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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Help oil quantity

Ariving at work I saw a growing puddle under the midget:-(

Drain plug fell off somewhere on the road and the last 2 or 3 liters were spilt on the parking at work. Luckily there was still some oil but the drain plug was gone.

Now I have to arrange a new plug and oil but I dont have my haynes at hand so I dont know how much oil it takes.

Bas
Bas Timmermans

Approx one gallon = 4.5 litres.

A
Anthony Cutler

Thanks Anthony,

I considered an oil change this weekend but decided to wait......

Well obviously the car wanted some new oil and this is the way it let me know.
Bas Timmermans

If there was 2 or 3 litres under the car where it was parked, then the drain plug cannot be far away as it would pour out pretty fast once the plug had dropped out! The oil trail should locate the plug -it shouldn't be far away!

You were lucky that you stopped and parked so soon and before all of the oil was lost!

Guy
Guy Weller

Guy,

I searched the whole parking lot and the street but no plug. I can lend a car from a collegue so I can get a plug at home, fill the engine with oil and voila. Extremely lucky because if it got loose 10km before it would have been a real drama.

I was thinking does the plug have to be fitted with or without collapsable copper ring?

Bas
Bas Timmermans

I use non-collapsable ring; the nut is don up tight though...

Agree with Guy; normally the oil seems to drain in <30 secs, even quicker when hot..

At least you'll save a bit on Wayxol for the underneath...

A
Anthony Cutler

I also use a smear of red Hermatite sealing compound on the threads. Not sure what good it does but maybe it stops the plug from unscrewing itself.
Guy Weller

Well all ok after all. Found myself a spare plug in the shed and after pouring 4 liters of fresh oil it performed well. sofar no side effects.

The company will charge me the replacement of the 1 m2 of pavement:-( I suggested to put up a sign MG only parking but they were not in the mood for a joke. The parking lot is brand new and the pavement is whiteisch grey:-)
Bas Timmermans

Bas-
If they'll give you a few days,
You could try "Oil-Dri" or whatever it's called on your side. A baked clay granular material, also sold as "kitty Litter" here. If put down and pulverized by stomping on it and run over etc., and allowed to sit a while, it will absorb the oil out of the pavement. I've been able to get concrete back to as new (white) condition after 50 years of oil soaking in. The time it takes is dependent on how long it's had oil on it. If it's asphalt based, that's also oil, so you have to soak up the excess oil (over the amount contained in the asphalt).
Much better and cheaper than patching the pavement.

Congrats on the lucky save of your engine! I've always thought that all drain plugs should be lockwired; it would save a lot of worry and dispense with the frequently overtightened plugs we meet too.

FRM
FR Millmore

Hi Bas,

Have you drilled the new plug for lock wiring? Also are you using a plug with a magnetic pick-up?

You know it makes sense.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Daniel,
where would you lock the wire too? it's pretty barren under there.
cheers
Brad
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Nope just screwed the plug in and this time tight, real tight with a plain copper washer. If there was some way to lock it I would but could not find anything near. Nearest point of fixation that has the same vibration are the sumpbolts but thats at least 30 cm up.

From now on I will from time to time crawl under with a 3/4 ringspanner and check, just to be sure.

The whole happening does explain the more fierce teritorial markings I got lately. Let that be a warning if your car is dripping more then expected it could be the drain plug. Cheap but with some serious consequences.

Bas
Bas Timmermans

This thread was discussed on 03/08/2009

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