17-03-2020, 09:45 PM
Took the RP saloon to attend a funeral in Wrexham today, picking up another friend on the way. This is the fourth funeral that i have been obliged to attend in less than twelve months, although on this occasion, it was someone rather older than me, the other three being on the demise of friends young enough to have been my offspring. I used it to to to Llangollen last Friday and have therefore covered the best part of 160miles in the last few days. Checked the oil level when I got back this evening and it required just 1/2 pint to restore the level.
I am therefore very interested in the fact that Steve Kay has got his engine oil-tight. When i had my engine to bits last autumn I set out to cure the oil leak from the near-side rear of the block to crankcase joint. Thought that i had cured it when I found that the rearmost block to crankcase stud in the tappet chest had stripped in the crankcase. So it was duly helicoiled and new gasket, judiciously smeared with black silicon gasket cement installed. All was well for the first 200 miles or so, but gradually the engine has developed a leak at the same corner. It's not nearly so bad, I can live with an oil consumption of better than 300 miles per pint, but I suspect that the leakage is due to two factors: (1) I am not convinced that the coreplug over the top of the oil pump drive is completely flush with the top of the crankcase; it had a slightly 'bruised' look when the block was off and (2) my car, being a mid-1933 example, has the crankcase firmly bolted to the chassis.
i am aware that there has been some discussion on this forum about the advisability of (or otherwise) of doing all four engine mounting bolts up tight, But I have worked on the basis that the handling of the comparatively flimsy chassis depends on it being as rigid as possible between the front axle and the steering box, the crankcase does much to stiffen things up. Given that, for a box saloon, my car behaves itself very well on the road, on balance, I think that that good road manners is worth the odd half pint of oil in the engine.
Ruby engines are, of course, mounted on rubber feet which relieves the stresses imposed on the crankcase by the chassis to some extent, and I sincerely hope that, after all the work in getting the engine continent, it remains so. But I wonder how long it will be before the engine starts to weep oil again. or am i just being a pessimistic old B***?
I am therefore very interested in the fact that Steve Kay has got his engine oil-tight. When i had my engine to bits last autumn I set out to cure the oil leak from the near-side rear of the block to crankcase joint. Thought that i had cured it when I found that the rearmost block to crankcase stud in the tappet chest had stripped in the crankcase. So it was duly helicoiled and new gasket, judiciously smeared with black silicon gasket cement installed. All was well for the first 200 miles or so, but gradually the engine has developed a leak at the same corner. It's not nearly so bad, I can live with an oil consumption of better than 300 miles per pint, but I suspect that the leakage is due to two factors: (1) I am not convinced that the coreplug over the top of the oil pump drive is completely flush with the top of the crankcase; it had a slightly 'bruised' look when the block was off and (2) my car, being a mid-1933 example, has the crankcase firmly bolted to the chassis.
i am aware that there has been some discussion on this forum about the advisability of (or otherwise) of doing all four engine mounting bolts up tight, But I have worked on the basis that the handling of the comparatively flimsy chassis depends on it being as rigid as possible between the front axle and the steering box, the crankcase does much to stiffen things up. Given that, for a box saloon, my car behaves itself very well on the road, on balance, I think that that good road manners is worth the odd half pint of oil in the engine.
Ruby engines are, of course, mounted on rubber feet which relieves the stresses imposed on the crankcase by the chassis to some extent, and I sincerely hope that, after all the work in getting the engine continent, it remains so. But I wonder how long it will be before the engine starts to weep oil again. or am i just being a pessimistic old B***?