Warped sump
Indymike - 11/8/14 at 12:00 PM
Hi all,
Someone very kindly chopped and welded my Blacktop sump for me last year (as I have no welding skills or equipment) and it has been waiting for me to
fit to my engine for a year (yes, it's a slow build....).
When I offered it up to the block yesterday, I noticed that the sump is warped. On the front side (deep end of the sump) there is a gap of about 1mm
between sump and block and on the back (shallow end) about 2 mm, whereas in the middel part the sump meets the block.
I'm not sure if this will seal properly with liquid gasket and tightening the sump bolts.
Anything I can do to 'correct' the sump, or should I just put it on and hope for the best?
You can sort of see it on this pic:
Sump gap
Mike
whitestu - 11/8/14 at 12:07 PM
They are a bit flexible so it could well pull up. My guess would be it will seal OK with plenty of instant gasket..
Stu
loggyboy - 11/8/14 at 12:08 PM
Mine went like this when it was welded, I tried correcting but made no difference. Im pretty sure the flex is there to ensure a tight seal when bolted
up. Just some good quality gasket sealant.
ALSO, more importantly, it doesn't look like any additional volume has been added to that sump, you will have lost a fair amount there. The
standard route is to extend it
towards the rear:
Check the latter pages of my build diary:
http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=149348
Or this, pretty much the default guide on the net for most things zetec.
http://www.toyne.org.uk/kc-mods-sumpchop.html
[Edited on 11-8-14 by loggyboy]
whitestu - 11/8/14 at 12:39 PM
quote:
ALSO, more importantly, it doesn't look like any additional volume has been added to that sump, you will have lost a fair amount there. The
standard route is to extend it
towards the rear:
Loggyboy is right, you should extend the sump capacity but you don't have to.
Mine has been like yours for years, with road use and track days, plus has a smaller oil filter so only holds about 3.5 l of oil. Having said that I
change the oil every 1000 miles to counter the fact that the oil is probably getting hotter than it would if there was more capacity.
I guess it depends on how unhappy you would be if your Zetec went bang.
Stu
Indymike - 11/8/14 at 12:51 PM
I think I would be quite unhappy if my zetec went Bang, but who wouldn't be? 
For now I'll keep it as it is, can always upgrade to a sump with extension later. My build is already too long and will probably never finish if
I keep upgrading parts that I have used already without actually ever having driven the car!
I got 'official' sealant from Ford, so hope that's quality enough.
Thanks guys!
whitestu - 11/8/14 at 01:43 PM
quote:
I think I would be quite unhappy if my zetec went Bang, but who wouldn't be?
True!
Mine cost £85 and is completely standard - what I was trying to say was I would probably be a lot less bothered is it blew up than if I'd spent a
couple of grand building a modified engine!
The other way to add back a bit of oil capacity is an oil cooler.
Stu
loggyboy - 11/8/14 at 03:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
The other way to add back a bit of oil capacity is an oil cooler.
Stu
Or an accusump.
Smoking Frog - 11/8/14 at 03:55 PM
You could always bolt it up without the gasket and see what it looks like. Also if there's no lip around the edge, maybe go round with a feeler
gauge to test for gaps.
02GF74 - 11/8/14 at 06:37 PM
Oil cooler plus associated plumbing will increase oil volume as well as cooling it.
Indymike - 11/8/14 at 07:04 PM
Hmm, dry run without the gasket, sounds like a good idea. Will give that a try.
Don't quite have the budget for an accusump or oil cooling system at the moment, but wil keep it in mind.
Thanks again guys.
