This problem continues to be a thorn in my side.

From the start, rebuilt 1098, pistons, bearing , valves and guides etc etc.

When I first got it on the road I noticed a small weap of coolant from the front of the head gasket. I was told later that I should have put straight water first then coolant. Anyway it was already in so I torqued it down a second time and after a couple of runs it appearred to stop.

The second issue was I was getting a fine mist of oil covering the back of the motor, thought it was the engine cover gasket, tightened it up, still had oil misting over the back of the engine. More investigation revealed that it was coming out of the breather pipe (small pipe squeezed nearly closed).

It was suggested that I had a crankcase breather problem. I was also using an alloy tappet cover, with had a small hole in the cap. I did two things. 1. drilled the small hole in the cap a little larger. 2 Opened up the breather pipe in side cover and ran a length of hose off it down towards the roadway.

NOW, that seamed to be working well until I decided that the motor was run-in enough and it could take a bit more stick.

After a couple of trips up and down the Hume Hwy sitting on a consistent 4000 to 4500 rpm (No oil pressure loss approx 65-70lbs) (No rise in temp approx 180) got home parked it and discovered oil dripping off the inner mud guard. Enough to run an oil slick along the underside of the floor.

Dipped the oil and had lost about 1/2 a litre and coolant was down to the core and the oil; that dipped onto the ground appearred to have a mix of coolant in it.

Plan was to throw the alloy cover away and put the tin lid, with breather back on and replace the side cover with the one with the seperator breather on it.

Does anyone think there is a problem with the head gasket? Or do you think the above breathers will fix the problem?

Sorry for the long winded question, but I would like to get it right.

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Dalmeny

Head gasket may be a problem, pushing out oil under the head and pressurising the system allowing water to flow out the overflow hose to mix with the oil running down the side of the inner guard, but, the oil leak may be coming from the speedo drive or the timing cover. Do you still have a manual fuel pump attached to the engine but not in use? If you do the diaphram might be damaged which would pump oil out. The coolant loss may be from the lower hose connections, the bypass hose between the head and the waterpump if you have one or a faulty radiator cap..

There's a few options for you.

Thanks, but all the oil is coming out of the breather hose. I did forget to mention that there is also a build up of white condensation under the rocker cover. And a couple of days after drive the car there is still pressure when you remove the radiator cap.

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Dalmeny

Condensation under the rocker cover is normal in this climate if your breathers are not working correctly. The brand of oil can also affect condensation.

The pipe on the side cover with the crushed end is the air inlet, there is a tiny slot that you can fit a feeler gauge into. It is to let fresh air into the engine to replace the dirty air that is getting sucked out via the oil separator in the hump in the rocker cover. It is not a very good system but it works when everything is stock.

I would fit the proper Cooper S tank type of side cover and a PCV valve from it to the inlet manifold.

You could run the breather line to the vac port on side of the carb instead, if it has one. No PCV valve needed then.
(If there is no vac port, one can be added if you have a bench drill. Copy the position from an HS4 (998 Clubby) carby, drill the hole thru, 1/4" diameter, then counterbore it to take a 5/16" or 3/8" OD tube. Loctite it in.
Position of this port is not super critical, I have done a few carbs recently).

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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.

Thanks for the response, it sounds like it is still a breather problem and NOT a head gasket, correct???

It has a webber with a short manifold and two blocked off holes in it. If I fitted a PCV valve to the alloy cover and run it to the inlet holes via hose fittings and fitted the cooper s side cover, with breather, would that provide as much breathing as this motor needs?

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Dalmeny

You need a PCV valve into the manifold, 1 side will do.
Run that from a Cooper S side cover breather.
Block the breather hole in the alloy cover with a plug.
You can use either a plain plastic oil filler cap or the Cooper S one with a little breather in it, either will work. (I run plain type on my 1412 and an S one on the 1360).
BTW it doesn't need to be a Cooper S PCV valve, an inline Toyota one works fine.
Like this one I got from Repco-

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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.

Thanks Kev

I'll let you know how it goes.

Steve

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Dalmeny

I run the same valve, I got it from AutoOne in Goulburn, they had to order it in.

Took all the good advice and purchased a PCV (from AutoOne Goulburn thanks Morris1100). Gave it another good run up to Mini King Today not a drip of oil anywhere. All was good. Used a cooper side plate and blocked the hole in the filler cap.

Thanks again.

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Dalmeny

Glad you have solved the problem, and you car looked good today parked out the front of MiniKing

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

I'm glad you had great success with the pcv-013.

Looks good, glad it works just like mine.
I'd put a decent size black cable tie round each of those hose connections and cinch them tight. Looks neater than hose clamps and works just as well.

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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.

And we need to see more photos of your car. Great colour.

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

Where do you connect the valve if you have a 1275 engine with no back plates on the back of the block.

also using for SU's

Ta

Kiwiinwgtn