Breather?

[PhilB]

Left a dipstick on the bench once years ago, closed bonnet - after a few days local use had oil light flickering and checked - bonnet had oil everywhere!

[Andrew S]

Left a dipstick on the bench once years ago, closed bonnet - after a few days local use had oil light flickering and checked - bonnet had oil everywhere!

Wow, Ok, interesting
Cheers
Andrew

[GDPR]

If "air" is being pushed out with any force from the cam cover, and its oil incontinent, it is reasonable to think this has some bore problems.

Personally, I'd now be doing a dry/wet compression test

[Andrew S]

If "air" is being pushed out with any force from the cam cover, and its oil incontinent, it is reasonable to think this has some bore problems.

Personally, I'd now be doing a dry/wet compression test

Oh dear Russ, he wont want to hear that but I'll do the check

I wont name the trader as they are good but the Stag has just had its timing chains done and being there is sop much oil underneath and on the sump, correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the sump have to be dropped to do the chains if the front cover comes off? Could therefore be the sump gasket too. Its soaking underneath and in this image I can see blue sealant of damaged gasket. The car didn't use as much oil before it went in and he has lost 3.5 litres roughly in 300 miles.

2017-08-11 20.52.03.jpg

[GDPR]

A lot of people will cut and shut the sump gasket at the front, as they are seldom saveable, leastways ever since the OEM gaskets ran out and we only have the current thin weak rubbish that splits when you look at it too hard and laziness stops them dropping the Xmember to renew the sump gasket. I personally have a stock of thicker repair sections for that part of the sump gasket and I take great care to clean and seal the joint well. They don't like to pay the extra few hours labour to drop the sump so I give them the option when I do them.

What you have to bear in mind is if the engine breathes a bit hard, it will defeat a poorly repaired sump gasket in short order, whereas an engine in good nick should have a negative pressure which is trying to suck the oil back in.

I still think the compression test will show up a problem, but you can gash up a water manometer and place it on the dipstick tube and it will tell you straight away whether you have positive (bad) or negative (good) pressure in the crankcase

[Andrew S]

Thanks Russ, I'll do the compression test over the weekend
Cheers
Andrew