Oil trough oil dipstick

Hi,

I havent done much driving with my Alpine the latest years, but now its been some days with time to drive it around. Its a GTA engine.

Today i gave full throttle (on a hot engine) to have some fun again And fun it is !!
But i discovered that the oil dipstick was overflowing a tiny bit of oil. I dont know if the dipstick was 100% seated or not before this.!.., it was perhaps 1 mm raised now, and a thin film of oil was covering the tube on the outside causing some light oilsmoke from the manifoil (manifoil is wrapped with heat bandage that touches the dip stick tube).

I have never seen this before on this engine, any experience with this anyone ? Not like it was spraying, just overflowing. Oil level is normal.

I have to add that the vent pipe passing through the oil filler cap have been going nowhere for many years until i fitted an oil catch can with filter last year. Thats the only thing i can remember being done with it before this suddenly occurs.

Otherwise the engine seems to be in good shape, sharp and responsive with probably 70.000km on it now.

.
Hi,

Understand, are you sure this wasn't happen before, just to be sure, sometimes we notice things we haven't before? If it positively wasn't, then is your separate breather venting freely? I assume it has a good sized pipe bore, and not a drinking straw; I assume not as your installation looked very nicely engineered. Finally were you periodically spinning the engine over in the lay-up period?

If all of the above, then nothing really should have changed, the bores should be good, and all being equal the sump shouldn't be getting pressurised. Can you do a cylinder leak down test?

Having said all that, clean the dip stick tube, make sure it's home and try again

I have seen it, even to the point of the dipstick being shot out quite along way, Will's is like that; bottom end just not that well sealed up on the rings and bores, still goes fine when you go foot flat mind

Martin

Thanks for your info

The car has been started several times and/or been on the road every year. I have noticed that the dipstick have been covered in oil in the past (its a little brownish of burned oil near the top, and have been so as long as ive owned it), but never had oil on the outside. But, i might not have noticed it as you point out, a thin oil film would have been hard to detect when not looking for it. Since the exhaust bandage now leads oil to the manifoil that might be the difference as the light smoke caught my attention this time. Best make some space between dipstick and bandage so it doesnt catch fire...

I also noticed that the oil dip stick "top" was slightly bent and this would prevent it from closing properly. Fixed this.

Oil catch can is venting good so it should not be the problem really.

Engine sounds and feels very healthy so worn piston rings or low compression due to other faults would really surprice me at this stage, when i resently started it after sitting for 7 months it fired instantly as usual. Cranked 1 round and then running.

Just have to spin it on the road again then, to see what happens

.
Sounds like a plan!

Enjoy!

Just have to spin it on the road again then, to see what happens

What I would be inclined to do before going out next time would be to increase the tension of the piece at the top of the dipstick which holds the dipstick in position by bending it slightly, then make sure that the felt "washer" inside the cap at the top of the dipstick still exists.... fit one if missing, refit the dipstick making sure it is fully home, take car for a run and see if there is an improvement of the situation.

Yea, already tightened up the dipstick.

Still havent driven any more to test, but thinking about running a tube from oil catch tank to the airfilter inlet to restore some vacuum. My memory eventually served me something, i had the oil breather hose connected on the airfilter before i fitted the oil catch tank...

Been driving around doing some flat outs, unable to recreate oil so most probably caused by the dip stick not seated properly.

This has happened seveal times before, try the search section on the forum.
one of the main issues is the return via the vent to air intake pipe just infront of the turbo. (this helps to suck up excessive back pressure from block quickly preventing the dipstick being pushed open)
if this is altered you can get the symptons you have identified.
These issues have happened when the original intake pipe is removed and replaced with an after market more stream lined version.

i think the pipe protruding has some kind of venturi effect.

Dave