I think my BRM is dead :'( What to do... [Archive] - theBRM.co.uk

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Southside

05-02-2011, 09:45 AM

Well after being laid up in my garage over winter i gave the battery a charge and got ready to get my BRM out yesterday ready for its summer months. But then disaster.

Started the car, went to reverse it out the garage and as i started i noticed i was leaving a thick black oil streak infront of me. I switched the engine off instantly and walked round the front to see a constant stream of oil comming from under the o/s of the engine. Popped the bonnet and it had been sprayed all up the front and rear of the bay by the crank pulley. Im guessing main crank seal has failed? What ever it was it only took round 30 secs to empty its entire contents of oil on to my garage floor after i switched the engine off :( .

Problem i have now is what to do? I've not got the time to do the work as i've got to many other projects on the go but i really dont want to see it scrapped as i purposly searched for a good one and this was by far the best i found, completly standard and rust free example with 78k on the clock, Its got no tax or mot and the n/s/f calliper is seized due to being stored over winter. But on the other hand i know its worth more in bits than as a whole.

What do i do?

Fast Alan

05-02-2011, 10:47 AM

Thing is you are faced with a car that may be worth more in bits,but you state you have other projects on the go so its also going to take more time stripping it then it is to pull the engine out and repair the oil seals,the problem is many would buy and repair them,but when the cost of transporting it comes into the equation then it becomes economically unworth it,I looked at buying one myself to repair but even getting it at 400 an engine at 300 another 100-150 in parts you were bordering on what it was worth,then transporting it left it to far over,its a hard one but I would keep it stored until your ready to fix it

Southside

05-02-2011, 10:53 AM

Thing is the engines still fine, Luckily i switched it off way before any damage was caused. Obviously i cant start it now to show ad potential buyer as its got no oil in it. Im gutted.

Jona

05-02-2011, 12:03 PM

Southside

05-02-2011, 05:16 PM

I would be amazed if it ditched the whole sump in 30 seconds via the crank oil seal. Sounds more like a high pressure part of the system. Can't imagine that it will be, but it sounds more like the oil filter has been damaged or come loose???
Sounds like you have to get under the BRM and locate the fault before you make any heart breaking decisions.
Good luck, hope it's something daft.

I did think oil filter but the oil thats come out seams to be from somewhere around the crank pulley as its the pulley thats sprayed it everywhere. Filter is opposite side to the pulley so can't see how i would of got there.

Alex

05-02-2011, 11:41 PM

aww gutted for you mate

Southside

05-04-2011, 05:19 PM

Touch wood i think i've fixed it.

It was the oil filter. Had rotted underneath and popped under pressure. Scary thing is it doesn't look that old and its a decent make Fram filter to.

Dread to think what would of happened if it had gone whilst driving. Almost certainly a seized engine.

Oh well, luck escape i suppose. Stopped another BRM going to the scrapyard in the sky anyway.

Seabart

05-04-2011, 05:28 PM

That's very good news!

woohoooo :bounce:

Fast Alan

05-04-2011, 05:32 PM

Good one,emergency over :)

Southside

05-04-2011, 10:31 PM

Hopefully yea. I think the reason it was confusing me was because the way the hole had rotted out it was at an angle so it was spraying the oil backwards onto the pulleys which in turn were spraying it all round the engine bay.

Looks like i'll be getting out the Gunk and the hose pipe the weekend now. Took me hours to get the engine bay mint last summer aswell :(, Reminds me of the Top Gear episode wit the 3 Porches for under £1500 and Mays steam cleaned engine bay ruined by leaving the oil cap off lol