Too much oil

[tonyreptiles]

Hiya,

 

I seem to be lacking in Umph!

 

All starts of well, regular amount of revs, regular amount of speed. Then, after a couple of hours I'm revving the balls off the engine to get anywhere at a crawl.

 

I've checked the prop and as I suspected, there are no problems or unwanted attachments there.

 

I realise that as temp in my gearbox increases that worn plates can become more of a problem and it is possible that I'll need to address this.

 

However!

 

I've also noticed that there is too much oil in my gearbox. I changed the oil in there a couple of months (and several dozen engine hours) ago, and I was sure that it was perfect. Not at all over full. However, hen I checked today there is considerably more and it is over the dipstick markers.

 

My question is, can too much oil in your gearbox cause the problems I am experiencing. (ie the loss of power after a couple of hours of cruising?)

 

Many thanks

TR

[bottle]

Standby for the bl**d**g obvious, if there is more oil than when you filled it, then it is coming from somewhere, have you checked the engine level, though do not know whether it is possible for engine oil to get into gearbox.

 

You could always take some of the oil out and see what happens. ( I disassociate myself from that statement if goes wrong)

 

I cannot say for definite, that too much oil will have the effect you say that you have but I think it may well do.

 

 

I realise that as temp in my gearbox increases that worn plates can become more of a problem and it is possible that I'll need to address this.

 

Yes you possibly will.

[LEO]

Hi,

Intersting - what engine, what gearbox, oil cooler or not?.

Albi.

[tonyreptiles]

Hi Albi,

 

1.5 BMC engine.

 

I'm told that it "appears to be a Delta" gearbox.

 

TIA

TR

[LEO]

Hi,

 

THe only way for a 1.5 to leak is via a defective rear crankshaft seal, which will result in oil dripping out the connecting plate between the gearbox and engine.

 

I am not familiar with your type of gearbox.

 

When I encountered a problem of going slower with more revs on my 1.5 was when I had a dreadful TMP gearbox. It was obvious that slipping clutch plates was the problem. Infact it reached the stage where I could go faster with low revs (taking ages between Weedon and Gayton in 1989 and praying that the headwind did not get worse sticks in my mind)

 

I bit the bullet and installed a 'Hurth 150 box'.

 

There will be others more suitably qualified, who may feel differently, in these times of oil shortages I shall be interested to here where the excess oil is coming from!!. (meant in jest)

 

ATB

 

ALBI

[tonyreptiles]

Hi Albi,

 

Cheers for that.

 

I'm wondering if somehow too much oil was added when I did the oil change. I can't imagine there is any leak back from the engine and I'd consider the possibility of oil "re-settling" after I filled the gearbox.

 

The guy from Rodley Boatyard on the Leeds Liverpool turned his experienced ear to my gearbox, and after revving the 'taters ofit resolved that there was "no indication of worn plates, but you never know what will happen when the oil heats up." It was after his perusal that I noticed the oil level.

 

 

I'd love it if I could just get the excess oil out and solve the problem.

Any ideas?

 

Cheers

 

TR

[bottle]

Tony

 

I do not know the gearbox but you changed the oil previously, so do it again.

 

You could use the same oil, if you collect it in a clean container just don't put it all back.

 

You will have to guesstimate the amount not to return, look at how far above the full mark it is and guess.

 

Remember between the lower and upper marks is where the oil level should be it will be safe to run at the minimum level.

[alan_fincher]

I have a Newage PRM Delta Box on a BMC Engine, so the same set-up, really.

 

I have only recently learnt something I didn't know before.....

 

You will find two oil pipes should run from the box to a cylindrical object in your skin tank cooling circuit, which is the gearbox oil cooler.

 

If you can identify that, read on, else ignore what comes next.

 

To check the level you should run the box, to make sure the external oil cooler is fully charged with oil. Then stop the engine, and check the gearbox oil level.

 

It could be the case if you checked the gearbox oil level when the engine has not been started for some time, that it appears high, because oil has drained back into it from the oil cooler - it may actually be correct, despite a alse dipstick reading.

 

Put the other way, if you check the oil cold, and it seems right, it might in fact be not enough, because when you run it, it will charge up the oil cooler, leaving the level in the gearbox low.

 

I hop that wasn't too garbled!

 

Aan

 

(Current overnight stop: Blisworth, Northants - '3' signal more variable than before!)

[DaveR]

Gentlemen,

 

Sounds a little bit like an experience I had with the Bensham a few years ago when the diesel water trap filled up and started dishing out a little water into the system under full throttle.

 

Engine would start fine and run. Under full throttle it would gently fade until running rough at about 1,000 rpm. Took me ages to find.

 

Anyway - just a thought.

 

Dave

[Tinally]

I had a "too much oil" problem in my old Series I Landrover!

 

I'd only recently acquired the vehicle and had given it a basic service and gone fishing. Engine performance fell off as I drove and when I turned the engine off there were some very obvious fumes coming from under the bonnet !

 

It seems the rubber diaphragm in the fuel pump had split and petrol was being pumped into the oil. It was halfway up the dipstick!!

 

I bought a kit and reconditioned the pump and all was well again for as long as I had the vehicle. You live and learn!

 

Dick

[dave_2A_]

I had a "too much oil" problem in my old Series I Landrover!

 

I'd only recently acquired the vehicle and had given it a basic service and gone fishing. Engine performance fell off as I drove and when I turned the engine off there were some very obvious fumes coming from under the bonnet !

 

It seems the rubber diaphragm in the fuel pump had split and petrol was being pumped into the oil. It was halfway up the dipstick!!

 

I bought a kit and reconditioned the pump and all was well again for as long as I had the vehicle. You live and learn!

 

Dick

 

Had the same thing on a (Diesel) Discovery

[blackrose]

Hiya,

 

I seem to be lacking in Umph!

 

All starts of well, regular amount of revs, regular amount of speed. Then, after a couple of hours I'm revving the balls off the engine to get anywhere at a crawl.

 

I've checked the prop and as I suspected, there are no problems or unwanted attachments there.

 

I realise that as temp in my gearbox increases that worn plates can become more of a problem and it is possible that I'll need to address this.

 

However!

 

I've also noticed that there is too much oil in my gearbox. I changed the oil in there a couple of months (and several dozen engine hours) ago, and I was sure that it was perfect. Not at all over full. However, hen I checked today there is considerably more and it is over the dipstick markers.

 

My question is, can too much oil in your gearbox cause the problems I am experiencing. (ie the loss of power after a couple of hours of cruising?)

 

Many thanks

TR

 

I once had a Petter engine on a narrowboat that used to overheat after half an hour and lose power. It used to smoke a bit but otherwise it kept chugging away. It sounded great but if there was any sort of headwind it was difficult to get it to move! That boat is actually moored in your marina now.

[John Orentas]

Hi Tony.

 

Taking your initial post literally, for the oil level to rise in your gearbox if that is indeed what is happening, there is only one explanation.

 

There is no way that engine oil could find it's way into the gearbox.. Does the oil seem to be discoloured, it is just possible that water can be getting in to it via an internally leaking oil cooler, the cooling water being at a higher pressure than the oil.. Hard to imagine though that this could happen without some emulsification of the oil but who knows.

 

It would also go some way to explaining the power loss.