Paranoid about damage, no cooling yet!

reanimation · Post by **reanimation** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:23 am

SHARooN!

Less ozzy jokes

, nice new forum, simplified my name and re registered.

My rover V8 (3.5) powered Sierra is still garage bound, I have had to move it out recently, only down the drive, and I fitted a silencing exhaust recently, while testing this, on the drive, reversing to garage, few revs to test exhaust note (or lack of!), then I had it running tick over for 5 mins or so till i moved stuff in garage to reverse into.

not hanging around due to fumes i moved it back after quick shift of tools and tat, and turned engine off. I must of been on for 5-10 minutes, with no dash, and forgetting about lack of cooling would there be any damage?

Lifting the bonnet i was reminded cos of the air escaping ontop of the rocker cover had heat not loads. it was at night though, so i'd guess temperatures outside wre about 10 degree C

i'm sure the guy i got it off, tested it around his yard. So they must be able to stand being heated n stuff.

for a short period

Its still seems to run fine, but last thing i wanna do is kill it,

sensible approach makes me initially think of an oil change (even though the oil in there has not been on teh road or owt)

to freshen things up, any special brand or type i should consider ??/??

Is delving in for a rebuild a bit OTT? since everything 'seems' ok at the mo?

I'll be getting a rad for it in a few months and possibly getting on the road, August..

Cheers hope someone canput my mind at rest

Post by **katanaman** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:45 pm

You wont know if its ok or not until you fill it with water. Its not the best idea what you have done but hopefully everything is ok.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:46 pm

Hi
If you did not notice a very hot small and clouds of burning oil smoke I would not think you have done any real dammage.
I would think the best thing to do is drop the oil and see if it has burnt (bet it hasn't) then wait till you have the rad and put it on, fill with water and run it then (say for 30 min at between 1500 and 2500rpm) do a compression test when it is warm and a check on the water to see if the head gasket is leaking. That way you will find out if you have a problem... don't see what a strip down now will tell you without having done these things first.
I really don't think you will have done any dammage, especially as you don't seemed to have pannicked and tried to cool it down by pooring water in it. Remember what the drag boys do to engines every run (warm em up, burn out, then run em up the quarter mile and back to the pits all with a block filled with Epoxy filler!!)
As I said if you were dammaging it you would have known it by the smell
Best of luck
Mike

reanimation · Post by **reanimation** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:08 pm

thanks for that, i definately did not go mad with it, always good or a second and third opinion.

how can you tell if oil is burnt? I'l change it anyway soon.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:30 pm

If the oil is burnt, it will be blackened, have small bits of carbon suspended in it and stink (acrid and organic smell) If you are unsure it is probably OK it is a distinct smell, also it will feel "gritty" but be carfull the stuff is quite bad for you by this stage.
If you are in any doubt heat up a small amount in a shallow dish with a blowlamp (from below) (outside don't do it on the cooker) until it starts to give off lots of fumes, but be warned it is dangerous to do this the stuff at a temperature to burn is highly flamable and has a high specific latent heat capacity (it will give you very nasty burns). let it cool and have a sniff

.
You won't forget it!
Mike
PS. I think as you are asking, you ain't burnt the oil, burnt oil stinks!

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:38 pm

I'm not sure that it would be possible to burn the oil with the engine ticking over plus the odd rev up, I don't think that you are burning enough fuel to make the sort of heat required. (Ignoring the fact the some heat is generated by friction).

Oil has a high latent heat value, i.e. you have to put a lot of energy into it to heat it up but once its hot it does not give up that heat quickly.

You could lift the rocker covers off since if any oil is going to burn it will be the stuff hanging around the exhaust valves.

Like others I also doubt that you have done any damage, their pretty tough these v8 lumps!

reanimation · Post by **reanimation** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:56 pm

Great to know, i did overfill a knackered micra once and clouda few lanes of motorway, it was knackered though, so that was burnt oil i think!

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Seriously Thanks, missed this place.

will do it justice this summer, watch this space.