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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Neverending oil leak - more photos

Sorry, the old thread has gone off to thread heaven (the archive), so here's a new thread. I took the sump off today and had a peek.

- Sump mounting flange not warped (good!)
- Rubber seals at both end of sump in very tidy condition and very well fitted.
- Opposing 'seals' to these rubber seals (white and red in colour?) were very fragile and in little pieces. Is this liquid sealant?
- Front of sump quite oily. I will likely take off the front timing cover and check that out too.

Still as always a huge can of worms, I fear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77673728@N00/3090171480/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77673728@N00/3089334999/in/photostream/
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

The joy of midgets...I feel for you rich, Im wondering if oil is getting under seal of the oil pump.

might be worth installing a complete PAYNE bottom end gasket kit and building a wooden stand to run the engine for an hour and see if any oil then.


Is the girl with the cat your daughter??? Nice photo


prop
Prop

OT but who did the sump baffle please?
David Smith

Looks like it's leaking from the pump area, shouldn't there be a cover over the pump?
Brad
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Prop! That's my girlfriend. I'd have to have a few more years on me to give birth to her!

Sump Baffle is Peter May, FYI.
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

Rich

I battled with this rear oil leak for years and never got to the bottom of it, engine was fully rebuilt, engine ran fine, good power, but leaked buckets from the rear main, first time thought I must of got something miss-aligned, oil pump gasket, bad jointing between the back plate etc but after striping it out found all to be correct, rebuilt it and still the same, improved the vents, even added vents, checked crankcase pressure, added baffles, etc etc, third time fitted the frontline rearseal kit improved it but never stopped it. Would love to know the answer to it. In the end fitted a K and that stopped it.
Alex Sturgeon

I too battled a nasty oil leak after a fresh rebuild. I got it to stop by installing a PCV valve at the intake manifold and piped it to the timing cover. Easy fix. Pic attached.


JAM Meador

Yes where is the oil pump cover and seal??
Without this cover and seal in place oil will p1ss out down the back of the engine!
Bob (Robert) Midget Turbo

it is usual to use a sealant between the pump cover and the backplate. As the backplate is not present in the pic it may be deduced that the cover is still attached to the backplate !
David Smith

I agree with david,

You cant remove the rear E. plate with out removing the pump cover

Might try adding come sealent between the pump cover and the block/gasket and bettwen the pump cover and the rear engine plate....but the sealent has to be oil and heat resistant

I dont think thats the entire problem from llooking at the crankshaft C seal, as was referred to once ago

HEY Rich,

Thats your girlfriend??? WOW!!! What do you guys do on dates, play hopscotch, barbies, and easy bake ovens...LOL. I hope you dont get caught by the cops, you can go to jail for along time for dating little girls....LOL.

seroiusly, Im jut kidding you, she is a prize....Your a lucky man. Just keeper her locked in a closet if arie comes around, Or me for that matter...LOL.

Prop
Prop

Yep well spotted David the backplate is not fitted? so cover could be with that.
Bob (Robert) Midget Turbo

Oil pump cover came off with the back plate...
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

was there any sealent or gasket between the pump cover and the engine block, or was it just bare metal to metal???

I have to ask, how old are you rich???

prop
Prop

What kind of carbs have you fitted? DCOE / DHLA or the standard SU ones?
Brad
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

hey Brad,

He has the standard SU carbs.

But his evac system was working perfectly well before he did the engine rebuild, so shouldnt be much of a blowback issue.

Hey rich,

Do yo have any pics of the piston cly. walls after breaking down the engine this last several weeks that you can post

thanks
prop
Prop

No, I have the HIF44 and have had it since before the rebuild, although it only did a few 100 miles before this with the HIF. Prop you have the memory of a fish!

The oil cover lies inset into the backplate, and has a red coloured sealant between it and the backplate, along with the gasket between the backplate and the engine. I would say that if I was to fit this I would have used a hell of a lot more sealant, both against the gasket and cover and around the exterior face of the backplate and the edge of where the cover meets it. It seems like there has definitely been some seepage out this cover and down the back of the backplate as there is a thicker line of dirty oil down from the cover - suggesting a quite frequent leak.

See here for on the engine side, but there is more on the backplate where it faces the bellhousing, too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77673728@N00/3050566766/in/photostream/

I have had a look 'up' the bores just to check for any serious stress cracks or and there are none, plus it all looks as good as new which is confidence inspiring. I am avoiding looking 'down' the bores unless I have to take the head off, though I'm not ruling this out.

And Prop, to answer your question, look somewhere in the region of early twenties and you might just be there.

Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

YOUR KIDDING ME RICH!!!!

I had no idea you where that young, I dont know why but I always thought of you as mid 30's to 40ish...Now Im feeling really old, 44 in just 12 days...

JUST call me DAD...LOL. Oh GEZ, that is just wrong on SSOOOooo many levels.....well enjoy your youth, it goes fast...and by all means...when oppertunitys come, go for them, at your age it easy to recover if everything sprouts wings and goes badly south, you will be glade you did in the long run.

I have the memory of a fish??? I dont get it,....Wait a minute, a fish's memory is good for only 8 secounds, what do you mean by that????

So Are your SU carbs vented properly...LOL

prop
Prop

This thread was discussed between 08/12/2008 and 10/12/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.