Sump gasket change

stina

New Member
Hi all
Have bought rather nice v8 . I knew on buying she needed few little jobs . How difficult /easy to change sump gasket ? (auto) small leak . Kick down not working , box smooth , quiet , otherwise fine , small coolant leak from what looks like temp sender ( center of inlet manifold ) .
Stina
 
Make sure that the flame traps, engine breather filter, and all associated pipework are fully clear before changing the sump gasket as if they are blocked it will cause oil leaks. If you do need to change the sump gasket you will need to remove the exhaust front pipes to be able to remove the sump. I'm assuming you mean the engine sump.
If it's the transmission sump then it's just a case of remove and refit, and make sure the mounting flange is flat. You could take the opportunity to clean or change the filter while you were there.
The temp guage sender unit is at the front of the manifold, the one on the top, retained by 3 small bolts (that snap) is the choke warning light sender.
The lack of kickdown could be the throttle bracket bush missing, check this, and the fluid level, before adjusting the cable itself. If you do a gearbox sump gasket you could set the cable while the sump is off.
 
Thanks for the advice , i'll check breather , flame trap first . Have been told by seller that it was sump but i'll have a look round her any way . Not used to her yet spent last five years fiddling with A series in spare time . Any tips on removing choke sender without snapping bolts ?
Cheers Stina
 
Hi Stina,

These are #10 UNC (3/8" A/F) and can be difficult as you can't really get any heat on them because of where they are, and because you can melt the plastic top of the Otter switch.

Give them a dose of penetrating oil for a day or two - use Plus Gas or something similar (acres better than WD40!). Try and feel how resistant they are when you get a close-fitting ring spanner on them and go gentle. Ironically, sometimes a gentle tightening torque can help to free them before unscrewing.

Good Luck! :)
 
You might find that the engine sump bolts are just loose which could account for the leak. If you're going to change the smup gasket though you can get away with just disconnecting the exhaust down pipes from the manifolds and allowing it to drop down if you don't want to remove it completely. Take some time to clean it out and hammer th flange flat as Harvey said to make sure you get a good seal.

Interestingly, the bolts holding my Otter swicth in place aren't seized in, but the Otter switch itself is.
 
Hay more advice cheers .
Sender switch , i've cleaned all around and soaked with wd40 (It's all i have ) will give more over next few days , then have a go at weekend . Did wonder about putting bit of tightening pressure on first , also few light taps with hammer ?
Re the sump , fiddling about this afternoon , flame trap and breathers all clear . Have a pit at work (on farm , full of junk , old oil drums ect ) will have a grovel around under her tomorrow .
Thanks all .
Christina
 
Hi stina, if the three bolts do end up shearing off and you are able to remove the sender (choke warning sender) I've found that (depending on corrosion etc) you can get a 3/8" BSP tap through the hole so you can fit a plug to seal the hole, use plenty of grease on the tap to catch swarf to prevent it entering the coolant cavity, hope this helps, also I used a straight edge across/diagonally the sump flange to check for flatness for a better seal, I took sydneyrover's suggestion and used an oil resistant silicone sealant instead of a gasket as they (especially the cork gaskets) tend to squash out of shape, unless there is a better gasket material to use out there, using a silicone sealant you can get a better tension on the bolts without worrying about squeezing the cork gasket too much at the bolt pinch point.

Regards,
 
Hi Scott
Thanks for info , do you fancy popping round if i get stuck , i notice your quite close !!! I've been soaking it in wd40 every time i go out to garage , and giving it a few taps with hammer (gentle) , it's only very slight dribble so might keep that up for more days . I'm in no hurry . Might try torque the sump up a little first , again only slight drip . Australia hay , Bet your not sat in front of your wood burner !
Cheers stina
 
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