Hi all
Just changed the oil in my 1100S for the first time (car is new to me) and I was surprised at how long it takes for the oil to drain down out of the rocker cover.
If I poured in a couple of litres it would fill up completely and than take a few minutes to drain down so that I could see the top of the head
This doesn't seem right to me.
Phil

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Fairly normal for a mini. Always have to be careful you don't have it overflow on you as you pour it in.

Without side covers on the back of the engine with the 1300 blocks, there's even less space for the oil to dribble down through to the sump. Quite normal. Worse when the oil is thick and cold.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

Thanks guys
I was in a bit of a panic as my daughters 1100 drains down quite quickly but as you have noted it has tappet covers.
Thought I might have an engine full of sludge build up.

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Had you warmed the engine first? have the cap off the rocker cover? and the dip stick out?

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"Show me the Mini!"

I'll go out on a limb here and say he had the cap off the rocker cover to put the oil in

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http://www.mini-hb.co.nz

No limb required...he coulda whipped the cap off to add the oil after waiting an eternity for the engine to drain

BTW I used to jack the passenger side up to get the last skeric of gunge out after a long drain (say overnite)...then some clean lint free cloth and a bendy stick in the sump plug orifice a few times...and if it was still bad enough...run some lighter oil for a few hundred clicks and then dump it.

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"Show me the Mini!"

I think he's talking about the oil taking a long time to drain down out of the rocker cover when filling it up with fresh oil.

My 1275 with no tappet covers takes a long time to drain down as well. Have to put in about 1/2 litre at a time and then wait a couple of minutes for it to drain down.

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1963 Morris 850

Mini0998, yes, exactly my problem. Pour 2 litres in and then waaaaaaaaaaaaait for it to drain down into the sump.
My dipstick has a seal around it and with the dipstick removed it did seem to drain down a little faster.
I guess I'm just accustomed to my Civic which almost sucks the oil out of the bottle by comparison.

By the way, with the engine idling, if I remove the oil filler cap on the rocker cover, the idle slows down a bit. Not a lot, but a bit. No tachometer so I don't know exactly how much.

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Yep, every solid block (no side covers) 1275 is like that.
On a related note, filling an mg tf is way slower, you cant get to the rocker cover so they adapted a filler which funnels into the dip stick tube, you get a stiff back by the time it's done.

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The fleet:
1949 Fiat Topolino
1965 Morris 1100
1966 Mini Van (project)
19?? Morris 1500 (for sale)
1979 Chrysler Regal
1990 FSM Niki

You can get to the rocker cover on an MG F, there is a removable panel over the motor. The problem is getting to the panel, but i think it's probably quicker to take the roof off and get the panel out then try and fill it through the oil filler at the back of the car.

But yes the MG F's oil filler is very poorly designed

there are a few different size push rod holes in the non-side plate blocks,,,
some are very small indeed,,, & then they`re filled with push-rods too
some have a big hole in each end of the block but the rest are small,,,
some have larger holes right across the board

but when we build a race engine from a non-side plate block, we "Up-size" the push-rod holes in the block
& also modify the rocker covers with 2 extra oil drain/breather pipes
one on each end of the rocker cover, front one goes down to the fuel pump hole
the back one to the primary case breather hole
doing these mods helps both oil drain & engine breathing


easy-peasy

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Thanks for the info Miniman
I just had a look inside the rocker cover and noticed that I have cast rockers and there is a number on the head under the rocker shaft the end of which I can see is 24C.
This is cast across the head not along it.
Does that tell anything ?
Also the valve end of the rockers is bluish as if it has been heat treated at that end. I guess this would be normal to have this area hardened so that it does not wear with contact with the valve stem ?

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Sounds like it is an early 1100S motor with the Cooper S forged rockers.
They have a reputation for poor valve lift, their rocker pads are not real hard either, they wear. Perhaps someone has attempted to re-heat treat them....

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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.

Went and got my Blue Slip today passed.
On the way down the freeway the rocker cover filled with oil and then got sucked into the inlet manifold and all the cars behind disappeared in the blue smoke.
If I stay below about 50mph it is OK.
Why is so much oil being pumped into the top of the engine.
I can fit a drain from the lower edge of the rocker cover to the the fuel pump hole to help drain the oil back, but why is so much getting to the rocker cover.

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