Smokey and low oil pressure.

[marc69]

My mate has just bought and got shipped a Nova saloon with a standard 12st engine. It is noisey like a stuck tappet in the head and once the car is warm the oil light is staying on. It is also very smokey (some blue). We have changed oil etc but it is just the same.

It has only 29K miles on it with lots of history to back it up but my feeling is it is knackered and he should just get another engine.

Do folk reckon it is reasonably cheap to repair or cheaper just to put in a new engine?

[millworm]

Possibly head gasket just leaking oil witch would explain top end tap, burning oil and low preassure. If you reckon the lump may be scrap anyway then it wouldn't hurt to take off the head to look. Also I have a complete 12st with box and brand new clutch here....

[paul james]

You could do a compresion test to see if you have a worn piston ring, a compression tester you stick in the spark plug holes doesn't cost much. If the low oil warning light stays on perhaps the oil pump is knackered, or maybe just the pick up in the sump is blocked up with gunk.

Its probably worth trying to fix it, go back a few years when these engines were cheap and plentiful it might not have been worth the effort. Now you're just not as likely to find one locally for peanuts from someone doing an engine swap or scrapping a nova. Definitely at least take the head off to investigate before giving up as it will cost you nothing to look, and it could be something reasonable to fix like a valve seal.

[marc69]

Thanks, looks like the heads off it tomorrow. Will a bad gasket or even bad valve seal cause the light to stay on when the engine is hot being revved?

[mowgli]

I once had the oilpump backplate come loose on a 1300, and it had the same symptoms as you said. If he scraps it, I'll have the crank and rods for twenty quid.....

[Will F]

Oil light means pressure is barely registering! That's what it's tapping as its being starved of oil at the top end.

not sure why it's smokey though could be the rings seized.. Bottom end will probably be fecked too. Take the oil cap off when it's running see how much blow-by you're getting.

[meritlover]

It would take longer to fault find than it would be to swap it with another 1.2
You're almost wasting your time even bothering to fix it. Facts will be that its an all round tired, worn out engine.

[marc69]

Ok, so far....having no luck getting an engine locally so far so we took the head off today. The gasket looks knackered to me in cylinders 3 and 4?

I think (but may not be sure due to only noticing whilst removing the head) that one of the rockers wasn't sitting properly on cylinder 4.

The tapping noise was just a singular one per revolution so it might be? Any theories?

I looked at the rings which visually seemed ok...here are pictures of the pistons and the head to see if anyone picks anything out.

Also before taking it apart I took the cap off and revved it and the same splutters of oil jumped out as they did on my 1.2i which amazingly is running fine. Does that mean the oil pump is working?

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/20160207_123350.jpg_zpsb7eitvo3.jpg

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/20160207_123355_zpsnno1sp14.jpg

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/20160207_123715_zpscu0imgjg.jpg

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/20160207_123340_zpsqwe5eol7.jpg


I did the compression tests and cylinders 1,2 and 4 were just above 50, and 3 was about 45.


Despite new oil going in yesterday, there was cream on the oil filler and dipstick so I knew the gasket had failed.

Opinions as to whether a new gasket would stop the low oil pressure or not?

[mowgli]

Have you eliminated a possible knackered oil switch or even a bad connection for the oil light being on?

[marc69]

The oil switch goes out when the engine is cold as it should but, it starts to come on and once the engine is hot, it stays on regardless of revs.

[paul james]

If the coolant has been mixing with the oil then it's not that surprising the oil pressure isn't right as the watery gunk will prevent proper oil flow.

I would take the sump off and clean up the oil pick up and everything, a sump gasket is cheap so worth a look.

Take the oil breather/separator off the back of the block and wash that out too as it's probably gunked up.