Someone's drained it 100% I had the misfortune to have 3 windscreens mysteriously crack at the yard , each one a day or two before the mot . Nearly a year later by accident I lifted the landlords phone , same as mine , also his unlock pattern was the same , as I started to text I realized this wasn't my phone . I then went through his text history with the person I suspected did it , and wow, Ansley Law , you did the deed , and the texts moaning about the cars parked beside the static caravan were exactly 2 or 3 days before my mots and so concrete evidence from the perp himself . But he was so slimy , keeping himself "pally" with me . Saying it was so shocking these things happened and cost me hundreds of pounds . Revenge will be served cold .
@@andressanchez4517 I saw him in the supermarket car park , he is careful to park right next to the CCTV camera . He has probably read my post as when he saw me at the cash machine qué his face was like Oh- sh1t .
I have to agree, someone has had that oil away. If it had burnt it in 100 miles, you'dhave seen the cloud following you! Lockwire the sump plug with a security lead seal ...
Wouldn’t be surprised if it were malicious intent. As a Canadian driving truck across North America ( 🇨🇦 🇺🇸) any time I got to the southern states, I always had to check my trailer. There was always some nugget who’d pull my pin(something that’d often happen to Canadian drivers while in the south), and if you don’t check, you can be in for a nasty surprise.
A number of years ago I had an MGB fully restored, parked undercover in carport, got up early one morning went to my bin glancing at my B thought umm something didn't seem quite right, thought no more about it, half hour later jumped in my car to go to work, Then WOW that's what different, someone had nicked my windscreen during the night.
Love these videos. As for the guys oil I was a police officer for many years and nothing surprises me you would be amazed how awful people can be. I have seen many beautiful cars damaged tyres slashed and the list goes on. Also remember oil is expensive for me it has been stolen simple.
It's definitely been drained. Someone jealous or even the next door neighbour ,they might be pissed that the car was parked there, even if they said it was ok. People are strange .
I ‘ve had spare wheels, a pair of rear lights and a prop shaft stolen from vehicles parked on the drive outside the house. Not forgetting numerous tank loads of fuel, one they actually drilled a hole in the plastic tank of a courtesy car I had on loan.
The A series brings back great memories. I did all my 11 stud conversions at home with a Black & Decker drill and 2 top hat sleeves I turned up at work. First was sized for the pilot drill, the second for the tapping drill. Then used a long series tap down through the head to ensure it was absolutely straight.
Sign o'the times, first thing I do in a morning when returning to forestry kit that's been out overnight in woodland with public access is check engine oil. This morning's oil was fine but there was a mouse running round the engine compartment!
Regarding the dude with the Cortina lump. . . Was it parked on a level drive and why would you take the sump off without draining the oil and if the oil was that low when he pulled up, an oil light would be on.
I had a VW in high school. Apparently parked it in the wrong spot at a dance. Let the dance & made it about 4 miles before it seized, found the oilspot on the bumper where the plug had been set... and the puddle of oil where it was parked, nice!
Just put an oil pressure gauge in it and make sure the pressure comes up when you start it. If it doesn’t immediately build pressure, shut it off and check oil level. No harm done if you’re paying attention and shut it down right away.
Get well soon Lee! Isaac is a diamond. We don't see John enough with his crank polishing. I'd like to see that. Oh, and more A Series, my past passion please. Had 5 minis, alĺ different, one was an Osselli with port work, incredible workmanship. Take care , and Lee, take regular work breaks, de-stress, 5 mins, really does help, Andy, W.Sussex
Yes it's about time Lee you got John to do a full video on him measuring, checking for straightness, and grinding a crank. You are engine rebuilders yet you don't ever show one of the basic fundamentals of engine re manufacturing. Simply because John I know from what you've said in the past doesn't want to be on video. If that's the case, then he's got to teach you or Isaac to do the cranks, because sometime in the future he is going to want to retire and you are going to need someone competent to do the crank work. I think it's down to you Lee to learn the tricks of the trade, as that isn't going to be a five minute bit of learning. lol, more like five years to get really competent and then you will just be an apprentice just out of your time!
If the head gasket goes between No4 and the rear oil drain which is common on a Pinto, it empties the sump very quickly indeed! Worth checking, the only standard type head gasket worth fitting is the Elring version which was the last type that Ford specified for 205 block Transits etc.
Lee, You definitely are looking at theft if not malice here. If customer was driving, the oil pressure light would have come on long before levels got that low ! Maybe a neighbor has a ring camera or other surveillance pointing that direction that viewed the activity at night ? Sounds like someone was irritated by them parking in "their space" and attempted to damage their car's engine out of spite.
13:00 That Rover block has been drill and tapped to use the 14 bolt heads, I suggest that you don't fit the very outer head bolts, there is 4 of them on each bank. The reason is that they put an uneven load on the head gasket which causes the head gasket to blow in the valley area on the block. (Don't use the old 'tin' head gaskets either!) Rover omitted these bolts on the later engines, they were known as 10 bolt heads. You can of course fit the 4 bolts but just nip them up to 15 ftlbs if you just want something to fill the holes! ARP studs are a good upgrade rather than torqueing up bolts into an ali thread BTW on the Buick engine which was the original Rover engine it actually had head bolts opposite the 4 outer bolts, I believe they screwed into the inlet manifold (I could be wrong here), Rover changed the design and that is where the problems started. (There are many other problems with the Rover block too!, core shift, leading to cracked blocks and dropped liners, main bearings fretting amongst other things)
good afternoon only crank case pressure would empty the sump and it would have to be very high pressure and it would be every where i think you are right in what you say. thanks for the video
Sounds very suspicious. It's even easier than you think. Open the bonnet, pull the dip stick and using a 12v pump (Lidl sell one) connected to battery and presto engine oil out. ☘️☘️
how is that easy lol ...if its not your car you cant open the bonnet....... and late at night with a pump.......after smashing the window to get the bonnet open......nobody will know hahahhah.
some sick people out there,i changed all the wings and steps on my van and painted it to a good standard,5 days later someone painted my nice new white panels black
Makes me feel sick to think somebody would sink so low as to drain the oil from the Mk3.......theyve got to work cleanly though to avoid leaving any obvious signs of their work......
Knocks me sick knowing people would do such a thing. The amount of my classics that have been keyed for no reason is a joke. If I ever catch them ime probly going to do time.
I would think that the engine would have run the bearings and rattled like a pig if the oil was missing before he arrived at his Dads place, at least oil light would have been on. Some skulduggery methinks !!
I had the same thing happen to a cobra replica I owned,it had a pinto engine that also mysteriously lost most of its oil,no visible leaks or missing/loose nuts,it did give me a lot of respect for how tough these engines are though but a mystery all the same 🤔
I had an Audi A6 two litre engine at high mileage 180 thousand miles, on a long trip returning from holiday it lost most of its oil. The culprit was the oil pressure sensor, there was traces of oil around the sensor and a trail down onto the underside of the car. No oil light came on as the the oil was still above the oil suction strainer but there was piston slap at cold start and she stalled on me on the way to work the next day a few times. I checked the level and it had gone of the dipstick, I had checked it before the long. Journey, the engine did not consume oil normally it did not smoke, it just suddenly happened. The Diaphragm in the oil pressure sensor had ruptured due to age and then the oil was pushing past the plastic casing and easing out in a slow steady stream. When I checked at home there was a patch of oil under the engine corresponding to the oil pressure switch. I believe it was an oil pressure switch not a gauge sender! It was definitely the culprit.
Also bewildered about oil , but wondering about the motorcycle wheel in the blaster, some times thinking do you suffer from rust as a result of high humidity with door open
Got called out to a Isuzu truck with a "oil leak".The oil cooler inside the block had split pressurising the cooling system blowing oil out of the plastic coolant tank .Helluva mess
simon 3807 is probably the best awnser , people taking the oil out is a bit of a paranoid thought . I had wheelnuts loose on clients cars after they visited me and stopped at another shop nearby because they were loose .... the other shop was very helpfull in doing them up and advised not to use my services anymore ..... funny thing is , it never occured before and never after ... but I check eversince the first client told me that they were not done up proper
Cheers Lee me old stretched Conrod Bolt. This Cortina sounds like the Oil Filter has worked loose, not uncommon on Fords. I once drove an Escort Van from the Dealers about 5miles brand new and when I got out and looked round the Van I noticed a puddle on the ground, looked under the Bonnet and there is the Oil Filter loose and plastered in oil. Rang Ford up, can you just drive it back to us!.
Yeah, not too sure about the oil thief theory, it sounds like a lot of effort for not much gain, unless they really hated the people who's driveway it was parked in. Surely the car would have needed to be lifted up to get at the sump plug and even with plenty of experience it's hard to not spill a bit of oil on the ground. It was a very happy coincidence that the oil was checked for the journey home, usually, when I'm confident that the engine isn't burning oil, I don't bother for weeks at a time.
I had a Subaru that did this! Between driving from Spa to Calais, track fine, on way fine wouldn’t dip. Only thing I can think was it threw it through the breather or it went down the bores
Could be a stuck oil control ring I had it on a saab years ago and that was caused by changing down the box at too high a speed for the new gear, it dumped all over the road in seconds through the air filter and breathers
Previous shop possibly did not lock the cutter in place properly. Had problems with a couple of shops surfacing brake rotors. Of course they do not want you in the shop while working on your stuff. Cut them once and took them home. Found them tapered, so went back to get them redone properly. The young guy doing it was not properly trained. I got in the shop just as he started the cut. Dobey had not locked the cutters which were backing off. Just as I started instructing the kid on the proper procedure, the manager came over to kick me out. Things got testy so I made him refund my innitial money and went with the rotors to another shop. Started the same way without locking the cutters. This time the manager took over to retrain the young guy. Almost ruined the rotors!
It must have been a low life !! No sign of a leak ! No blue smoke ! The owner is very consistent with his fluid checks ! 1,500 miles of nothing but a lovely engine ! Then nothing showing on the dip stick ! I’m 😡 about this !!
I had robin hood kitcar once went to do its first oil change who ever built the alloy sump never welded in a sump plug so had to suck oil with those vacuum tools 😂
Regarding the 11 stud conversion I don't know if the inline and transverse engines are the same in that area or not but when my 1275 Sprite engine was done the front one goes into the water jacket and is prone to rust so a SS thread insert was fitted and as the torque is significantly lower than the other 10 studs a special bolt was used as a reminder. IIRC the bolt was also 5/16" UNC rather than the others which are 3/8" UNC in the block but it has a collar below the head to locate in the stud hole.
Yeah, I have not had a 1275 engine for any of my Minis, but had always heard that on the "big block" Minis, the eleventh stud was actually a bolt, which was due to a wrench-clearance issue. That never made any sense to me, upon looking closely at other fellows' 1275 engines... looked like enough room for a stud and nut to me. Thank you for the explanation!
Can I ask what media you are using and what pressure you are blasting at in your vapour blaster? I’m using glass beads and always been told not to go about 50psi as I breaks the beads up, that looked a lot higher that 50?
Somebody did that to me in the late 1960's i had a tuned up Morris 1000 and the oil was drained out, i got about 10 miles before it seized, it did free up when it cooled down and after new oil it went on for several months after
Had the same happen with a Ford Anglia.. The engine ran fine with no obvious smoke right up to the point it seized, no oil pressure warning back then. The car was in daily use and as such the sump plug was covered in muck and had not been touched. The engine bay was free from oil, the exhaust was dry and there was no oil in the water. The only clue was the breather outlet which pointed down at the road was unusually oil soaked which was not normal as I would check and clean the breather regularly. The only conclusion I could come to was the oil pumped out through the breather but how and why I have no idea. Also had a friend with an early Escort who had a similar experience and again the sump plug had not been removed. How and why a perfectly running engine can blow all its oil out the breather still baffles me even now many years later. If anyone has an explanation I would love to hear it.
As strange as it sounds I knew of someone that got the oil from their car stolen overnight, neighbours had seen them change it! I wonder if the sump is damaged, a pressed steel thing that may have been dragged about a bit on the ground could have a leak. The oil pump generally cannot get the last dregs out. All a bit weird, there is no way the engine could have used that oil in a few miles without being noticed. The only way the oil would get that low is a holed sump or a leaking drainplug, both would have left their mark on the drive.
That guy with cortina was lucky, with his way to check fluids before drving it. I were not so lucky, My so called friend, moved my mark 3 two door 2000 gt out "our" carage, to street side park, and it was towed to city bound, sad for me I got that info too late to get it back, cos I did not have permanent adress on that time. 25or more years later I`m still mad to him. By the way, is it possible to make full video from that Mercedes engine, we all know those cosworts, not so many m103 mercedes engines??
I was a little disappointed that you were vapor blasting the rods with the caps installed. We always remove the caps so that the mating surfaces are cleaned as well.
@@mesomachinesI was just going to comment on that myself. The mating surfaces should have been mated and basically impenetrable for anything to get on them.
I welded a drain plug in place for a girl who had fallen out with her boy friend ,her sump had also been drained over night,we have a suction pump drainer for her next oil change.
If theres no sign of a leak or burning where else could it have gone? Theres a disabled local here who gets abused regularly cause his got a classic car he couldn’t possibly be disabled even with a valid parking sticker.
"Some people just want to watch the world burn" this is so true, and as a nihilist i fight the urge to destroy constantly. But it is a society we all agree to live in. Tho so many are selfish these days
The engine just doesnt get hot enough during short city trips to burn off the condensation in the oilpan, but it is normal after a long trip for an engine to show a litre or 2 low. I wouldn't be terribly alarmed
18 years ago my brother dumped on me from a great height, I havent spoken to him since. I did this to his van at the time as a bit of revenge. I undid the plug and went and hid for 5 minutes whilst it drained.
The engine would definitely show signs of wear not running much oil you done the right thing recovering it and checking it to me. It sounds very suspicious to lose 4+ litres of oil. You’ve had some idea whilst driving it
Have you ever tried to get under a Cortina without a jack and stands? Not easy even for a trim bloke. My advice would be that the next time he parks it on the neighbours drive. put something cylindrical about an inch in diameter and 4 inches long on the dash. if anyone jacks up the car. it'll fall off the dash. He'll know that the car has been probably been tampered with. he should also check all the wheel nuts before driving it. Report should also be made to the local police.
Do you eat carbohydrates? i was suffering with symptoms of sinus infection every few weeks. It lasted a few days. Never went to a doctor, so can't say for certain. After i cut back on carbohydrates, the symptoms never came back. If i start eating bread again, the symptoms are back within two or three days.
Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me. Did the malicious actor manage to drain nearly all the oil into a container and get the sump plug back in without spilling a drop leaving no evidence (all in the dead of night)?
I ran a mk3 Cortina with the 1600 kent engine for my commute, about 30 miles a day and did zero maintenance even though I worked at a Ford main dealer. At about 6.30 one morning while driving at 30 mph the engine seized solid and, when I dipped it, there was nothing on the stick. I phoned work, stuck some oil in and waited. After an hour and a half I gave it a try on the key, it started and I carried on. It ran perfectly evermore, no smoke and no noises; only a Ford would do that.
The old bottom end could be hanging out the old cross flow or ore cross flow engines and they would still run and rattle and smoke a big but never 👎 give up slung some old oil or bit of 20/50 or gear oil in and away you go
two tyres slashed , no other cars on the quiet street were touched, rozzers told me i must have upset someone !. In matey's case could the oil filter have come unscrewed just shortly before he turned into the drive and didn't notice ?.
Alas I'd definitely say some Gonads drained it, if it burnt it it'd be a smoke screen from one end of the M4 to the other, and 6pints of oil into the cooling system would be obvious 😕 there's some maggots about I'm afraid 😣 may a 1000 bee's infest their groinal area 😡
I always have a cringe moment seeing the big crankshaft end bolt, back in 2000 I could not get this bolt out for a mate on his motor, tried everything from a breaker to a 5 foot scaffold bar and in the end it sheared off clean... well it was sucks to be me as someone said isn't that a french thread...? Had to run down to the scrappy to pick up a new mini lump, did down the road change the crankshaft for a good 'un and sold the bare engine for a nice bundle so it all kinda worked out in the end.
Since it was that empty I would think at the very end of his journey it would have complained and to burn off all that oil in 100 miles it would have been smoking like a train. Unfortunately you are likely right about the oil being maliciously drained. The quickest easiest way to be more sure would be to drill the drain plug for safety wire and safety wire and crimp a seal on it. If they mess with it you will know.
I'd fill it up a f yes checked it and run it again but keep 5 ltrs in the boot , keep driving local to home . And get a dash cam that records all the time . Can't be to carfull these days . Keep us posted on it
I've they have taken out the oil they must have been skilled not to spill a single spot on the drive ? If it was chucking out out there would be some either in breather or exaust?
Stopped driving briefly and shut the engine down mid journey? I know a guy in an E21 , filled the tank up, Paid for his fuel an returned to a vehicle surrounded with its oil.
Someone's drained it 100%
I had the misfortune to have 3 windscreens mysteriously crack at the yard , each one a day or two before the mot .
Nearly a year later by accident I lifted the landlords phone , same as mine , also his unlock pattern was the same , as I started to text I realized this wasn't my phone .
I then went through his text history with the person I suspected did it , and wow, Ansley Law , you did the deed , and the texts moaning about the cars parked beside the static caravan were exactly 2 or 3 days before my mots and so concrete evidence from the perp himself .
But he was so slimy , keeping himself "pally" with me . Saying it was so shocking these things happened and cost me hundreds of pounds .
Revenge will be served cold .
While i share your feeling for need of vengeance, being the better man you'll sleep better at night. Eye for an eye just makes everyone blind
That was fate, you were meant to find out! Same thing has happened to me in the past, with my ex wife and her infidelity
Start with a potato pushef up the exhaust...a small entrée
@@andressanchez4517 I saw him in the supermarket car park , he is careful to park right next to the CCTV camera .
He has probably read my post as when he saw me at the cash machine qué his face was like Oh- sh1t .
@andressanchez4517 Aerosol expanding foam and then the potato haha
as soon as you said what had happened my mind thought "someones drained the oil"
Sounds very suspicious! hmmm, refill and drive. See how much oil is used.
I have to agree, someone has had that oil away. If it had burnt it in 100 miles, you'dhave seen the cloud following you! Lockwire the sump plug with a security lead seal ...
agree, also change the bolt for torx or allen key,there are lots of jelous people around,would do anythink these days.
Wouldn’t be surprised if it were malicious intent. As a Canadian driving truck across North America ( 🇨🇦 🇺🇸) any time I got to the southern states, I always had to check my trailer. There was always some nugget who’d pull my pin(something that’d often happen to Canadian drivers while in the south), and if you don’t check, you can be in for a nasty surprise.
Jealous bastards do this so you don't get all the work .but can cause a fatality
A number of years ago I had an MGB fully restored, parked undercover in carport, got up early one morning went to my bin glancing at my B thought umm something didn't seem quite right, thought no more about it, half hour later jumped in my car to go to work, Then WOW that's what different, someone had nicked my windscreen during the night.
Love these videos. As for the guys oil I was a police officer for many years and nothing surprises me you would be amazed how awful people can be. I have seen many beautiful cars damaged tyres slashed and the list goes on. Also remember oil is expensive for me it has been stolen simple.
🤣🤣
It's definitely been drained. Someone jealous or even the next door neighbour ,they might be pissed that the car was parked there, even if they said it was ok. People are strange .
I ‘ve had spare wheels, a pair of rear lights and a prop shaft stolen from vehicles parked on the drive outside the house. Not forgetting numerous tank loads of fuel, one they actually drilled a hole in the plastic tank of a courtesy car I had on loan.
The A series brings back great memories. I did all my 11 stud conversions at home with a Black & Decker drill and 2 top hat sleeves I turned up at work. First was sized for the pilot drill, the second for the tapping drill. Then used a long series tap down through the head to ensure it was absolutely straight.
Sign o'the times, first thing I do in a morning when returning to forestry kit that's been out overnight in woodland with public access is check engine oil. This morning's oil was fine but there was a mouse running round the engine compartment!
How sad is this world --- you have to be sick in the head to drain the oil out of a car to try and distroy the engine.
There's a lot of butt hurt narcissistic, class one ass holes around these days
To use that amount of oil in such short distance it would smoked like there was a Trabbant in the boot.
Regarding the dude with the Cortina lump. . . Was it parked on a level drive and why would you take the sump off without draining the oil and if the oil was that low when he pulled up, an oil light would be on.
I had a VW in high school. Apparently parked it in the wrong spot at a dance. Let the dance & made it about 4 miles before it seized, found the oilspot on the bumper where the plug had been set... and the puddle of oil where it was parked, nice!
I put a Mini Sport timing belt kit on a 998 Metro for a mate in 1989, what a difference it made in making it quieter for a start.
Love the new Hendrix-esque retro intro music ... !
I agree with you on the sump level. There might be an opportunity to make a retrofit oil level sensor kit. To protect these valuable cars.
Just put an oil pressure gauge in it and make sure the pressure comes up when you start it. If it doesn’t immediately build pressure, shut it off and check oil level. No harm done if you’re paying attention and shut it down right away.
It's great to think that the culprit wasted his time and sleep for all his effort.
Get well soon Lee! Isaac is a diamond. We don't see John enough with his crank polishing. I'd like to see that. Oh, and more A Series, my past passion please. Had 5 minis, alĺ different, one was an Osselli with port work, incredible workmanship. Take care , and Lee, take regular work breaks, de-stress, 5 mins, really does help, Andy, W.Sussex
Yes it's about time Lee you got John to do a full video on him measuring, checking for straightness, and grinding a crank. You are engine rebuilders yet you don't ever show one of the basic fundamentals of engine re manufacturing. Simply because John I know from what you've said in the past doesn't want to be on video. If that's the case, then he's got to teach you or Isaac to do the cranks, because sometime in the future he is going to want to retire and you are going to need someone competent to do the crank work. I think it's down to you Lee to learn the tricks of the trade, as that isn't going to be a five minute bit of learning. lol, more like five years to get really competent and then you will just be an apprentice just out of your time!
I too can't think of any engine related problem that would empty the sump like that. It's got to be malicious theft.
Sort of thing just stop oil would do 😅
sounds like someone needs a doorbell camera review. Would be great to catch the guy who may have drained the oil.
If the head gasket goes between No4 and the rear oil drain which is common on a Pinto, it empties the sump very quickly indeed! Worth checking, the only standard type head gasket worth fitting is the Elring version which was the last type that Ford specified for 205 block Transits etc.
Looks like the Oil fairy struck again!
Have a great week!
Lee, You definitely are looking at theft if not malice here. If customer was driving, the oil pressure light would have come on long before levels got that low ! Maybe a neighbor has a ring camera or other surveillance pointing that direction that viewed the activity at night ? Sounds like someone was irritated by them parking in "their space" and attempted to damage their car's engine out of spite.
13:00 That Rover block has been drill and tapped to use the 14 bolt heads, I suggest that you don't fit the very outer head bolts, there is 4 of them on each bank. The reason is that they put an uneven load on the head gasket which causes the head gasket to blow in the valley area on the block. (Don't use the old 'tin' head gaskets either!) Rover omitted these bolts on the later engines, they were known as 10 bolt heads. You can of course fit the 4 bolts but just nip them up to 15 ftlbs if you just want something to fill the holes! ARP studs are a good upgrade rather than torqueing up bolts into an ali thread BTW on the Buick engine which was the original Rover engine it actually had head bolts opposite the 4 outer bolts, I believe they screwed into the inlet manifold (I could be wrong here), Rover changed the design and that is where the problems started. (There are many other problems with the Rover block too!, core shift, leading to cracked blocks and dropped liners, main bearings fretting amongst other things)
good afternoon
only crank case pressure would empty the sump and it would have to be very high pressure and it would be every where i think you are right in what you say. thanks for the video
Sounds very suspicious. It's even easier than you think. Open the bonnet, pull the dip stick and using a 12v pump (Lidl sell one) connected to battery and presto engine oil out. ☘️☘️
how is that easy lol ...if its not your car you cant open the bonnet....... and late at night with a pump.......after smashing the window to get the bonnet open......nobody will know hahahhah.
some sick people out there,i changed all the wings and steps on my van and painted it to a good standard,5 days later someone painted my nice new white panels black
I think if the car had used that much oil then it would have been noticeable. .does sound like someone has been messing about.
Get well soon lee 👍👍👍
Contina oil has been sucked out by a theif using a suction pump down the dipstick tube
Makes me feel sick to think somebody would sink so low as to drain the oil from the Mk3.......theyve got to work cleanly though to avoid leaving any obvious signs of their work......
Knocks me sick knowing people would do such a thing. The amount of my classics that have been keyed for no reason is a joke. If I ever catch them ime probly going to do time.
I would think that the engine would have run the bearings and rattled like a pig if the oil was missing before he arrived at his Dads place, at least oil light would have been on. Some skulduggery methinks !!
I had the same thing happen to a cobra replica I owned,it had a pinto engine that also mysteriously lost most of its oil,no visible leaks or missing/loose nuts,it did give me a lot of respect for how tough these engines are though but a mystery all the same 🤔
Was there any oil on the floor under the cortina ?
I had an Audi A6 two litre engine at high mileage 180 thousand miles, on a long trip returning from holiday it lost most of its oil. The culprit was the oil pressure sensor, there was traces of oil around the sensor and a trail down onto the underside of the car. No oil light came on as the the oil was still above the oil suction strainer but there was piston slap at cold start and she stalled on me on the way to work the next day a few times. I checked the level and it had gone of the dipstick, I had checked it before the long. Journey, the engine did not consume oil normally it did not smoke, it just suddenly happened. The Diaphragm in the oil pressure sensor had ruptured due to age and then the oil was pushing past the plastic casing and easing out in a slow steady stream. When I checked at home there was a patch of oil under the engine corresponding to the oil pressure switch. I believe it was an oil pressure switch not a gauge sender! It was definitely the culprit.
Also bewildered about oil , but wondering about the motorcycle wheel in the blaster, some times thinking do you suffer from rust as a result of high humidity with door open
Since the covid vaccine nobody’s got an working immune system , everybody’s got some kind of cold
Seen oil lost into cooling systems before but normally it creates other symptoms and it sounds like they would have checked that.
Got called out to a Isuzu truck with a "oil leak".The oil cooler inside the block had split pressurising the cooling system blowing oil out of the plastic coolant tank .Helluva mess
simon 3807 is probably the best awnser , people taking the oil out is a bit of a paranoid thought . I had wheelnuts loose on clients cars after they visited me and stopped at another shop nearby because they were loose .... the other shop was very helpfull in doing them up and advised not to use my services anymore ..... funny thing is , it never occured before and never after ... but I check eversince the first client told me that they were not done up proper
Cheers Lee me old stretched Conrod Bolt. This Cortina sounds like the Oil Filter has worked loose, not uncommon on Fords. I once drove an Escort Van from the Dealers about 5miles brand new and when I got out and looked round the Van I noticed a puddle on the ground, looked under the Bonnet and there is the Oil Filter loose and plastered in oil. Rang Ford up, can you just drive it back to us!.
Yeah, not too sure about the oil thief theory, it sounds like a lot of effort for not much gain, unless they really hated the people who's driveway it was parked in. Surely the car would have needed to be lifted up to get at the sump plug and even with plenty of experience it's hard to not spill a bit of oil on the ground. It was a very happy coincidence that the oil was checked for the journey home, usually, when I'm confident that the engine isn't burning oil, I don't bother for weeks at a time.
Great video Lee, I was just wondering if there’s a special gasket to accommodate the extra two studs? Regards, Bob M. South Wales
Cooper S mini engines had 11 studs as standard, so can use one of those head gaskets.
I had a Subaru that did this! Between driving from Spa to Calais, track fine, on way fine wouldn’t dip. Only thing I can think was it threw it through the breather or it went down the bores
The MG transmission guy is the culprit. Jeez and I thought British football fans were crazy.
Could be a stuck oil control ring I had it on a saab years ago and that was caused by changing down the box at too high a speed for the new gear, it dumped all over the road in seconds through the air filter and breathers
Drakefords mafia struck because the person did over 20 MPH
Previous shop possibly did not lock the cutter in place properly.
Had problems with a couple of shops surfacing brake rotors. Of course they do not want you in the shop while working on your stuff. Cut them once and took them home. Found them tapered, so went back to get them redone properly. The young guy doing it was not properly trained. I got in the shop just as he started the cut. Dobey had not locked the cutters which were backing off. Just as I started instructing the kid on the proper procedure, the manager came over to kick me out. Things got testy so I made him refund my innitial money and went with the rotors to another shop. Started the same way without locking the cutters. This time the manager took over to retrain the young guy. Almost ruined the rotors!
@@ChrisJones555.Before going on a rant, you need the whole story.
It must have been a low life !! No sign of a leak ! No blue smoke ! The owner is very consistent with his fluid checks ! 1,500 miles of nothing but a lovely engine !
Then nothing showing on the dip stick !
I’m 😡 about this !!
I had robin hood kitcar once went to do its first oil change who ever built the alloy sump never welded in a sump plug so had to suck oil with those vacuum tools 😂
Regarding the 11 stud conversion I don't know if the inline and transverse engines are the same in that area or not but when my 1275 Sprite engine was done the front one goes into the water jacket and is prone to rust so a SS thread insert was fitted and as the torque is significantly lower than the other 10 studs a special bolt was used as a reminder. IIRC the bolt was also 5/16" UNC rather than the others which are 3/8" UNC in the block but it has a collar below the head to locate in the stud hole.
Yeah, I have not had a 1275 engine for any of my Minis, but had always heard that on the "big block" Minis, the eleventh stud was actually a bolt, which was due to a wrench-clearance issue. That never made any sense to me, upon looking closely at other fellows' 1275 engines... looked like enough room for a stud and nut to me. Thank you for the explanation!
Can I ask what media you are using and what pressure you are blasting at in your vapour blaster? I’m using glass beads and always been told not to go about 50psi as I breaks the beads up, that looked a lot higher that 50?
Good episode. If you solve the oil case, please tell us,what transpired.
Somebody did that to me in the late 1960's i had a tuned up Morris 1000 and the oil was drained out, i got about 10 miles before it seized, it did free up when it cooled down and after new oil it went on for several months after
Had the same happen with a Ford Anglia.. The engine ran fine with no obvious smoke right up to the point it seized, no oil pressure warning back then. The car was in daily use and as such the sump plug was covered in muck and had not been touched. The engine bay was free from oil, the exhaust was dry and there was no oil in the water. The only clue was the breather outlet which pointed down at the road was unusually oil soaked which was not normal as I would check and clean the breather regularly. The only conclusion I could come to was the oil pumped out through the breather but how and why I have no idea. Also had a friend with an early Escort who had a similar experience and again the sump plug had not been removed.
How and why a perfectly running engine can blow all its oil out the breather still baffles me even now many years later. If anyone has an explanation I would love to hear it.
Was the oil left in the sump BELOW the oil pickup level? That's the indicator of theft or usage.
As strange as it sounds I knew of someone that got the oil from their car stolen overnight, neighbours had seen them change it!
I wonder if the sump is damaged, a pressed steel thing that may have been dragged about a bit on the ground could have a leak. The oil pump generally cannot get the last dregs out. All a bit weird, there is no way the engine could have used that oil in a few miles without being noticed. The only way the oil would get that low is a holed sump or a leaking drainplug, both would have left their mark on the drive.
did the owner shut off the engine somewhere along the journey, continue on and park up?
Thieves can steal all the lead off a quiet village church roof without the neighbours hearing anything.
Looking forward to the A series build.
GREMLINS my friend it was definitely GREMLINS
That guy with cortina was lucky, with his way to check fluids before drving it.
I were not so lucky, My so called friend, moved my mark 3 two door 2000 gt out "our" carage, to street side park, and it was towed to city bound, sad for me I got that info too late to get it back, cos I did not have permanent adress on that time. 25or more years later I`m still mad to him.
By the way, is it possible to make full video from that Mercedes engine, we all know those cosworts, not so many m103 mercedes engines??
that happened to my brother's truck they drained the oil lucky for him they spilled a little and he seen it!!!!
I was a little disappointed that you were vapor blasting the rods with the caps installed. We always remove the caps so that the mating surfaces are cleaned as well.
Theoretically there shouldn't be anything in the mating surfaces because they were torqued together before disassembly
@@mesomachinesI was just going to comment on that myself. The mating surfaces should have been mated and basically impenetrable for anything to get on them.
I welded a drain plug in place for a girl who had fallen out with her boy friend ,her sump had also been drained over night,we have a suction pump drainer for her next oil change.
If theres no sign of a leak or burning where else could it have gone? Theres a disabled local here who gets abused regularly cause his got a classic car he couldn’t possibly be disabled even with a valid parking sticker.
If it was losing that much oil the engine bay would be soaked defo been messed with
"Some people just want to watch the world burn" this is so true, and as a nihilist i fight the urge to destroy constantly. But it is a society we all agree to live in. Tho so many are selfish these days
Seen that done before on a friend's manta... but he didnt notice the lack of oil and seized it within seconds.. sad world
Some Welsh guys stole the oil out the sump. Might even be the guy the drive belongs to. Jealousy .
The engine just doesnt get hot enough during short city trips to burn off the condensation in the oilpan, but it is normal after a long trip for an engine to show a litre or 2 low. I wouldn't be terribly alarmed
I've seen a vacuum leak siphon oil from the sump. Not sure if this can happen on Minis, though.
18 years ago my brother dumped on me from a great height, I havent spoken to him since. I did this to his van at the time as a bit of revenge. I undid the plug and went and hid for 5 minutes whilst it drained.
Hi Lee
Just tried to access your website. It’s either down or expired!
95% defo tampering on the Cortina, could be wrong but don't know the situation with the neighbour, nice vid anyway
The engine would definitely show signs of wear not running much oil you done the right thing recovering it and checking it
to me. It sounds very suspicious to lose 4+ litres of oil. You’ve had some idea whilst driving it
Have you ever tried to get under a Cortina without a jack and stands? Not easy even for a trim bloke. My advice would be that the next time he parks it on the neighbours drive. put something cylindrical about an inch in diameter and 4 inches long on the dash. if anyone jacks up the car. it'll fall off the dash. He'll know that the car has been probably been tampered with. he should also check all the wheel nuts before driving it. Report should also be made to the local police.
Do you eat carbohydrates? i was suffering with symptoms of sinus infection every few weeks. It lasted a few days. Never went to a doctor, so can't say for certain. After i cut back on carbohydrates, the symptoms never came back. If i start eating bread again, the symptoms are back within two or three days.
Oil pressure warning light would have come on LONG before there was only 1/4 litre left in engine. Deffo drained when parked for maliciousness.
I live in Wales, which part of Wales was it parked?
I'd be wiling to bet that the oil was below the pickup, so it must have been drained.
Probably eco warrior mentalists sabotaging nice classic cars for 'better air quality '
Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me. Did the malicious actor manage to drain nearly all the oil into a container and get the sump plug back in without spilling a drop leaving no evidence (all in the dead of night)?
I ran a mk3 Cortina with the 1600 kent engine for my commute, about 30 miles a day and did zero maintenance even though I worked at a Ford main dealer. At about 6.30 one morning while driving at 30 mph the engine seized solid and, when I dipped it, there was nothing on the stick. I phoned work, stuck some oil in and waited. After an hour and a half I gave it a try on the key, it started and I carried on. It ran perfectly evermore, no smoke and no noises; only a Ford would do that.
The old bottom end could be hanging out the old cross flow or ore cross flow engines and they would still run and rattle and smoke a big but never 👎 give up slung some old oil or bit of 20/50 or gear oil in and away you go
two tyres slashed , no other cars on the quiet street were touched, rozzers told me i must have upset someone !. In matey's case could the oil filter have come unscrewed just shortly before he turned into the drive and didn't notice ?.
Alas I'd definitely say some Gonads drained it, if it burnt it it'd be a smoke screen from one end of the M4 to the other, and 6pints of oil into the cooling system would be obvious 😕 there's some maggots about I'm afraid 😣 may a 1000 bee's infest their groinal area 😡
I see the motorcycle rim in the blaster, are you building a cycle kart?
If it was on the neighbour's drive, maybe someone had a thing against the neighbour. Or maybe someone thought it should not be there.
I always have a cringe moment seeing the big crankshaft end bolt, back in 2000 I could not get this bolt out for a mate on his motor, tried everything from a breaker to a 5 foot scaffold bar and in the end it sheared off clean... well it was sucks to be me as someone said isn't that a french thread...? Had to run down to the scrappy to pick up a new mini lump, did down the road change the crankshaft for a good 'un and sold the bare engine for a nice bundle so it all kinda worked out in the end.
Since it was that empty I would think at the very end of his journey it would have complained and to burn off all that oil in 100 miles it would have been smoking like a train. Unfortunately you are likely right about the oil being maliciously drained. The quickest easiest way to be more sure would be to drill the drain plug for safety wire and safety wire and crimp a seal on it. If they mess with it you will know.
I'd fill it up a f yes checked it and run it again but keep 5 ltrs in the boot , keep driving local to home . And get a dash cam that records all the time . Can't be to carfull these days . Keep us posted on it
I once had an oil pressure sensor that was leaking.. literally dripping oil while the engine was running…
I've they have taken out the oil they must have been skilled not to spill a single spot on the drive ? If it was chucking out out there would be some either in breather or exaust?
Stopped driving briefly and shut the engine down mid journey? I know a guy in an E21 , filled the tank up, Paid for his fuel an returned to a vehicle surrounded with its oil.
Tell him to look at his plugs.....thatl tell the story
Away we go.
There's somecreally odd and or dodgy people about. A Pela type oil extractor would be quick and quiet
He said the car was parked at a neighbour's house, maybe someone had it out for the neighbour?