We all make fun of the oil leaks in the A-series engines.
I didn't think mine was too bad until it developed a slow weep while I was moving the car into the garage before Adelaide's storm last night.

thats not an oil leak,it's a deluge

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1967 Morris mini Deluxe
1968 Buick Riviera
1979 HZ Kingswood
1979 CM Valiant
1982 Jaguar XJ6 series 3
2002 VX HSV
2013 Mazda 6
2018 Gt Mustang

It is that. More of an explosion actually. There was oil on the underside of the bonnet!
Took me a while to notice where it had come from, turns out the oil pressure gauge tube in the block had popped off.
It drove 20m like that, so I hope it's alright inside. When I've fitted another pressure tube and refilled the oil, I'll turn it over a few times by hand.

Hope the EPA don't notice an oil slick going from one driveway to the next, and into the garage!

Looks like you still had a fair bit of oil when you arrived, presuming it wasn't empty and still draining off the outside of the motor and noting you seem to have shut off the engine before it shut itself off, here is hoping you are fine.

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1972 Leyland Clubman, 4EFTE 1330cc Turbo, 220Hp on 17psi
(1/4 mile: 13.8s @108mph @168Hp)

If it is the plastic oil line to the gauge...replace it with copper tube type!

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"Show me the Mini!"

I did see those copper ones 9Y, are they much better than the nylon?

Looking online, Mt Barker Autobarn has the nylon but not the copper kit. I'll look around and see who else might have it. Or get them to order it in for me.

Minisport have the three bits to replicate the original style - copper pipe from block, rubber tube and copper pipe to gauge. Not cheap though.

https://minisport.com.au/category22_4.htm

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Yes, so long as you don't bend them too tight and allow some coils to handle vibration...the plastic ones are dangerous for the average punter...

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"Show me the Mini!"

You can also get braided ones. But beware, if they rub on electric cables they can wear through the insulation. One member here had a fire under bonnet due to this.

Re the original style ones with the 1/8 bore rubber hose, the hose I bought from a Mini shop here ( not Minisport) wouldn't clamp properly with the clips supplied.
I replaced it with 3mm black fuel injection hose and 2 cable ties. Much tighter fit, no leaks.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

You won't have a problem with how far you went.
-There was a very low engine load,
-The remnant oil remained in the galleries to feed the bearings, and
-The size of the oil line outlet versus the large flow from the pump means you had oil flow to the bearings at any rate for that short distance.

It's just a hell of a mess, and it looks pretty black too!

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Thanks all, for your comments.

I haven't yet obtained the replacement tube, life has been too busy on other fronts.
Expecting to have this done next weekend. I'll be using the copper kit from Autobarn. I'll do a loop ('expansion loop') near the engine block and then follow the wiring loom back to the dashboard - any spare length will be looped around in the dash area. Most likely I'll wrap the tube with something so it doesn't short out any wires there.

I'm not happy with the colour of the oil that has spilled, I will take this opportunity to do a full oil and filter change - it's half drained out already!

Also on the cards is a coolant change and fitting a new temperature gauge that works, this weekend is already looking pretty busy.
And adjust the steering arm tie rod ends, one needs about 1 turn in, the other 1 turn out, to straighten the steering wheel up.

Then, fingers crossed, it'll be a working Mini again! Next stop, carb mixture...

Don't make the coil(s) too close to the attaching union, say about 10-15 cms away, and then that length of tube can have a large bend if needed.

Wrap or lay (do not twist the copper tube) around a wine or 1 litre soft drink bottle say...

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"Show me the Mini!"

Good idea with leaving a tail, thanks for that. Will let me have a bit of moving room for the locking nut too.
I used an appropriate sized holesaw when I was bending the tube into the master cylinders, it worked well enough for that.

Good...so is your coil up near the master cylinder? (rather than in the way down near that vibrating monster!)

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"Show me the Mini!"

Copper oil gauge tube installed now, I have one loop at the engine end (to isolate the rest of the copper from vibration) and one behind the gauge so I have some movement if I need to access the back of the gauge cluster.
All this seems to work fine! Thanks everyone for your help.

And here's a picture of my dashboard. L-R I've got a bit of 12v auxiliary (sockets and USB), the centre clock, gauge cluster (tacho, temperature, voltage and oil pressure), then on the far right is a 50a rocker switch that controls everything except the starter.