adding oil at Le Mans in the past and present?

[djb]

This question came up with a friend recently.

I thought that in the past at Le Mans there was a "no adding oil" regulation, or only so much per certain number of hours or something like that. Am I completely off-base with this? It seems to me that there were even wired shut oil caps to ensure this, with folks inspecting them to make sure there wasn't tampering.

Am I mixing this up with something else, and if not, when did this change, as nowadays don't they add oil if need be? I could certainly see the point of restricting adding oil to a leaking engine just to make it through to the end, whilst slowly leaving a trail around for the others to fall off on.

thanks,
David

[Ray Bell]

As the most highly regulated race on earth, it's unlikely that topping up oil has escaped the attention of the Le Mans organisers... I think it more likely though (I admit to not knowing for sure) that they would have a limited amount that can be added per distance or time elapsed.

They would risk losing finishers otherwise, though this would ensure some greater degree of safety.

And for sure there would be seal-keepers on hand.

[Milan Fistonic]

Don't know what the regulations are today but in the past they definitely were allowed to add oil. There is a photo in Le Mans '59 showing a mechanic adding oil to to the winning Aston Martin. He is using a very large syringe to pump the oil into a filler placed just ahead of the left hand door.

[Corktree]

In the past there definitely were rules on the adding of oil -- it was generally a minimum distance that had to be covered between fillings, in the 20-or so lap range usually. The oil filler was sealed and no end of problems over the years due to seals being inadvertently broken by the officials.... Not sure if the rule ever went away since it was there for eons..... Also, there were once restrictions on the minimum distance between refuelings -- which was not the same as the one on adding oil, naturally...

[WANHER]

You had also to carry spare parts in your car in the early fifties Louis Rosier had a problem with his engine and had to stop at the
pits . The part wasn't in his car but providentialy he received
a very special sandwich, the part was in it.
That's all

[djb]

thankyou all for the tidbits, I'm not always very good for checking in and replying right away.
Makes sense to have some sort of rule of a certain number of laps before you could add more.
Wanher, the sandwich story rings a bell. Thats a good one isn't it. Hasn't there been incidents where tools have be "lent" to drivers by "trackworkers" when guys have had to jury rig something to get back to the pits?

[WANHER]

Another one according to Nixon's book over Aston Martin
A DB3 in 1952 during practice got a crash and was behind repair
it was a open car with a medium rear tail.
J Wyer decided then to bring back the broken car from Monaco GP
This one was badly hurt on the rear and the french company
who was doing the job, delivered the car whith a short tail.
There was no reclamation from Lofty England for this swap.
That's the reason you got 3 different DB3 at the race.
as