eddyg
5 posts
Joined: 23/10/2005 20:52:00
Location: United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Oil Sump plug
Has anybody here had there oil sump plug cross threaded hence the sump hole gets screwed up. Just had mine in for a service and i only just got it and they found that someone had cross threaded it then fixed it with a helicoil. I know you can get those self tapping bungs but was wondering if anyboy has had the same thing and what they have done to fix it??
Posted: Nov 02, 2005 02:02 PM
Roy
261 posts
Joined: 19/09/2005 19:34:20
Location: huntingdon United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Hi eddie Although i have not had a sump plug cross thread on me, I have had occasion to use a helicoil to repair a stripped thread on a aluminium motorcycle head. To repair...Aquire correct size kit, Then....first drill out the hole with the drill size specified on the helicoil kit (sometimes supplied with kit) making sure that you keep it straight (this is VERY important to keep the seal). Next.. use the special tap with the kit to re-thread the hole to accept the helicoil insert (keeping it as straight as you can again).... Take your time with this part of the operation as getting it wrong here means a new sump! Then, Using the tool in the kit, Insert the helicoil into the tapped hole untill the insert is about one thread below the surface. then using a pair of long nosed pliers break off the pin on the insert used to install it and remove the pin. If done correctly, the reclaimed thread will be as strong as the original (stronger if its an ali sump) and seal just as well. Good Luck..... Roy.
Posted: Nov 03, 2005 06:29 PM
John
1948 posts
Joined: 28/05/2006 16:49:46
Location: cambridge United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
First mini, first steps?
no you can mix multigrade oils without problem but 10w30 oil is way to thin 10w40 what rover recomended was too thin but 10w30 will be even thinner when hot. id drain sump its not hard just undo bolt in sump and remove oil filter. put sump plug in lightly tighten it as thread is in alloy. replace filter and refil with fresh 20w50 oil. 20min job max. its best to do it with oil warm after a drive as comes out quicker and removes more dirt but you dont have to. halfords sell 20w50 oil. make sure u dont overfill it, the oil takes a while to work its way down. put about 2/3's (about 3.5L) in slowly so it doest overflow then leave it a min then fill up slowly after that cheaking dip stick regarly. if u overfill it slightly should be ok but if its way up you will need to drain some or risk damaging engine and destroying cat(expensive). you need about 4.5L of oil so should have about 1/2litre left for topping up.
Posted: Nov 28, 2007 10:17 PM
P. Carter
3 posts
Joined: 27/02/2008 18:52:03
Location: PETERBOROUGH United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
sump plug thread
repair plug fitted, Easy job but took some time to do it. ie half turn in and half turn out just like tap and die set. Fits a treat. filled engine with cheap oil and no sign of leaks. Regarding using a pump to empty the sump. I use a self priming electric pump conected to a hard tygon plastic tube. I use this on other cars and find that it completely evacuates the sump. ( my VW Corrado G60 has had oil changes evey 6 months for the last 6 years using this method and the supercharger has not yet failed due to metal debris in the sump).
Posted: Mar 07, 2008 11:30 PM
engine oil
i use halfords stuff, i think its a rebranded better brand from what i rember people saying. duckhams is anouther popular one, morris ect. main thing is to change the oil regularly with the correct grade (20w50 or next best 15w40 if 20w50 unavalible) to minimise engine and gearbox wear. change it every 3000-6000 miles, lots of short jurneys contaminate oil alot worse than a few long jurneys. acids and unburnt fuel from the cold engine contaminate the oil. with the mini's gearbox in the sump it needs regular oil changes the syncro's are very prone to wear. this is wear increases when you use thin oil such as 10w40 and old oil ie changing oil by rovers recomended 12,000 miles. The diffrence it makes is the engine wont need rebuilding at 80,000 instead it will go on to 140,000. detergants in oils tend to promote oil leaks. but other addatives such as phosperious are important for protecting the valve gear. this has been lowered in more recent years in oils as it was found to be one of the main causes of cat failure. as i mentioned earlyier minis gearbox share its oil with the sump, while this is nice and simple the problem is gearboxes like thick oil. engine/gearbo oils basicly vary from super thin synthetic oils like 0w5 to think single grade oils like sae 90 as normaly found it gearboxs. 20w50 oil has a thickness of 20, this is alot thinner than 90, however as sae 90 oil heats up it thins alot. 20w50 oil is multigrade and has polymers that prevent it thinning. so say when sae 90 is at normal oil temperature its thickness is equal to sae 50 oil, this is still alot thicker than 20w50 which is about the same as sae 20. while im no expert on oils and im using lots of made up estimates you see why minis wear there gearbox's quicker than most other cars and why its important to use the thickest avalible miniral oil.
Posted: Oct 16, 2007 10:05 PM
CABRIO1275
11 posts
Joined: 25/07/2005 09:18:40
Location: Pershore United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Sump repair plug/stripped threads
Hi, I decided to change the oil & filter on my 998cc A plus engine & remembered the last time I did it the sump plug didn't tighten very well using a torque of 26 lb ft but it didn't leak. At the time I bought a Minispares repair sump plug that you use to cut it's own thread but didn't need to use it. This time however I saw the warning signs of bits of thread as I took the sump plug out. I did try using the plug again but it started leaking a lot. I followed the instructions using the repair plug to tighten half a turn slacken half a turn, don't over tighten etc. Seemed ok after putting 1.5 litres in but the next half litre made it start to weep. I tightened it a bit more but I am reluctant to go any further in case I crack the gearbox casing. I am not sure if I am tightening it enough and its still seeping oil. Any tips or advice would be welcome as I now have a 5 litre container under the engine to catch the drips & I don't fancy having to source another gearbox!
Posted: Jul 13, 2018 03:14 PM
Tim
1849 posts
Joined: 18/10/2004 09:40:59
Location: Bournemouth United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
engine breather
You get the same problem if there's too much oil in the sump. Sometimes happens if the wrong dipstick has been fitted (or it's bent). Other than that, it's usually piston rings.
Posted: Jun 23, 2008 04:06 PM
Jake Holmes
172 posts
Joined: 14/02/2009 21:39:11
Location: Walton on Thames United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
re
Yes it is a good choice for later and older models. Because all minis have the gearbox in sump arrangement a heavier oil than usual is required. I imagine Duckhams Q would do the job quite admirably. Anything thinner won't protect as well and may also leak more.
Posted: Jul 26, 2010 02:16 PM
question
The central oil pickup is supposed to help if you do a lot of hard/fast cornering, where you can experience a drop in oil pressure, expecially if your sump is a bit low! As far as I know it's a straight swap for the standard pipe so should be a doddle to fit.
Posted: Oct 11, 2007 12:30 PM
oil
iv heard people say synthetic oil isnt very good for the box but may just b a wifes tail from the use of thin grade oils which synthetics normaly are. multigrade mineral is safest bet. 20w50 is still best choice as gearbox's always reqire a thick oil which in minis they dont really get as they share the sump oil.
Posted: Jan 24, 2008 08:32 PM
drip of oil
diesel engine oils are only ones to normally cause gasket failures as these have high detergant levels in them. i use halfords 20w50 easy to get and good quality. most likly to be coincidence u sure its from from sump plug these do sometimes leak if over tightened or undertightened or copper washer not fitted or alloy thread worn. minis can leak oil all over the place but is it nessarily the cause of the pudle.
Posted: Feb 18, 2008 05:18 PM
jag_clarke
i think u mean pre A+, pre a series isnt a mini engine. 1959-1981 A series 1979-2000 A+ in mini. if u overfill with oil ur overwhelm breaths and blow seals. u may need more breathers too, rocker cover needs little breathers sump is what needs most.
Posted: Jan 28, 2009 12:55 PM
20 posts
Joined: 31/10/2004 13:08:06
Location: Chesham United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Oil Cooler
iv just bought an oil cooler for my new engine as i shall be using a sump guard. I was wondering if a theromostat is needed and if so hwere anre they placed and how do they work(obviously cant just cut the oil off)
Posted: Dec 17, 2004 04:43 PM
jampat
2 posts
Joined: 09/08/2005 23:19:33
Location: Canada
oil gauge
Where is the temp sender? Is it in the hole to the left of the distributor or in the sump? Ive never actually seen an mpi (they arent allowed in north america for a few more years), but that is the conventional place to plumb in a pressure sender. On pre-injection engines, this hole holds the swich for the oil pressure light.
Posted: Nov 13, 2005 07:05 PM
JULES THE FROG
Joined: 15/03/2006 16:59:14
Location: France
engine runs better on a full tank of fuel.....
if you look at it technical, the head of petrol on a full tank is higher than the fuel pump!mine sudenly decided to leak,not on to the road but in to the sump with the oil, when i started one morning even without the choke it was running rich and the oil pressure warning light was on!when i pulled the dipstick out all was revealed!
Posted: Aug 23, 2006 03:59 PM
simple questions for a noob!!
you have a servo, which u fill with brake fluid (3 or 4 dot) this is next to a round can looking thing (servo). yes u fill radiator up with water/antifreeze mix to the little metal wire inside. the oil u fill up from top of engine u unscrew rocker cover cap and fill in steps as it takes around 30 sec to get to the bottom so u can take a level. if u do it too quickly it will soon overfill. when this happens it can cause the sump to blow of if its really over done. lil over is ok.
Posted: May 10, 2007 11:17 PM
across the pond
Joined: 10/02/2006 07:15:35
Location: Central Point,Oregon United States
RPM's
What is the rpm red line for a mini, and what is the fastest speed I can expect to get from mine. I dont want to damage anything by running it to fast before I put in a tach. Also, what grade oil does everyone use in their minis, I would like to change mine, but Im unsure because of the shared engine/tranny sump. Thanks.
Posted: Mar 25, 2006 08:30 AM
jr
Joined: 18/06/2007 09:42:42
Location: Ashford United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Thanks for reply, yes it's an A-series, not sure what you mean by breathers in sump. Do you mean from the tappet covers as that the only breather l do not have as my block does not have them. Should also mention there is a breather from the timing cover on top of a large one from the rocker and transfer gear housing.
Guess l will find out this weekend if putting in minimum oil does the trick.
J.
Posted: Jan 28, 2009 07:34 PM
taffy1967
1783 posts
Joined: 27/09/2006 18:58:07
Location: Rhondda-Cynon-Taff United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Re:
Slight leak? That looks more like a flood.
So I'd get it looked at by a good Mini friendly garage as soon as possible. It could be that the sump plug needs tightening or the threads in the sump plug hole have gone. If that's the case then the hole with need a heli-coil repair.
Or it could just be the common oil leak problem which is the gear change rod selector seal at the rear of the gearbox which needs replacing. Mini Spares sell a replacement seal kit which is cheap.
As for the oil, well it's best to use a good quality classic 20W/50 oil like 'Duckhams Q Classic 20W/50' or that Classic 20W/50 oil that Halfords sell in a fancy can which has a picture of a Mini on the front.
Either way, get that leak looked into and consider getting the Mini fully serviced and filled with classic 20W/50 oil soon. The thicker oil also helps prevent leaks too, unlike the thin 10W/40 oil that Rover mistakingly recommended for years.
Posted: May 19, 2009 09:13 PM
Drilling!
My oil sump again but this time just standard old advice needed. I am drilling out my fuel sump hole tapping it the putting in a threaded locking insert which a nice gentalman is giving to me for free! result. Anyway when i drill the old hole bigger i want to make sure i do exactly that i.e old increase the diameter of the hole and not accidentally drill it at a new angle which would be a very very large problem! has anybody else had to do this and do they have any advice?!?! thanks
Posted: Nov 08, 2005 10:49 AM