Hey guys, the dipstick on 'Old Blyty' is very loose. It has no purchase and sits in place with only gravity holding it down. After a good motorway run today, at 70ish most of the way, I got home and popped the bonnet to find oil splashed up on the inside of the bonnet and all over the front face of the engine. The centre point was clearly the dipstick opening. I have a shield in front of the dizzy, so I'm guessing that the upward rush of air has been picking up the oil leaking from the opening and flicking it around the front area. I cleaned the front face down with soapy liquid making sure all of the 'possible' leak areas were clean. Then revved the car hard for quite a few minutes, but no oil leaking from anywhere.
Is the most obvious answer (that the loose dipstick is the cause) possible? Would the oil pressure force oil up the tube? My oil pressure is very good, sitting happily at 70 on the pressure gauge when I'm cruising at decent revs.
If this is an obvious dumb question, feel free to rib me rude about it! Lol!
Loose Dipstick; Likely Oil Leak?
Started by
Jedi Master
, May 03 2015 06:55 PM
16 replies to this topic
#1
Jedi Master
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 06:55 PM
#2
Anthony30
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:03 PM
Is that some kind of euphemism. 
#3
Anthony30
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:13 PM
What about excessive crankcase pressure? 
#4
Anthony30
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:14 PM
What about excessive crankcase pressure?
Check your PCV?
#5
Jedi Master
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:22 PM
PCV?
#6
Anthony30
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:27 PM
Crankcase ventilation. The canister thingy at the back of the head. 1275's should also have one on the clutch housing, and some cars also have one on the rocker cover.
#7
Jedi Master
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:30 PM
You think it's blocked? It's in place, with a hose coming out of the top and going to a pipe on the side of the HIF 38 carb.
#8
Anthony30
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:33 PM
No idea to be honest, just something for you to check. It would be my first guess if it was my car.
#9
Jedi Master
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:35 PM
No idea to be honest, just something for you to check.
OK, will check it tomorrow. Thanks for the steer!
#10
Anthony30
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:35 PM
No idea to be honest, just something for you to check.
OK, will check it tomorrow. Thanks for the steer!
No problem. 
#11
sledgehammer
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 07:54 PM
I have seen springs attached to the dip stick , to hold them in place
#12
nicklouse
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 08:22 PM
A loose fitting dip stick in itself is not an issue. It does not have any thing to do. But excessive breathing by the engine can cause some oil to pass out. More so on the A+ blocks as they don't have the screwing dip stick pipe.
It might be an idea to look at one if the ones that seal better but first check your breathers.
It might be an idea to look at one if the ones that seal better but first check your breathers.
#13
Dazols
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Posted 03 May 2015 - 09:24 PM
I have exactly the same issue with my car. I have ordered a new dipstick to see it's a better fit. I will have to check my breather.
#14
ukcooper
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#15
Jedi Master
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Posted 09 May 2015 - 06:07 PM
The mystery is solved.....
After a long journey yesterday I got home to see that yet again, oil was spayed all over the underside of the bonnet and the front side of the engine area.
Woke up this morning determined to fix it!
Cleaned all of the oil away as best as I could and then took the car for a jet wash. Back home I started going through all of the obvious points that I have learned from the TMF members.
Breather hose was clear but the carb connection was very loose, so I sorted that with a jubilee clip.
A couple of o-rings on the dipstick and it's now a nice snug fit.
After some more general fettling I felt quite proud of my work and the now clean engine bay, but was still very jubious that I had actually fixed the issue.
In an effort to watch the issue resurface, I cranked him up, and kept the revs high whilst my head was stuck in the bonnet. 15 minutes and seemingly no leak!.....
Just about to drop the bonnet and I suddenly catch a glint of light from the brass oil nut that connects the oil pressure gauge tube to the engine. I put 750 lumens on it and I see some minute bubbles coming from the nut. I reach down and the fecking thing is only bloody loose!!! I tighten it up, and no bubbles. So I guess it was not the dipstick after all!
He's the real annoyance; that was a new part fitted by Jonspeed Racing! Shoddy work! I didn't even consider it as a possible leak point as I'd assumed they'd done their job properly..... I then wonder about my Smiths rev counter, which they also fitted and couldn't get working properly. A bit of digging on TMF and I discover another bodge; the Rev counter won't work with electronic ignition, which they fitted at the same time! Surely an experienced mini garage would know that! Argh!!!!
The joys of classic mini ownership, and the frustration of still needing to find a reliable (and honest) garage that can handle my requirements!
After a long journey yesterday I got home to see that yet again, oil was spayed all over the underside of the bonnet and the front side of the engine area.
Woke up this morning determined to fix it!
Cleaned all of the oil away as best as I could and then took the car for a jet wash. Back home I started going through all of the obvious points that I have learned from the TMF members.
Breather hose was clear but the carb connection was very loose, so I sorted that with a jubilee clip.
A couple of o-rings on the dipstick and it's now a nice snug fit.
After some more general fettling I felt quite proud of my work and the now clean engine bay, but was still very jubious that I had actually fixed the issue.
In an effort to watch the issue resurface, I cranked him up, and kept the revs high whilst my head was stuck in the bonnet. 15 minutes and seemingly no leak!.....
Just about to drop the bonnet and I suddenly catch a glint of light from the brass oil nut that connects the oil pressure gauge tube to the engine. I put 750 lumens on it and I see some minute bubbles coming from the nut. I reach down and the fecking thing is only bloody loose!!! I tighten it up, and no bubbles. So I guess it was not the dipstick after all!
He's the real annoyance; that was a new part fitted by Jonspeed Racing! Shoddy work! I didn't even consider it as a possible leak point as I'd assumed they'd done their job properly..... I then wonder about my Smiths rev counter, which they also fitted and couldn't get working properly. A bit of digging on TMF and I discover another bodge; the Rev counter won't work with electronic ignition, which they fitted at the same time! Surely an experienced mini garage would know that! Argh!!!!
The joys of classic mini ownership, and the frustration of still needing to find a reliable (and honest) garage that can handle my requirements!
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