Stu,
There's little question that your cap wasn't missing for very long. The
oil
spray would have hit some hot surfaces and brought it to your attention.
My big question is --- What sort of gearing (and power) is allowing you to
be
running at 65 mph at 3250 rpm? With 4.3 gears in my 52TD I'm at about 3700 at
60
mph (running 165-15 Dunlop SP-20 tires).
Stuart Keen wrote:
> I'm looking for the voice of experience. The scenario is this:
>
> I filled up the engine sump with oil just before I left and put on the
> valve cover cap (I know this is fact). I drove 75 miles to Tampa to an
> all British Car Show car show.
>
> At the show I had both halves of the bonnet raised so viewers/judges
> could observe the engine compartment. I didn't observe anything was
> missing; but then, I wasn't suspicious.
>
> After the show, I closed the bonnet and drove home at a steady 65 mph
> (3250 rpm). No noticeable smell of oil burning.
>
> This morning I raised the bonnet on the left side. I noticed two VERY
> small "runs" or trickle of oil on the underside. I immediately noticed
> the cap to the valve cover was missing!
>
> Further inspection showed a slight (not heavy) mist of oil on the battery.
>
> My question is this. How much oil would bounce/spray out of the valve
> cover filler opening when the engine is running? Since I see very light
> evidence of oil external to the cover, I am thinking that the cap must
> have come off just before I arrived home. However, perhaps my thinking
> is wrong. Maybe not much oil would spray out in any situation. I don't
> know. If very little oil would spray out during the 75 mile ride home,
> then that would mean my search for the cap would be in vain. I have
> already search the road traveled for a distance of 4 miles.
>
> Has anyone driven any distance with the valve cap off? What was the
> effect over what period of time. The filler hole on my valve cover is
> about 2.5 inches in diameter and is raised about half an inch from the
>surface.
>
> Stu Keen
> Venice, FL
> 51 MGTD MkII
--
Bud Krueger
http://home.ici.net/~bkrueger/
52TD
77MGB
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