How much oil usage is to much ?

[RUSSELLM]

I reckon, mine's using as much as a litre every 500 miles.

I had to use some thin stuff in France (something like 0-40) & that seemed to go through like water (about a litre every 350 miles)

It's back on 20-50 now, & i reckon it's back to 500pl.

I can't work out where it's going, it's not blowing even under load.

Apart from the thin stuff that is, I found most of that above the o/s exhaust pipe

Time for a rebuild me thinks

Edited by RUSSELLM on Thursday 24th August 13:29

[olly]

"Standard" is a litre per 1000 miles.

Ours varies from 700-1200 per litre depending on driving style & weather.......

500pl isn't unheard of though ! (not cheap though)

[simonsparrow]

mine still seems around the 1 litre per 1000 miles mark, but depends on temps and how its driven etc. I changed some time ago to Millers race oil 10/60 synthetic or something like that, but didn;t really make any difference to consumption.

I also have a few leaks here and there which don't help and a bit comes out the breather, but the engine is probably not sealing as well as it used to anyway.

I'd say as long as the car is running well and not oiling the plugs or blowing lots of blue smoke out the exhaust, then just accept that yours is a little thirsty.

Compared to the cost of a rebuild you can buy an awful lot of oil.

[kojak]

Mine uses similar to yours Russell. I keep a check on the oil level all the time, and I know exactly where the level will be at any given time. I've had my car 3 1/2 years, and it has never got any worse. I use 5W 40/10W 40 as the 0W 40 was too thin.

[RUSSELLM]

I've asked at services about the plugs, and they always say the old one's looked alright.

Power feels OK.

I've been offered a good deal to get the engine re built for £2.5k, as they've already stripped it once this year for head gaskets, but didn't ask if I wanted anything else doing, but I can't decide whether to take up the offer or not.

Choices are £2.5k for a rebuild, or leave it and hope it doesn't need a rebuild in the future (the 2.5k offer wont be for ever).

Dilemma or what ?

[simonsparrow]

RUSSELLM said:

I've asked at services about the plugs, and they always say the old one's looked alright.

Power feels OK.

I've been offered a good deal to get the engine re built for £2.5k, as they've already stripped it once this year for head gaskets, but didn't ask if I wanted anything else doing, but I can't decide whether to take up the offer or not.

Choices are £2.5k for a rebuild, or leave it and hope it doesn't need a rebuild in the future (the 2.5k offer wont be for ever).

Dilemma or what ?

Always is. My engine is currently out at the moment to replace a bolt that fell out of the camchain guide. I'll also get new timing chain there, but thats about it. Given the milage I've done I thought about a rebuild, but as Andy at APM said, if its running right, why take it apart?

Of course, the engine could go pop or start to burn oil as soon as its back in, but thats always a risk you take. I look at it this way; when I got the car three years ago it had 82k miles on the clock, and of course I was worried about 'when will I rebuild it'. Three years ago only the factory did rebuilds, there was nothing else.

Since then I've put another 40k miles on top and three years on there are a number of indies who will rebuild engines (APM etc.), along with people like Windsor (Longbow) doing his own. A few bods are doing engine conversions too, but nothings been heard from them for a while.

So I figure if my engine lasts for another 30k miles (say....) then thats another 3 years gone, who knows what options will be around then? proven American V8 transplants? AJP rebuild kits? 'Mr. Fusion' a la Back to the Future?

Or maybe the oil will have run out, or we'll all have to have satnav speed limiters by then and it won't even be worth it

[RUSSELLM]

Damn, that's got me really thinking.

I've spent that much on the thing, I've decided to keep it.

I'm presuming that after the rebuild I'm not going to get a guarantee that reads "this car will use less than a litre of oil every 1000 miles", so as you say, I may just plod along.

[satman]

Mine uses diddly squat!...went all the way to Le Mans and back and hardly a dribble needed!
Same recently when I drove to Geneva and back..1200odd miles and still none needed!
Guess I have a good un?

[RUSSELLM]

You're not helping much are you ?

There's a thread on where someone used 1/4 of a litre to do over 1500 miles in France

I reckon I used over seven litres (two were to thin) to do 2200 miles in Italy

Edited by RUSSELLM on Thursday 24th August 16:47

Edited by RUSSELLM on Thursday 24th August 16:48

[TT Tim]

RUSSELLM said:

You're not helping much are you ?

There's a thread on where someone used 1/4 of a litre to do over 1500 miles in France

I reckon I used over seven litres (two were to thin) to do 2200 miles in Italy

That does sound a lot, but as has been said, some do use oil.

But, I would be tempted to check the plugs to check that your valve stems aren't worn like mine.

Tim

[jesfirth]

I have a couple of gallons (unopened) of Mobil 1 00W40 up for grabs for a very competitive price. i use thicker stuff for tracks days sprinting etc. if anyone is interested let me know.

Jes

[olly]

What do you now use Jes ?

[gazm]

satman said:

Mine uses diddly squat!...went all the way to Le Mans and back and hardly a dribble needed!
Same recently when I drove to Geneva and back..1200odd miles and still none needed!
Guess I have a good un?

me too... sorry

[trooperiziz]

Mine used to burn about 500ml per 1k, then very quickly started to burn 1000ml per 500 miles

I've done 3000 miles since the rebuild and neither the oil or coolant level have dropped at all.

[RUSSELLM]

What made you go for the rebuild, was it just the oil usage, was there other symptoms or was you having other work done ?

[trooperiziz]

RUSSELLM said:

What made you go for the rebuild, was it just the oil usage, was there other symptoms or was you having other work done ?

I figured it was cheaper to have the rebuild than pay for the oil usage

My oil pressure at hot idle had also been dropping steadily over the course of a few months, it was down to around 15psi just before the rebuild.

[RUSSELLM]

My cold idle has gone up to 90, and I can see it blowing smoke when it's cold, but I'm sure it's just condensation.

Oil pressure has dropped a little to 35, but the manifold is leaking and I reckon that might go back up to 40.

I'm sure I can smell oil burning when I'm giving it some stick, but I'm not sure if it's my head playing tricks

I'm really torn, do I drop it in and get the manifold re sealed or bite the bullet and have the rebuild while the cheap (ish) offer is on the table ?

I can see this coming down to "Rock, paper, scissors" with my liitle'un...eeerrr.....best of Three

[Cyclone1]

£2.5k is cheap for a rebuild, with the symptoms you are describing it looks like a rebuild of some sort is imminent, bite the bullet and take advantage of the kind offer, especially as you have committed to keeping the car.

Jules.

[redleicester]

'ello Russell!

Mine used to go through a litre about every 500 until Mike waved some of his stuff at me. Ahem. Not like that. Anyway, changing to that seemed to help, and from there on in it was still thirsty - more like somewhere between 800 and 1200, depending again on usage and time of year. Did seem to help a bit, plus it was cheap getting it direct through Mike... god I'm turning into a bl**dy evangelist!

[RUSSELLM]

Hi RL , I've discussed it with Mike & have come to the conclusion that I'm not having it rebuilt yet.

The oil pressure's fine, and there's plenty of power there.

It's in today having the exhaust manifold put back on properly.