Rover K engine - Oil leak from sump gasket

[oldbutnotslow]

Re using the gasket when its oil soaked could be problematic in your case as you cant get it "dry" even using a solvent such as carb cleaner. The problem is that the gaskets are very expensive for what they are. That said the gasket that you have posted pictures of is buggered and fit only for the bin!

The witness marks left by the engine block should be quite smooth. Yours appears to be heavily pitted as if the rubberised face has reacted with something.

I haven't used a gasket on my track car in years simply because on average I get new fins welded in place on the bottom of the sump almost annually as I run the car quite low and they get worn away on the kerbs.

As has been suggested do check the block mating face and clean this off thoroughly.

Why not try using an anaerobic sealant  without a gasket? Locktite  5188 or Elring AFD 2000 which is what I use?

Also  trying to put the sump back on on your own can be quite difficult so a good tip is to get a couple of short lengths of studding and screw these into the block to help in proper location and then offer up the sump. You can even then use a jack under the sump to support it without the risk of it slipping out of alignment whilst you get the proper cap head bolts in place.

[CharlesElliott]

I have reused the gasket 6 or 7 times without any issue (on my race car). So - all other things being equal - I don't see problems reusing the gasket. Of course, if you have sump distortion, mating face damage etc., it may be different.

[jean materne]

The top face sealing surface looks OK, quite smooth and without any dent or any sort of defect.

I will anyway test pressing the sump against it without any seal just to check how the two surfaces fit together.

[jean materne]

If the sealing faces match perfectly, it is indeed worth trying with some sealant and no gasket (this is what is done on the k-series Lotus Elise engines). As I said in my previous answer, I will check the matching of the two faces  and I'll also follow your advice about the short lengths of studding.

For information, I called Darren  at Caterham this morning to find out if they had any new gasket on stock.

They haven't and won't have before 3 - 4 weeks.

He advised me to clean the gasket as well as I could and fit it back with some sealant. He told me that it should work.

Thanks to all.

 

[jean materne]

Hi Ian.

If you've read my previous posts, you've understood that I won't (and can't, from Caterham at least) buy a new gasket. I'll try to do either without it or with the one I have + sealant, and in this case, I will punch some holes in the "shelf" of it.

Any clue, whereabout or how far back I should look on the blatchat to find a bit of direction for this modification ?

Again thanks for your help offer.

And enjoy your visit in Belgium.

[SM25T]

A search for 'sump foam' should help. There have been hundreds of posts about it during my 8 years here !!

[Ian B]

Typing gasket mod in the search box brings up this thread on which I posted Dave Andrews picture:

HTH 

[Bob L]

Probably not ideal but I have a spare second hand gasket ready drilled as per the photo.  I replaced mine a few weeks back to change the foam baffle.  I drilled the old one as a practice item for when I did this to the new gasket but to be honest, it seemed in very good condition with only the usual slight indentation of the mating surfaces apparent.  God knows why I kept it but....if you want it and and I can get it over to SM25T before he's departure to Belgium .... it then just has to get to you from Elie....
 
It may be in better condition than the one you have?  Its free and at least gives you an option.  Please let me know asap if you want it.
 
SM25T - sorry, I hope this suggestion fits in with yourself if I can get it to you tomorrow (Saturday).
 
Rgds, Bob L
 

[jean materne]

Thanks Ian

[jean materne]

Thanks for this proposal Bob, I've just seen your post.

My gasket is still in very good condition and I'm sure I can reuse it, probably with some good sealant after drying it.

Elie Boone actually suggested that the two horizontal screws linking the sump to the bellhousing might prevent the sump to be properly pressed against the sealing face of the engine (did anybody experience it ? - slight misalignment between the holes in the bell housing and the holes in the sump)  

This is well possible, details of the pictures which I took after the removal of the sump seem indeed to show some evidence of that.

I'm going to check and I'll keep you all informed if it is the case.

[Geoff Brown]

Jean,

When you offer up the sump to the gasket hold it loosely in place with a few of the sump cap head bolts then wiggle in the two bell housing to sump bolts. Tighten these untii there is still 3-4mm of the head showing so thay will be still 'loose'.

Then fit & tighten all the sump bolts to 16-20Nm (12-15lb/ft). Now you can tighten the two big bolts to 34Nm (25lb/ft).

This sequence prevents the leak occuring at the rear of the sump pan as people have found from bitter experience that fully tightening the Bell Housing to Sump bolts first does not allow the sump to settle in to the gasket.

[jean materne]

Thanks for the advice Geoff.

I believe we did it that way (we have torqued the two bell housing screws at the end, I'm sure of that, but maybe they were already too far just before that final tightening) and I'll certainly do it that way when I'll put everything together again for good.

As I said, I'm very curious to check if the holes in the bell housing and the threaded holes in the sump are properly aligned when the sump is pressed against the bottom of the engine.

Not possible this evening unfortunately.

 

 

[jean materne]

Little update.

No time for working on the car during the last two weeks.

Today I drilled 3 holes in the gasket "shelf".

I'll try to find the right RTV silicone sealant this week so that the (hopefully) final repair can take place next week-end.

http://www.heberger-image.fr/data/images/35928_IMG_0757.jpg