Upgrades and improvements for longevity

[AustinWood]

Steve I can tell you that your Idea works, I have done the same myself in the past. I can also concur that silicone baking sheet gaskets are successful, as is Loctite 518 and paper. Unless your sump is horribly distorted most leaks appear to be oil coming through open bolt threads than past the gasket. Alan Raeburn used to produce an alloy sump that was chamfered at the front, these were/are excellent, slightly deeper than std, stiffening baffles and the chamfer makes engine removal a breeze, not sure if they are currently supplied by anyone in the UK.

I think the sump I have was this Alan Raeburn design. Very rigid and flanges for ease of removal.

[Stuart Giles]

Steve,
I'm hoping there will be a "Part 2" to this where you address the sealing of the block to the crankcase. I recall hearing about a modification to this joint involving long studs going all the way through the crankcase from block to sump. Does anyone have any details or experience of this mod?

Here's a photo of the long stud modification. You can still use the factory oil gauze with this. it just needs to have a fold put in it which sits alongside the piece of ali billet.

Chris Gould’s 10’000 mile engine had the long bolts as you describe Colin, design by Paul Bonewell I think.

I have used HT cap srews for this joint which work well.  The new silicone block to crankcase gaskets work extremely well here as well, in my experience.

Presume you're spotfacing  seatings for the block bolts on the the inside of the crankcase when you do this Ruairidh? I made a "back spotface" tool for this job which works from the top of the crankcase.

And yet wasn't that what finished it Ruairidh? I last saw the film at least a decade ago but I believe they lashed the block down with a half-shaft and brake cables in the end

The block joint failure and subsequent (literal) lash up was on the first record attempt. Paul Bonewell did the long stud conversion for the second record attempt where the block joint was fine, but one of the metal gudgeon pin buttons broke away from the pin and eventually caused a piston failure.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Spot on Stuart - gettit?

[Colin Wilks]

Thanks for that Stuart. Makes a lot of sense.

"Presume you're spotfacing  seatings for the block bolts on the the inside of the crankcase when you do this Ruairidh? I made a "back spotface" tool for this job which works from the top of the crankcase."

Ruairidh, why go the cap screw route rather than the long stud mod, which would seem to spread the load more?

Colin

[Chris KC]

Steve,
I'm hoping there will be a "Part 2" to this where you address the sealing of the block to the crankcase. I recall hearing about a modification to this joint involving long studs going all the way through the crankcase from block to sump. Does anyone have any details or experience of this mod?

Here's a photo of the long stud modification. You can still use the factory oil gauze with this. it just needs to have a fold put in it which sits alongside the piece of ali billet.

Chris Gould’s 10’000 mile engine had the long bolts as you describe Colin, design by Paul Bonewell I think.

I have used HT cap srews for this joint which work well.  The new silicone block to crankcase gaskets work extremely well here as well, in my experience.

Presume you're spotfacing  seatings for the block bolts on the the inside of the crankcase when you do this Ruairidh? I made a "back spotface" tool for this job which works from the top of the crankcase.

And yet wasn't that what finished it Ruairidh? I last saw the film at least a decade ago but I believe they lashed the block down with a half-shaft and brake cables in the end

The block joint failure and subsequent (literal) lash up was on the first record attempt. Paul Bonewell did the long stud conversion for the second record attempt where the block joint was fine, but one of the metal gudgeon pin buttons broke away from the pin and eventually caused a piston failure.

Thanks for setting the record straight Stuart - I stand corrected.

[Timothy P]

Steve I can tell you that your Idea works, I have done the same myself in the past. I can also concur that silicone baking sheet gaskets are successful, as is Loctite 518 and paper. Unless your sump is horribly distorted most leaks appear to be oil coming through open bolt threads than past the gasket. Alan Raeburn used to produce an alloy sump that was chamfered at the front, these were/are excellent, slightly deeper than std, stiffening baffles and the chamfer makes engine removal a breeze, not sure if they are currently supplied by anyone in the UK.

I think the sump I have was this Alan Raeburn design. Very rigid and flanges for ease of removal.

Sounds like semi deep type that Tony (7 County Austins) currently supplies, part number ALR6? assume the ALR is a clue to the designs origins.
Photo from Tony's Site..

[AustinWood]

Yes, that's the one. The lugs on the front and back make it easy to break the grip of ThreeBond 1184. I think I got from Tony at Prescott some few years ago.

[Ian Williams]

Yes thats the one, not original in pattern but the best aftermarket sump I have used.