3.8 Engine rebuild
#241
Possibly but I am not too fussed about the level as long as I can see the oil on the dipstick I know I have enough oil. I am lucky I don't have any oil leaks on the engine and as it has been rebuilt it does not burn any oil so once filled I rarely touch it between services.
#242
XK engines can distribute a lot of oil around the engine in the cam boxes etc. With the engine hot after a decent run, it's fine so long as there's oil on the dipstick. If the engine hasn't run for a few hours, especially if you're planning to drive a distance, I'd fill it to the top of the knurled section. My car used to consume some oil and my oiling and watering procedures every morning on long continental journeys caused others some amusement. My girlfriend learnt not to check us out of hotels until I'd finished and had the opportunity to go back and wash my hands (my engine bay has never been at the height of cleanliness of Rob's or Glyn's).
Last edited by Peter3442; 08-15-2024 at 07:05 AM.
#243
Rear main oil leak
This engine does not have a rear seal, it's a slinger type pump. I used binder clips to attach a piece of pig mat (2" x 8") to the base of the bell housing. After 50 miles of driving the pig mat was fully saturated with oil. After setting for an hour, there was a 10" diameter wet oil slick under the pig mat. That's a lot oil for 50 miles of driving, plus there was more that had dripped off during the drive. Is this an indication there's too much oil in the sump?
#244
This engine does not have a rear seal, it's a slinger type pump. I used binder clips to attach a piece of pig mat (2" x 8") to the base of the bell housing. After 50 miles of driving the pig mat was fully saturated with oil. After setting for an hour, there was a 10" diameter wet oil slick under the pig mat. That's a lot oil for 50 miles of driving, plus there was more that had dripped off during the drive. Is this an indication there's too much oil in the sump?
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Peter3442 (08-15-2024)
#245
#246
It's definitely an indication that you have an oil leak! I don't have any oil coming from the bell housing but then as I have already said I tend not to overfill my engine with oil. My neighbours daughter decided to top up the oil in her Nissan Micra. Kept pouring oil in through the filler cap until she could see the oil level in the top of the valve cover. The real fun was then starting the car as oil does not compress even on a down stroke. The sump dropped out the bottom, the head came off the block snapping some head bolts and tearing others through the alloy head. Her father was not best pleased at the mess on his driveway.
Last edited by jayd2; 08-15-2024 at 12:43 PM.
#247
The 500 mile engine break-in period is complete. I'll be attempting to fix the leaks in the lower sump pan when I change the oil.
#249
#250
I just have the rope seal in place on my S Type. Well soaked before installing it. There is a modern seal that you can have installed but it requires machining the back of the block to fit not a route I wanted to go down. Others might help with the Mk2 engine and what seals are available and if the Mk2 engine was any different in design to the S Type engine in this department. My S Type has an alloy sump and does not have that round cover plate you referred to.
Last edited by Cass3958; 08-16-2024 at 01:27 PM.
#251
I just have the rope seal in place on my S Type. Well soaked before installing it. There is a modern seal that you can have installed but it requires machining the back of the block to fit not a route I wanted to go down. Others might help with the Mk2 engine and what seals are available and if the Mk2 engine was any different in design to the S Type engine in this department.
#252
#253
Repaired the oil leaks
The rear main oil leak was caused by excessive crank case pressure. The cylinder head breather did not have a vent breather tube and I had installed a temporary clamp on filter. The crank case was being pressurized by air flow over the small filter, I've re-routed the filter. The engine has a little over 500 miles now, time to change the oil and fix the lower sump leaks.
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Peter3442 (08-17-2024)
#254
#255
i'm a little unclear....are you talking about what people often refer to as the PCV valve, or at least a primitive version of it?
...asking because i recently replaced my standard air cleaner (1967 mk2). and there was a hose i disconnected coming from somewhere up front near the thermostat housing and i have yet to determine what to do with it. up until now, i've assumed it involved crankcase or head ventilation and that attaching it to some sort of standalone air filter or running it to one or both of the new air cleaners might be a solution.
any thoughts? thanks
...asking because i recently replaced my standard air cleaner (1967 mk2). and there was a hose i disconnected coming from somewhere up front near the thermostat housing and i have yet to determine what to do with it. up until now, i've assumed it involved crankcase or head ventilation and that attaching it to some sort of standalone air filter or running it to one or both of the new air cleaners might be a solution.
any thoughts? thanks
Last edited by hueyhoolihan; 08-17-2024 at 04:31 PM.
#256
i'm a little unclear....are you talking about what people often refer to as the PCV valve, or at least a primitive version of it?
...asking because i recently replaced my standard air cleaner (1967 mk2). and there was a hose i disconnected coming from somewhere up front near the thermostat housing and i have yet to determine what to do with it. up until now, i've assumed it involved crankcase or head ventilation and that attaching it to some sort of standalone air filter or running it to one or both of the new air cleaners might be a solution.
any thoughts? thanks
...asking because i recently replaced my standard air cleaner (1967 mk2). and there was a hose i disconnected coming from somewhere up front near the thermostat housing and i have yet to determine what to do with it. up until now, i've assumed it involved crankcase or head ventilation and that attaching it to some sort of standalone air filter or running it to one or both of the new air cleaners might be a solution.
any thoughts? thanks
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hueyhoolihan (08-17-2024)
#257
well, from what i gather from your response, it looks as though my "lazy fair" philosophy has led me to a possible satisfactory solution, because i simply turned the end of the rubber hose straight up and it now points directly at the hood. although, i'll probably be looking for a thin and semi porous clamp-on cap of some sort to protect the paint and catch any debris that may exit the hose. thanks again.
Last edited by hueyhoolihan; 08-17-2024 at 04:57 PM.
#258
well, from what i gather from your response, it looks as though my "lazy fair" philosophy has led me to a possible satisfactory solution, because i simply turned the end of the rubber hose straight up and it now points directly at the hood. although, i'll probably be looking for a thin and semi porous clamp-on cap of some sort to protect the paint and catch any debris that may exit the hose. thanks again.
My memory has begun to work! The last XK engines in XJ6 cars still had more or less the same system of a hose to the air cleaner (at least in the UK). The part that changed over the years, was the oil trap on the front of the cylinder head. Whichever is there, it benefits from occasional cleaning.
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Glyn M Ruck (08-17-2024)
#260
A flexible breather line will let you vent engine to atmosphere, closer to the ground below your motor. You will get a messy oil film all over the side of the engine with your current configuration.
https://mossmotors.com/jes-8234-cylinder-head-breather
Rgds
David
https://mossmotors.com/jes-8234-cylinder-head-breather
Rgds
David