Foam Sump Baffle

[andysteele]

I`ve had my car 2 years now and I`m thinking about replacing the foam sump baffle with the next oil change. Do I really need to do this?

 

Car is ex-Academy 1600 Vauxhall, from 1999, only 8k miles, so limited use since the Academy.

 

What bits do i need, new foam, new gaskets, anything else?

 

Cheers, Andy!

 

1999 VX1600 Classic - andysteele.net - picasa albums - driving in marigolds

[Dickie Normuss]

I can't advise on exactlywhat you'll need as I have the 2l Vx but to give you an idea I need the foam, oil filter, 2 gaskets (one for each side of the windage plate) and of course, oil 😬

 

On the foam you'll get most people telling you it's the work of Satan and to throw it away ASAP and permanently. Personally I leave it in as it's there to do a job and hasn't caused me any issues. When I first got my current 7 it hadn't been changed for years and had gone crispy. If this happens it can break up and block oilways . Since then I change it every year when I do the oil change. A few years ago they made the hole around the pick up pipe bigger to allow the oil to pool more. An easy way to check it is to poke a screwdriver into it through the sump plug hole and you'll be able to tell if it's spongy or crispy. Also check the the inside of the sump for witness marks to make sure the pick up pipe isn't touching it, it needs to be modified if it is.

 

VX HPC - Loud and proud here

Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere