Re: Smoking rebuild engine
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:04 am
Stef,
Luli has a good point there. It would be unusual for a head gasket to fail in such a way that all six cylinders leak the same with no resulting oil and water cross contamination. Also, when my 12 engine was rebuilt in 1982 the engineering firm supplied us with two cans of straight 40 Castrol oil to use for running in. As it turned out I used 20/50, which is still thicker than you have used and continues to operate well in both my cars. You also need to use a mineral oil rather than synthetic.
Tony.
Stef, your post arrived while I was writing mine. I didn’t understand what you meant about oil control rings on your engine compared to my picture. I’d have thought they should be the same, however I have just looked at a piston from another engine of same year and see that it has split skirt and all four rings above gudgeon pin with both oil control of same type so I am not certain it matters. Maybe you should check with engine builders who did work? No guarantee they knew for certain which order to fit rings if it was an old item that was used.
Think it would be worth putting in different oil to see effect before stripping down engine. It is the cheapest and easiest option.
Tell us more about your Speed 14. Is it a Tourer, Saloon or Streamline. Whichever, it sounds like an interesting car.
Tony.
Luli has a good point there. It would be unusual for a head gasket to fail in such a way that all six cylinders leak the same with no resulting oil and water cross contamination. Also, when my 12 engine was rebuilt in 1982 the engineering firm supplied us with two cans of straight 40 Castrol oil to use for running in. As it turned out I used 20/50, which is still thicker than you have used and continues to operate well in both my cars. You also need to use a mineral oil rather than synthetic.
Tony.
Stef, your post arrived while I was writing mine. I didn’t understand what you meant about oil control rings on your engine compared to my picture. I’d have thought they should be the same, however I have just looked at a piston from another engine of same year and see that it has split skirt and all four rings above gudgeon pin with both oil control of same type so I am not certain it matters. Maybe you should check with engine builders who did work? No guarantee they knew for certain which order to fit rings if it was an old item that was used.
Think it would be worth putting in different oil to see effect before stripping down engine. It is the cheapest and easiest option.
Tell us more about your Speed 14. Is it a Tourer, Saloon or Streamline. Whichever, it sounds like an interesting car.
Tony.