Started First Time - With Problem (now running update)
Turbo Mini Forums

Some of you may have seen my limited build thread http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=9373

Well today the new MPI pump arrived in the post, so spent about an hour swapping it over and putting the tank back in, wired it up, and hay presto, fuel.

Took the plugs out and turned it over to get oil pressure, straight up to 5bar. Put the plugs back in and wired the fuel pump back up and turned it over, turned over 10 - 15 times..... nothing.

Got out the car and started to re-check everything, very quickly realised that some choke might help.. duh.

Turned it over again, by this time the battery is getting a bit weak, turned over 3-4 times and it burst into life, much to my surprise.

All the dials looked ok, oil pressure sitting at about 5 bar (is this about right?) AFR reading between mid 14's to low 15's, was hunting a little bit but not surprise as it's the first time this engine has run and the carb has been refurbed and not set up.

Quite a bit of smoke out of the exhaust, again not a surprise as I'd put some oil down the bores a few weeks ago when the last fuel pump not working meant I wouldn't be starting the car for a while.

Then disaster struck, well sort of, got out the car to check for leaks and the like, to be greeted by a big pool of oil coming out from under the car. So switched it off and cleared up the mess.

The postmortem reveled that the oil had been coming from between the oil filter housing and the oil filter, closer examination showed that the rubber gasket had been come out in one area and got nipped, meaning that the filter wasn't tightened up properly, well at least that's what I'm hoping rather than to much pressure blowing the gasket out, there are no other signs of leaks and theres nothing in the catch tank.

So, off to halfords in the morning for a new oil filter and I'll try again and see what happens this time.

Got to say, I'm quite chuffed though, while it was running it sounded pretty good.

Edited by Dicanio on 26th Oct, 2008.

5 bar sounds fine on a cold engine

good to hear its simple fixes!

halfords ey.... haha

sort of congrats mate, on the oil filter front i would say put a new one on it (dont forget hand tight plus 1/4 turn!) make sure everything is fine and try again. im not sure on the oil pressure front but im sure somebody will be along shortly to give you an answer.

Yep new oil filter is in order, if i've trapped the rubber gasket it's a school boy error, but suppose something had to go wrong!!!

Only going to Halfords cos they will be open tomorrow and oil filters are pretty standard.

Thanks Iain, that puts my mind even more at rest, lets just hope it was a simple f**k up

Well, looks like it wasn't an error in the fitemnt of the oil filter, replaced it today, started her up, ran for a few seconds, then pop. It blew the oil filter clean off.

I've got an alloy sandwich plate for the oil temp and pressure sensors, and it's all come apart.

Engine was ticking over at 5bar for the few seconds and then the pressure gauge shot round and then the pop.

Going to go out later and see whats what, make sure I havn't kinked the oil cooler hoses when fitting the intercooler.

I'm hoping it something very simple, but it appears to be oil pressure rather than crackcase pressure as everything else is as it should be with no oil in the breathers or catch tank.

Any thoughts?

Edited by Dicanio on 19th Oct, 2008.

5 BAR is approx 75 psi, which is more than i'd exect at idle,

sounds like the relief valve is stuck or much much too strong

Relief valve sound promising, it's got one of those adjustable things on, think I'll order new standard stuff and give it a go. Bloody oil everywhere at the moment, not to dis-heartened though, at least it starts!!

or chop a couple of turns of the existing spring.

with the adjuster screwed all the way out to get the thread to engage on the outer big nut thingy should only need a push of about 4mm,

I have found that the "cooper S" ball and spring give much to much pressure, if these were used with an adjustable relife cover too this would make matters worse.

By 4mm, i'm assuming that with the cup and spring in the block and the nut offered up the there is 4mm to push the nut to engage the threads.

Mines more like 20-25mm, and it's an absolute bastard to get the nut to engage.

With the spring in place I've blown down the hose from the oil cooler to the block (not very scientific i know) and nearly popped a blood vessel, I cannot get much, if any air down there, but with it removed it's easy peasy.

Looks like the relief valve could be the culprit then??

Edited by Dicanio on 19th Oct, 2008.

SOUND LIKE THATS THE ISSUE oops caps,

Hope so, feels like i'm very close to having a running car, which after a 6 year build is a bit of a motivator!!

I'll get all new from Minispares - unless anyone has a spare they'd like to sell?

I meant that it just sounds like the spring is too long,

there are only 2 springs available IIRC the S one which is slightly shorter but much stiffer and the A one which isnt.

i think either will be too long and need cutting down, i'd definatly try this first.

or replace it all with a standard spring, cover and shuttle, which i jest realised is probably what you meant.

Yeh, plan was just to replace it with standard at the moment and see whats what, though just read on MiniSpares website that the adjustable ones cannot affect idle oil pressure, which is a bit of a worry.

Hoping that because the choke was out the car was running at about 2k-2.5k revs and the relief valve should have come in.

I'm sure I've got some standard relief v/v bits somewhere if you want to pop through sometime?

That would be cool Tom, could drop off that gearbox if you still want it. Do you think I'm on the right lines?

75 cold isnt too high, its at the top end but not excessive, but sounds like its going much higher than that

Yeah 75psi is fine, mine is at least that from cold at idle. I would stick with the original spring and shuttle PRV setup rather than the ball and spring though.

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1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

Looks like it runs at 75psi for a little while and then the pressure builds in the oil filter, second time it blew it clean off.

As i've posted earlier my spring would seem to be to long, it's actually 8mm longer than the free length listed in haynes. So I'm hoping that the problem.

Just before it went pop (split second) the needle on the oil pressure gauge went off the scale, at least I know my oil pump works OK I suppose.

Get the bits from Tom hopefully this week and give it another go at the weekend.

yes not too high exactly but at the top end.

dicanio how long is a little while??

10-15 seconds at most

that really doesn't sound like the releif valve, more like a return blockage, especially for it to blow off the filter. Can you not try it with a new filter and without the sandwich plate and take the pressure reading from the oil switch takeoff?

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

Right, I've had another quick look at this tonight, only a quick look though as I was at work till late.

I've offered the sandwich plate up in the orientation that it was fitted, the plate has 2 crossmember to support the center piece, one of these crossmembers was directly in line with the hole for the housing to block pipe, it doesn't block the flow totally as the crossmember is 5-6mm lower.

I'm thinking that the oil comes into the fiter via the housing and escapes through the housing to block return pipe (oil cooler on mine). Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Having seen this and making these assumption I'm thinking that the flow of oil has been significantly restricted to cause the symptom I've got.

Would appreciate thoughts/comments please guys.

i might be wrong but im under the impression that the oil flow is in the opposite direction to what you are thinking.

althougth the last time i was talking about flow in the a-series engine i looked like a twat so we shall see lol

James, a bit of research would suggest you are correct, and the fact that the lttle ball in the housing (don't know it's proper name) pushes up would back up your theory.

Still think the plate maybe the culprit, as it's 90 degrees to the housing to block hole, and would be restricted by the other crossmember.

As i type this I'm thinking that this build up of pressure should be released by the release valve, surely thats it's purpose, as it just drops the excess pressure back into the sump rather than over pressurising the system.

Thought this would be an easy fix initially, now I'm more confused than ever.

Role on the weekend