Oil - its not using any!?

[TUS 373]

I recently had the car serviced in Blackpool. It went in for the 24K service - the big one with tappet adjustments.

Now, I've done about 750 miles since I got it back. I've not had to put a drop of oil in, its been at max the whole time. Now, is this because the service guys will have given it a really good drink to start with OR do I have an amazing engine which following tappet adjustment - just doesn't use any???

Got to say, the engine has been running brilliantly since I got it back - even the fuel economy has gone up with 280 miles done on the last tank!

[gemini]

shameless pre sale blurb !

[chim_girl]

TUS 373 said:

Now, I've done about 750 miles since I got it back. I've not had to put a drop of oil in, its been at max the whole time.

Snap!

[Apache]

TUS 373 said:

Got to say, the engine has been running brilliantly since I got it back - even the fuel economy has gone up with 280 miles done on the last tank!

if it's still under warranty take it back, they shouldn,t do that

[TUS 373]

Apache said:

if it's still under warranty take it back, they shouldn,t do that

LOL!
It wasn't that I haven't been trying hard enough. I took her upto 140 mph (on a private road of course :wink - and was surprised to get an apparent 30 extra miles on a tank of ordinary unleaded. Usually get 250 miles, and when I have calculated best economy - 27 mpg (on a long motorway run).

I can only assume that getting the valve clearances bob on after service really gets the engine into tune. This fuel economy is better than my 4.0 Chimaera was - but that was 'only' a '240 bhp' unit.

[TUS 373]

gemini said:

shameless pre sale blurb !

Oi! Stop building my part up Rich ! I may keep her yet, and sell the other women (wife).

[basil brush]

The factory did fill mine about 1.5 litres above max so I'm only just down to the max mark after a thousand miles or so.

[TUS 373]

Thanks for that - it explains the situation then. I guess I may have another 750 miles to go before I need to add any, but....

...isn't there some danger from overfilling it? Does the excess just get burned off prematurely? Just wondering as car manuals usually go to the lengths of saying NOT to OVERFILL?

[jamster]

mine has used zero oil in 1500miles! The previous owner also commented that he never had to fill Trev up.
Anyone know how this can be? Why does

Jamster

[donaldhunter]

TUS 373 said:

...isn't there some danger from overfilling it? Does the excess just get burned off prematurely? Just wondering as car manuals usually go to the lengths of saying NOT to OVERFILL?

A normal wet sump engine suffers badly when overfilled; the oil can be thrashed by the crankshaft until it froths up and gets sucked into the airbox / plenum throught the crankcase breather hose. The best scenario is power reduction, worse might be plug fouling or actual mechanical damage.

The Tuscan has a dry sump engine that sucks all the oil out of the sump into a separate reservoir. Overfilling will cause the reservoir to be fuller. If you really overfill it, then oil will get sucked into the airbox but I think that would need to be a few too many litres.

[mongoose]

ive also found that mine barely uses any oil either.ive had it for 1500 miles now and havent had to put any in at all(it was just slightly over full when i bought it-now its on the full line).my griff also used very little oil-300ml/1000 miles.i must admit that my experience has taught me that a good engine uses far less than the 1 litre/1000miles that many say is the norm.my chimaera used 1l/1000 miles and that was because it burnt it and leaked it!!

[mcspreader]

I've posted elsewhere on a similar joust.
How can you over fill a dry sump except if you really, really overfill?
You could conceivably put in so much oil as to not drain properly thence stay in cylinder heads (I doubt gravity takes it to sump where...) with oil vapour which would either:
Get back to the tank or with lots of pressure blow through the valve seals into the combustion chambers( needs about 3000+ psi when running). With most valve guides, oil burn happens at start from drain down I believe. I could be wrong? Leaky valve seals tend to compress the cylinder head and therefore crankcase therefore burning oil through the crank case vent. BUT crankcase pressure sucked off by dry sump high volume oil pump. Or so the theory goes.


>> Edited by mcspreader on Sunday 5th September 00:59

[Larco]

Bryan said:

I may keep her yet, and sell the other women (wife).

Having met your wife i think a more likely outcome is wife keeps car and ditches husband.
Can see the advert on pistonheads now.
For Sale - Husband - full service history - quick sale as winters coming - Liable to breakdown when shopping.

Seriously will miss you both in it on runs out.
keep it keep it keep it.

[SXS]

I normally overfill the cerb, and i see it on very hard runs, pouring out of the breather and dropping onto the driverside headers....

about 1-2 litres more than max is a good thing if you're a heavy thrasher - well thats what I was told...

god knows if thats the same for a speed 6...



I dont think you will damage your engine, you'll just bugger up everything if you overfill... but underfill and you will damage the engine.... too much of something is still better than too little of something... or something like that mmmmm

[mcspreader]

Is the Cerb dry sump?
I asked my local mechanic and expert on things automotive but he was a bit iffy on the subject of dry sumps...Not used in banger racing I was told

[J_S_G]

mcspreader said:

Is the Cerb dry sump? I asked my local mechanic and expert on things automotive but he was a bit iffy on the subject of dry sumps...Not used in banger racing I was told

No dry sump in the Cerb. Well, not on road going ones, anyway. I think the Tuscan Racers with AJPs in them had a dry sump, but I couldn't be sure...