Engine oil dirty so quickly..?

Never really bothered me but would like an answer if there is one. The Midget had the same problem after about a few weeks or so the engine oil would look very dark like it need to be changed. I had the engine out of the midget when I changed the clutch removed the oil pan and the engine was crisp clean. is it just a british car thing? GTX is the only oil I have used in the B that has didn't get dirty but still became dirty much faster then any other car I have seen.

Tractor engines tend to do that.:thumbsup:

Which oil filter are you using? If you're using the old type where you change the element and not the whole filter, it's not as efficient as a modern filter. Get the spin on adaptor (I prefer the adaptor for the inverted oil filter) then use a good quality filter and the oil will be better. It will still darken with age but it won't be dirty. Best of luck. Basil

It seems to be really dependent on the chemistry in a given engine. My engine keeps the oil clean much longer than it did pre-rebuild, but it still gets dirty faster than the Miata.

If engine running temp is too cold ,,that can cause it !

If an engine is running rich and has some ring blow-by, it will darken the oil with carbon.

the color or appearance of the oil has no bearing on its ability to function properly.

I have noticed my B oil seems to darken quickly if I'm over-rich on the mixture. NO science behind this observation.

modern cars have fuel injection (i.e. more precise metering) and are designed to run a little leaner.

no big deal.

The detergents in today's oils tend to darken it pretty quickly as they clean old inner-surface contaminants, especially in older engines. Nothing to worry about...the detergents are doing their job.