> Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 18:41:18 -0500
> To: british-cars@autox.team.net
> From: tim.lamb@ml.csiro.au (Tim Lamb)
> Subject: Foamy oil
>
> The oil gauge in my Mini Moke reads distressingly low when at idle, I
> dipped the oil the other day immediately after a short run, to find the oil
> full of small bubbles and apparantly at a lower viscosity than it should
> be. The engine (and oil) has done 1000 km since a rebuild. Could fuel
> contamination be causing the problem?
>
> If the fuel pump on the back of the block had a leaky diaphragm, would it
> pump enough to run the car while contaminating the oil?
>
> Is there a way to check if the oil has been contaminated with fuel, and is
> it a fire danger if there is fuel in there?
A leaky fuel pump diaphragm can, indeed, cause this. This very problem
lead to the demise of the engine in my snake a number of years ago.
Sniff the oil on the dipstick to see if it smells like gasoline.
If that's inconclusive, see if the oil will burn readily.
Roland
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