Thread: Major oil leak after sump replacement

Originally Posted by stallie

After finishing the sump replacement after loctiting the oil pump bolt, I ran her this morning before work. I left it idling for a minute, then looked under the car to see about a cupful of oil - maybe more - on the ground.

After some expletives, I saw that it's leaking from the bottom of the vertical join at the back of the sump - the join held together by the four bolts.

Initially I thought it might be to do with the gasket sealant that I used, then I started to wonder what all the oil was doing in there in the first place...as there should be no way for the oil to get into there?

Maybe the gasket hasn't lined up properly...? I'm at work now and it's bugging me.

I found the sump a bugger to get back on - I think it's likely that the gasket may have moved during sump refit. I have had no oil leaks since refitting mine (touch wood).

Sounds like you need to pull it down and refit again

Good luck with the refit.

Cheers,

Franz

Hope that's all it is! At least I shouldn't have to pull it all the way out.

I'm reading the 03MY workshop manual that arrived yesterday afternoon (I was using the 02 one) and I notice that it talks of the sealant in three places. I hadn't used any there, so I'd need to pull it off anyway.

Next question - sealant part STC 3254 can be acquired where or substituted for what? I have found reference to Hylomar 101?

Originally Posted by stallie

Hope that's all it is! At least I shouldn't have to pull it all the way out.

I'm reading the 03MY workshop manual that arrived yesterday afternoon (I was using the 02 one) and I notice that it talks of the sealant in three places. I hadn't used any there, so I'd need to pull it off anyway.

Next question - sealant part STC 3254 can be acquired where or substituted for what? I have found reference to Hylomar 101?

I just used Permatex 2 Form a gasket sealant Item # 80016 (2

Cheers,

Franz

What Franz said. You may have noticed the sump gasket has alignment spiggots moulded into it and these can be a little fiddly around the rear main seal area.

I am assuming you fitted a new gasket, as the old ones do change shape over time making it harder to refit especially around the main seal area without leaks.

cheers

Yeah stallie its a pr**k of a job. I used blue maxx loctite sealant to hold the gasket in place on the sump while I offered up the sump to the block. Make sure the rubber "dowels" are in their corresponding holes. Put sealant on the places near the rear main carrier where stated on the rave CD then nipped up/torqued the bolts in that painfull sequence and thank the maker no leaks. Looks like your gonna need to drop it again and have another go. PS: your avatar, my kids love Pingu (i'm a fan too!!!)
Regards
Robbo

Yep, dropped it tonight and the gasket hadn't seated correctly around the two long bolts.

I've got some silicone gasket sealer and will put it up again in the morning.

Yep, my little boys love Pingu too. They asked me to bring a penguin back from Antarctica the other day to play with in the sandpit!

this may be of interest

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-...ump-refit.html

A few years ago when I had my sump off, I discovered that there was a difference between genuine and aftermarket sump gaskets - mainly in the setion at the rear of the sump. The aftermarket one was up to 10mm longer between the bolt holes which, if fitted, would cause it to buckle up resulting in a leak.

If you haven't used a genuine gasket then I'd suggest that you do.