Irish Mini Owners Club

hi
need some advise. i just finished my mini i rebuild the engine all with new gasgets. i also put a copper gasget on the head.but the engine has started smoking alot. i have checked out the valve seals and there ok. i think the head gasget must be dameged cos it is loosing a lot of oil. i am going to re-do the engine so would it be a good idea to get another copper head gasget or should i stick with a ordinery one. does anyone know a good make of gasgets in general cos i dont want to make the same mistake again.
joe

Hi Joe
What type engine is it?
when you say a rebuild did you get the engine bored or just replace the rings. Also check the breather system for a blockage. Mine was blocked and using oil. I pulled out the gause inside the breather tank (blocked with black gunge) and got the head overhauled fitted new guides, exhaust valves and 8 valve stem oil seals. this stopped it using oil. How much oil would it use in a 1000 miles. Up to a pint would be classed as normal. I use the copper gasket as it has a better sealing surface. Using cheap oil can also cause an engine to use oil.

Number 8

Can you get a leak down test done?

If you rebored or fitted new rings these will take time to ware in.What mileage since rebuild. I'd do a compression test before removing head. On 1275 engines the payne AF460 (or maybe AF470,one is copper)head gasket.

i just fitted new rings and bearings and all new gasgets. it not only using oil it really smells bad and if you drive it on it will fill the road with smoke. the engine has only done about 200 mile since done i think it might be bad quality gasgets cos there is an oil leak on the gear box allready and i was very vigilent with the engine took my time and made sure everything was clean and well sealed and thightend. there relly isnt anywere close by to get a leak down test done . im thinking i might have to re-do the engine. the engine is a 1275 metro by the way. does anyone know what the torque setting for small-end / big-end / and head .
thanks
joe

Did you hone the bores befour refiting the pistons with the new Rings ?

Small end Torque is 24 lbf ft

Big end is 37 lbf ft if it is a bolt or 33 lbf ft if it is a nut.

Cylinder head nut is 50 lbf ft, Cylinder head nuts should be torqued up in sequence and in stages. The head also needs to be re-torqued after 50 miles.

The Marcos Graveyard wrote:Small end Torque is 24 lbf ft

Big end is 37 lbf ft if it is a bolt or 33 lbf ft if it is a nut.

Cylinder head nut is 50 lbf ft, Cylinder head nuts should be torqued up in sequence and in stages. The head also needs to be re-torqued after 50 miles.

thanks would it still be the same settings if the head was skimmed twice and i am using a copper head gasget.

Torque settings are always the same.All the info you need is in the Haynes manual ,a must for anybody getting into engine building

Hope you didn't take too much off the head.

Did you get the right size rings??? Maybe a broken ring when fitting, does it smoke constantly or just under acceleration??? Copper gaskets are very hard to get sealed right, use a Payen standard black one, they are by far the strongest and most forgiving, sorry can't remember the number off hand. What grade oil are you using???? You say the gearbox is leaking-where??? You should always use a small amount of good quality sealant on both sides of the gasket when fitting, I use a Loctite product. Whats the oil pressure like??? There are so many possibilities. As someone else mentioned did you hone the bores when you installed the new rings??? Did it smoke from the initial fire up of the engine after rebuilding or is it just recently. Did you replace the valve guides??? or seals???

GTM Coupe wrote:Did you get the right size rings??? Maybe a broken ring when fitting, does it smoke constantly or just under acceleration??? Copper gaskets are very hard to get sealed right, use a Payen standard black one, they are by far the strongest and most forgiving, sorry can't remember the number off hand. What grade oil are you using???? You say the gearbox is leaking-where??? You should always use a small amount of good quality sealant on both sides of the gasket when fitting, I use a Loctite product. Whats the oil pressure like??? There are so many possibilities. As someone else mentioned did you hone the bores when you installed the new rings??? Did it smoke from the initial fire up of the engine after rebuilding or is it just recently. Did you replace the valve guides??? or seals???

ya got the right size rings cos had to give number on top of pistons to get them. it only started smoking lately. its abit smokey on start up but when you accelerate it get 100 times worse. the oil pressure is good. the leak on gear box is below the radiator i did use loctite sealer on both sides of all the gasgets when bulding the engine. i was talking to a bloke today how said when the engine is skimmed you need to get a different thickness of gasget. as far as i know the gasget i fittted was standerd cos i wasnt asked to state that the head was skimmed when i bought it. i was told i should get the man who skims the head to supply the gasget that way he knows the right one to get.( what do you think). the oil i am using is 20w 50w. another thing is that the grank breather was really badly blocked which i am only after fixing would this have caused the problem. i also got the valves grinded and reseated and fitted new oil seals and double valve springs on the rebuild.
thanks
joe

If its only started doing it recently something has given way after the rebuild to cause this, from what you say about it smoking under acceleration this would leave me to believe that its a cylinder head problem with the oil bypassing the seals or guides and lodging in the cylinder during rest or idle, however this should clear until its brought back to and idle or started again. If it continues to smoke after this process then I would say its more than likley a piston ring problem more than likley a broken a ring. This could have been done by not bedding the rings in properly aswell, also the honning may not have been done well enough. I would do a compression test on the cylinders and find the culprit this way, this will at least show you where it is leaking.

thanks for the help ill get a compression test done as soon as.
thanks
joe