Restoration starts again....!
Discussion
tel595 said:
Certainly agree with that Peter, what's thrown me is that with the lower oil pressure I also experienced a distinct lack of power, certainly further up the rev range. I'd had been driving with a large amount of 'spirit' and wondered if I may have caused an oil starvation issue. The car is still running ok, but I'm paranoid now and possibly keep imagining sounds.. The oil pressure gauge may have indeed become faulty and it may well be the ECU has decided to do something silly following my aggressive driving. I've reset it before and it's solved a few issues. With the lower oil pressure, I wondered if a journal may have got hot and scored a bit, enough to allow oil to seep through and lower the system pressure? It'll all become clear soon enough..
Loss of oil pressure would not cause immediate damage on these engines as they are pretty robust and even without oil pressure the hydrodynamic pressure generated by the journal speed would keep the metalwork apart for a while.When I had my sump off last year and dropped the bearing caps off for a look there was virtually no evidence of wear on the white metal after over 100k. Virtually no wear in the oil pump either.
v8s4me said:
I get excellent oil pressure in mine at all temperatures using Valvoline VR1 20/50, but if you think the engine is tight, wouldn't you want to use thinner oil until it loosens up?
Good point Joe, I'm not sure if it's my paranoia now or if it is actually tight when I stop the engine. I thought it turned over a bit slower on starting, but it starts and runs ok still so I thought the heavier oil may make a pressure difference. I'll check the oil pressure mechanically before I do anything though..I'm still thinking oil starvation for short periods around some very demanding corners at Hethel, seems logical enough given you have no issues now Terry.
You might have caught it just in time as you realised you had less power, from that lack of power moment did you carry on for another lap or laps after or instantly come in the pits!
Can someone confirm where the oil pick up pipe sits and is it offset to one side like the Rover?
If so which side?
You might have caught it just in time as you realised you had less power, from that lack of power moment did you carry on for another lap or laps after or instantly come in the pits!
Can someone confirm where the oil pick up pipe sits and is it offset to one side like the Rover?
If so which side?
ClassiChimi said:
I'm still thinking oil starvation for short periods around some very demanding corners at Hethel, seems logical enough given you have no issues now Terry.
You might have caught it just in time as you realised you had less power, from that lack of power moment did you carry on for another lap or laps after or instantly come in the pits!
Can someone confirm where the oil pick up pipe sits and is it offset to one side like the Rover?
If so which side?
I think the oil pickup is on the left side of the sump. The only long left hander was the one after the long strait which goes around the paddock area. That could result in a bit of oil surge, but I was going through those esses pretty quick as well, and I'd imagine the oil could've been struggling through there also.. I did another lap, but as soon as I felt the engine struggle I backed right off and came back in. I went out again later when the engine cooled, did one lap and it was better but not right. We came in early because someone went off and I gave up after that so I could get home. It drove ok on the way back as well. Bloody mystery..!You might have caught it just in time as you realised you had less power, from that lack of power moment did you carry on for another lap or laps after or instantly come in the pits!
Can someone confirm where the oil pick up pipe sits and is it offset to one side like the Rover?
If so which side?
tel595 said:
.... The only long left hander was the one after the long strait which goes around the paddock area. .... I was going through those esses pretty quick as well, .....!
It's been mentioned above, but what you describe could also be fuel starvation. If the spirited driving loosened off some crap in the tank, and this has got into the fuel filter, or pump, you would also get the loss of power you describe. With luck, the oil pressure issue is electrical.Ok so you should have been getting oil mostly,,,, ?
How much fuel in the tank at the time Terry,
I turned up with a full tank
because I get fuel starvation from just above half a tank on track days and didn't want to have to find some at the track(time limits)
That's a good call and very normal on track without a baffled tank.
How much fuel in the tank at the time Terry,
I turned up with a full tank
because I get fuel starvation from just above half a tank on track days and didn't want to have to find some at the track(time limits) That's a good call and very normal on track without a baffled tank.
Good news.. Engine is now ok, with decent oil pressure and no nasty noises.
It transpires that my excited driving around the Lotus test track a couple of weeks ago, stirred up a few foreign bodies within the engine and consequently blocked the oil pick-up. The upshot of this is oil starvation to the pump and therefore, low oil pressure. This, plus the fact that I had used a low viscosity oil (by mistake), made the poor engine suffer a bit and gave me a good deal of concern. I had a feeling the engine couldn't have been harmed though, as there was no knocking from the big ends, or main bearings, etc., but I knew there was something not right.
To remedy the problem without removing the engine to get at the sump pan, or chopping my recently refurbished chassis about, I made up a little device from an old oil filter so I could back-flush cleaning fluid through the oil pick-up. Steve (TopGearTVR) linked me an article from the web explaining the operation, I just modified the idea.. Basically, I cut an old oil filter into sections, fitted a hose connection (15mm copper pipe fitting) to the domed end of the filter housing, removed the paper filter then welded the 2 halves back together. I used a small taper plug to block off the oil delivery port (centre of the filter spigot), and installed the device onto the filter mounting point. I then connected approx 2m length of garden hose to the device and filled it with paraffin. When the hose was full, a blew through it with a compressed air line and the muck and liquid was pushed into the sump and out of the drain point. I repeated this a number of times until the liquid was coming out of the sump drain clean. I then removed the device, fitted a new oil filter and filled with new oil which seems to have done the trick..
Old oil filter cut into sections...
Hose spigot soldered onto the domed section and both halves mig welded together (badly
)...
Plug modified to fit into the oil delivery port...
If anyone is experiencing the same problems, you're welcome to use the device...
It transpires that my excited driving around the Lotus test track a couple of weeks ago, stirred up a few foreign bodies within the engine and consequently blocked the oil pick-up. The upshot of this is oil starvation to the pump and therefore, low oil pressure. This, plus the fact that I had used a low viscosity oil (by mistake), made the poor engine suffer a bit and gave me a good deal of concern. I had a feeling the engine couldn't have been harmed though, as there was no knocking from the big ends, or main bearings, etc., but I knew there was something not right.
To remedy the problem without removing the engine to get at the sump pan, or chopping my recently refurbished chassis about, I made up a little device from an old oil filter so I could back-flush cleaning fluid through the oil pick-up. Steve (TopGearTVR) linked me an article from the web explaining the operation, I just modified the idea.. Basically, I cut an old oil filter into sections, fitted a hose connection (15mm copper pipe fitting) to the domed end of the filter housing, removed the paper filter then welded the 2 halves back together. I used a small taper plug to block off the oil delivery port (centre of the filter spigot), and installed the device onto the filter mounting point. I then connected approx 2m length of garden hose to the device and filled it with paraffin. When the hose was full, a blew through it with a compressed air line and the muck and liquid was pushed into the sump and out of the drain point. I repeated this a number of times until the liquid was coming out of the sump drain clean. I then removed the device, fitted a new oil filter and filled with new oil which seems to have done the trick..
Old oil filter cut into sections...
Hose spigot soldered onto the domed section and both halves mig welded together (badly
)...Plug modified to fit into the oil delivery port...
If anyone is experiencing the same problems, you're welcome to use the device...
Cheers Guys. I did about 280 miles yesterday as a final test before next weeks tour, and all was well. Although it's ok, the engine is still not 100% so it'll need a rebuild at some point. It pulls ok and doesn't smoke but there's a certainly some mechanical 'music' higher in the rev range.. All is good up till around 4500 rpm, so short shifting and engine preservation will be the order I'm afraid...
I've got a complete block with crank and pistons etc., as an emergency measure, but will probably strip and rebuild the whole thing next winter if it lasts that long.!!
Taken last night at Shotley in Suffolk...
I've got a complete block with crank and pistons etc., as an emergency measure, but will probably strip and rebuild the whole thing next winter if it lasts that long.!!
Taken last night at Shotley in Suffolk...
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