Oil overflow

Just been out for a quick spin and to fill her up, after a quick roundabout I looking in the rear view mirror and the engine bay was FULL of oil smoke.

It looks like the oil has come out of the top of the dipstick, it is oily all round and over the rocker cover and dripping down onto the manifolds.

Oil level is about half a mm below the max mark. I can't think that the sump is under any great pressure so I'm guessing just enough has sloshed over to that side of the sump and a little pressure is enough to help it up and out of the spout. But why, I have not put any oil in it this year.

Has any one experienced this or ever over filled the sump with oil?

Yep.. does it all the time after a sharp right
Have you removed the heat shield over the exhaust Thats good for a laugh


P.S 1/2 a mm below max Damn your eyes must have a zoom function

lee, at this moment in time I don't need a laugh, I do have the shield there and it is covered in oil too. I have a sprint at Castle Coombe tomorrow, so am rather keen to sort it now. Does it make much difference if I drain out a pint of oil from the sump?

PS, might not have been 1/2 a mm, but it was just below max, by a tiny fraction.

I wouldn't think a pint less will do any harm but better to wrap/seal the dipstick end with some self amalgamating tape for the event .

Right, I'm goins "as-as", if there is loads of smoke during the day, I'll just have to drian a bit out......

Right, I'm goins "as-as", if there is loads of smoke during the day, I'll just have to drian a bit out......

There's no smoke without ...................tape the tube end .The sumps not baffled you're bound to get some escaping if your throwing it round the corners .

Thanks lee, tape it is.

Simon have you checked to make sure your breather system is not over pressurised i.e blocked.

Start engine remove dipstick and make sure air is not trying to blast out.
Had this fault on an omega v6. car was always leaking oil from the rocker cover gaskets.
Blocked breather system.

Crank case should be under vacuum at idle, moderate pressure at full throttle and in the case of the turbo engines, boosted - which is why the oil pressure cap is clipped on (the DeLoreans with aftermarket turbo kits have a habit of blowing their oil breathers out )

A cheekier solution would be to disconnect the catch tank assembly from the inlet manifold. This will prevent the crank case from being boosted and it will be able to vent back up through the catch tank. You could re-plumb the vent up-stream of the turbo so the fumes carry on going into the engine just like every other PRV. The snag to this is crank case fumes going through the turbo.

Martin

Miles, Martin,

Good ideas, i'll check them out.

thanks..... Simon.