rebuilt engine leaking oil....

[goodwoodweirdo]

Morning chaps,
 
I have a engine which has been freshened up, when I returned to the garage after filling it with oil, it has leaked everywhere. I pulled the gearbox thinking its from the rear oil seal but I don’t see any oil, after much reading I saw a comment about sump bolts coming into the bottom of the engine and oil seeping past the bolt ! can that be the case, it lost all its oil in 24 hours ? any other ideas ? I’ve purchased a 2mm sump gasket and will do my best to have the mating surfaces as flat as possible. Should I then locktight the sump bolts ? extra sealant etc..
 
As always, thanks in advance for your comments …


Matt

[Howard Wright]

Hi Matt

I had leaks from the sump bolts recently but whilst a fair bit of oil dripped out it was no way near an engine full.

I took the sump bolts out smeared with sealant and refitted. The engine is now oil tight.

Howard

[Ruairidh Dunford]

What year of crankcase do you have?

[goodwoodweirdo]

I have no idea of the year, the car is '31 but the engine number is M147652 -  

Back to goolge for the answer : seems a 31 engine number !

[Steve kay]

To lose all the oil suggests a major sump problem, old tin sumps were not desperately robust when new.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Matt,

The circled fixing holes are most likely open to the oil, with your year of crankcase.

I have used fibre washers under the flat washers to seal these fixings, but you may also need to use some sort of sealing on the threads here too.

   

[Ruairidh Dunford]

If the yellow point has ever been repaired it may be open to oil, too…    

[Steve Jones]

Agree with Ruairidh that these locations are the most likely to be open. However,, to loose a sump full of oil does seem excessive even if all locations are leaking. You did put the sump plug in and fully tighten it didn't you. A regular poster on here made that mistake some years ago!! I gave up with sump studs a few engines ago and now use 1/4" BSW Engineering studs with nylocs. Fitted with a silicone sump gasket, sump oil leaks are a thing of the past - as long as you fit the sump plug.

   

Steve

[Nick Lettington]

Agree with Ruairidh that these locations are the most likely to be open. However,, to loose a sump full of oil does seem excessive even if all locations are leaking. You did put the sump plug in and fully tighten it didn't you. A regular poster on here made that mistake some years ago!! I gave up with sump studs a few engines ago and now use 1/4" BSW Engineering studs with nylocs. Fitted with a silicone sump gasket, sump oil leaks are a thing of the past - as long as you fit the sump plug.



Steve

Never mind the studs... that's a great engine stand you have Steve.

[Colin Morgan]

The only time my sump leaked a lot of oil overnight was the time I had put the sump back on with new-made sump bolts and they felt tight but some were 'grounding' and the sump was not sealed!