it had oil in it.

I moved the van on site on Tuesday, and thought it sounded noisy, and was told it had sounded like that for the last few days. So I checked the oil on it that afternoon. It was bone dry, and 4 litres later is was full again, if not slightly over full. On following it down the road, there were plumes of blue smoke on accelartaion and gear changes. If you rev it from idle it chucks out loads of blue smoke too. It has used over a litre of oil in the last 50 miles, and although it sounds ok, I think its non-repairable.

I am going to replace the engine with the one from my old LX, but just wondered if there was any other possible reason/thing to try before I rip the lump out?

TIA Rich

[Russ]

By the sound of it your engine probably has worn rings and/or valve guides so you could replace them with the engine in situ. But if they are that bad it probably needs a rebore to do the job right and while your doing all that you may as well to the main and big end bearings the first needing the engine out.
The only other thing to check ,and its a really outside chance is that you have a blocked breather pipe. It worth doing before you start taking engines out.

Russ

[B18 GPC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QsoOl9ZIPI

Reminds me of my mates film i found on u-tube yesterday.. :laugh:

[Rich]

Just another thought, I refrained from changing engines over easter as I thought things have improved, which they clearly have not.

I am burning the min to max on the dipstick per 100 miles, which is not to good, but thought, what if the fuel pump was leaking into the sump, thinning the oil and causing it to slip past the rings? Also I have thought the bores may have been glazed when it ran out of oil? The breather pipes are fine and clear, but the oil does smell a bit petrol like. I took the plugs out, which are slightly sooty around the base, but light brown on the core. Certainly not oil fouled. Also, when driving along, with the drivers window open, it really stinks of fumes and slowly gasses you.

Still its quiet as a mouse as A series engines go, and its still responsive and all that, just dam annoying its playing silly buggers with me....:banghead:

[threelitre]

Sounds exactly like the problem we have with the 1600cc Honda engine in our Rover. Runs like a dream but uses between 1.5l per 60 miles and 1l per 200 miles of fully synthetic oil (was much worse with 'cheap' 10W40). The reason on our Rover can only be the piston rings as we even had the head off and seen that the bores looked fine.

Alexander

[G Force]

, but thought, what if the fuel pump was leaking into the sump, thinning the oil and causing it to slip past the rings? :

Hi Rich if that was the case you would usually find the oil level would go up or never go down. It is more likely that the pistons are badly worn. I would say bite the bullet and swap the engine for the one you have spare.

Gary:)

[Rich]

Yes I am thinking too that swopping the engines is the best long term solution, but is annoying, and crazy, I will be swopping an engine which has done 71k for one which has done 118k:eek: I just thought with the fuel smell the pump may be a culpret, but now I think about your comments, your right, you would expect the oil level to rise. Also, I am getting over 400 miles from a tank of fuel, so its being very economical. I did try a desperate ditch attempt today, through in a bottle of "engine oil stop smoke", basically it was like pouring glue into it, and theres still smoke!:banghead:

[F111RHK]

My maestro van on ebay has a 56k engine in.

[F111RHK]

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