Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[DodgeRover]

Is it noisy mechanically at idle? 20/50 oil is what you want though and a fresh filter in case its full of cack from the system.

I take it the oil light wasn't on last time it got hot at the MOT station?

Is it going off on idle when its stone cold?

[dollywobbler]

No noise, which is what gave me confidence to raise the revs. Haven't tried from stone cold, but did leave it a couple of hours before trying again - same result. Don't recall seeing the oil light come on before, not even when I climbed a hill with it the other day.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Yeah, thanks. Not my favourite TG moment...

 

Apoligies for the insensitivity, it didn't occur to me a 2CV licker would dislike the destruction of a 2CV.

 

Back on topic, Thicker oil may make cold starts a bit harder in super chilly weather, but for your long journey to FOTU it would be for the best.

 

Extra dials just equal extra stress. Plus, your fleet is very minimalist when it comes to the dashboard department!

[Talbot]

Back on topic, Thicker oil may make cold starts a bit harder in super chilly weather,

A change from SAE30 to 20W-50 means it will be slightly thinner when cold, only comparitively thicker when at running temperature.

[plasticvandan]

think sensibly,it was fine when you took it for mot,and fine before.so whats changed.it hasnt suddenly worn out,and the oil hasnt suddenly turned to water.

[panhard65]

I hope you have better luck than I am having with the Hearse. It flickered the oil light at tick over when it got bloody hot on the way home from Spain. The light also took a long while to go out, some fresh 20/50 improved it. I have just pulled the engine to replace the rear main oil seal and that little bit of running with low oil pressure has damaged the bearings and has lead to a crank grind and new shells.

[busmansholiday]

I compared an android app to a calibrated sound level meter and they were within 1-2 at each reading point.

Sound is measured in decibels and it's a logrithmic scale. So a 3db increase is actually a doubling of the sound (noise) level. An app that's 2db out isn't that useful, that's why a class I sound level meter (the one needed for surveys for them to be meaningful) costs several grand (H&S hat off).

[dollywobbler]

Now with video.

 

The Internet seems to reckon the oil pick up might be clogged. I can't drop the sump, as there isn't one I don't think. It's just part of the crankcase. There is a small access panel, so maybe I can drop the oil and have a look inside. Lots of thinking time, as it's going to be several days before I can do anything.

[Zelandeth]

Certainly not impossible given it's been sitting around for a while, and will likely have been doing lots of short journeys earlier in its life.

 

Worth a look at least, and if it's accessible (don't have the manual to hand) make sure there's not some crud having got itself into the pressure relief valve.

[SiC]

Extra dials just equal extra stress. Plus, your fleet is very minimalist when it comes to the dashboard department!

Tell me about it!

[Asimo]

What's the bottom end like on these? If it's roller bearings like the 2CV then oil pressure is pretty unimportant compared to flowrate.

Although it is a pressed-up assembly (like a 2-stroke), a 2CV crankshaft is all plain-bearing.

 

 

The Steyr engine has a one piece crank with conventional split big-ends.

This drawing looks like it (unusually) has seperate counterweights so not completely normal for a modern-ish car engine.

 

[DodgeRover]

I hope you have better luck than I am having with the Hearse. It flickered the oil light at tick over when it got bloody hot on the way home from Spain. The light also took a long while to go out, some fresh 20/50 improved it. I have just pulled the engine to replace the rear main oil seal and that little bit of running with low oil pressure has damaged the bearings and has lead to a crank grind and new shells.

I bet it was run like that for years before you bought it though?

[LightBulbFun]

slightly off the topic of oil leaks but.

 

for gits and shiggles I put "TWC735K" into the DVLA website, (DWs invacar is TWC725K) and it actually showed up as a invacar with tax expiring in June 1987 does anyone know if TWC735K still exists or?

[dollywobbler]

I have 20w50 oil, so the plan is to do an oil change tomorrow. My £1.86 oil filters from Carfarce4less have not turned up, or shown any sign of actually being dispatched even (surprise!) so I guess that'll be getting left. Might pull it off to have a nose anyway, just make sure there's no sludge in it. Might pull off the bottom plate to have a nose in the sump too. Have just realised I could do with TWC being on the ramps for this task. That should be fun. 

 

May also pull off the fuel pump and the oil filler neck, as one of the two is leaking where it meets the block. Might be instant gasket time.

[dollywobbler]

This morning, I dropped the oil on TWC and then unbolted the 'thing' on the bottom of the sump. 

 

Turns out this is the strainer for the pick-up. It was GRIM inside. Sludge a-plenty. Yes, inside the strainer. Nice! I blasted and blasted it with Screwfix penetrating oil, which comes out of the can with surprising force. This did a great job, but did render the strainer so cold I couldn't hold it any longer. In fact, ice was starting to form on it. Decided a bit of heat might be a good idea. Because I'm an idiot, I applied it with a blowtorch. The penetrating oil caught fire, and dripped fire into my oil catch tank, which now had a lot of penetrating oil in it. There was fire. I tried blowing it out, I singed my eyebrows and hair. I then had a better idea and dropped a towel over the catch can. Sorted! Idiot.

 

Things no longer on fire.

 

Removed the oil filler assembly, cleared it out (there were remnants of wire wool in the upper part, I guess I should replace that) applied instant gasket and refitted it. Did the same with the fuel pump. One of these pair was responsible for the oil leak. I guess I'll never know which one. 

 

Fresh 20w50 oil was placed inside the engine and the engine turned over sans ignition to get oil pressure up, and has just had a test run. All seems well. Test drive after lunch.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Like for Invacar repairs, unlike for fire.

 

I am quite familiar with the result of mixing fire and long hair.

[dollywobbler]

Annoyingly, a test drive has revealed that the oil leak remains. Still the filler neck. I'll have to have another go.

[dollywobbler]

Having emptied the oil filler breather thing out of rusty flakes, I'm wondering what to replace it with. Stainless steel wire wool seems a good idea. Can't say I've really got much experience of breathers. The 2CV has some sort of rubber valve in it.

[madrat]

 

There was fire. I tried blowing it out, I singed my eyebrows and hair. I then had a better idea and dropped a towel over the catch can. Sorted! Idiot.

Sorry had to have a titter at this.

[Zelandeth]

Interesting...no sign of wire wool etc in the top of my breather either. Would definitely say stainless to replace it as it's subject to quite a bit of condensation in there.

 

Worth dismantling the two "caps" on the breather system and making sure the valves are clean and able to work - mine were both gummed up solid when I started work on mine - that wouldn't help any oil leaks.

 

Cleaning that strainer out has been bumped up to the top of my to do list when I'm back in the UK.

[dollywobbler]

One of my caps just punctured when I tested the valve, so I've just swapped them over. Filler on the spares engine had got twisted too, so was catching on the engine cover. Spare one fits much more nicely. Now letting another round of instant gasket set before hitting the road.

[The Moog]

I think we have all had those moments. I will just do this.....

 

Then looking for back on it- what a stupid idea!

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. Apparently I should let the instant gasket cure before running the engine, so I'll give waiting a go. Probably a good idea to investigate the brake master cylinder, as it is sadly leaking quite badly. Not sure why...

[PhilA]

What purpose the wire wool is supposed to function as?

[Timewaster]

Don't do what one guy did and decide to use a brillo pad.

 

At least not without rinsing the soap out of it first!

[dollywobbler]

What purpose the wire wool is supposed to function as?

 

Supposedly helps the oil condense back out of the crankcase fumes.

[Asimo]

[dollywobbler]

Oh, s'pose I should have reported that initial indications are that the oil pressure problem has gone. I'm yet to take her up a really steep hill, but had a fair razz about and no flickers from the oil pressure light, even when chugging on idle.

[PhilA]

Supposedly helps the oil condense back out of the crankcase fumes.

Ah okay. Wasn't sure if it was that or flame trap.

[Talbot]

Ah okay. Wasn't sure if it was that or flame trap.

Has that function too, although I've yet to hear of an incident where that function was needed!

 

Lots of surface area means that even very fine droplets of oil are captured. It's effectively a coalescing filter. Unlikely to have done very much for most of the engine's life, but the journey to FOU should see it doing something.