Tuning Alley Sump

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Tuning Alley Sump

Joined
Jan 26, 2020
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Location
Beds / Herts
Am changing my standard sump to an alluminium one. The theory is a slightly cooler engine is a happier engine.

The sump plug does not have a copper washer to help seal.
Is it missing or is it not needed ?
My fear is without it during the process of hot and cold the alluminium will 'fuse' together making removal of plug at future services difficult.

David
 
Sorry, not that familiar with this application but, if I'm right we are talking about a steel plug into a cast ally sump? This is a very common configuration. My personal preference would be to use a copper or soft aluminium (I have a sheet of this I make my own washers from) crush washer.

I guess you are worried about the possibility of electrolytic corrosion "freezing" the plug in place. I've never come across this being a problem in this sort of setting and I don't think you should be worrying about it. Maybe if you never pulled the plug for 4 or 5 years it might be a worry, but in that case you'd probably have much more serious stuff to worry about than a seized sump plug?
 
Am changing my standard sump to an alluminium one. The theory is a slightly cooler engine is a happier engine.

The sump plug does not have a copper washer to help seal.
Is it missing or is it not needed ?
My fear is without it during the process of hot and cold the alluminium will 'fuse' together making removal of plug at future services difficult.

David

Hi David, I can concur with Jock, my 4ltr alloy sump has a simple copper washer and never leaks. You could use a fibre washer too - up to you.
Ian.
 
Some of the Fords used to use a nylon washer and my boy's Astra has a small recess round the plug which accepts a thin rubber "O" ring. This one surprised me the first time I changed it's oil and had to make a time wasting round trip to the Vauxhall dealer to buy a replacement as I didn't want to risk reusing the old one. Some of the latest are now completely made of plastic even!
 
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Some of the Fords used to use a nylon washer and my boy's Astra has a small recess round the plug which accepts a thin rubber "O" ring. This one surprised me the first time I changed it's oil and had to make a time wasting round trip to the Vauxhall dealer to buy a replacement as I didn't want to risk reusing the old one. Some of the latest are now completely made of plastic even!

Some of the engines even have plastic sumps not just plugs ?
 
Brilliant idea, our modern 500 needed a new sump to replace the porous old one at five years old.
Yup, I agree on the grounds that the steel ones do seem to rust out far too quickly. My old Cordoba had a steel sump and was still going strong on the original at around 19 years old so I've never understood why the Fiat ones rust out so quickly. However I've seen too many plastic components become unserviceable due to the engine heat distorting them and a steel sump will "give" or dent if clobbered whereas I think a plastic one would be much more liable to crack? Also, I'm just a bit of a dinosaur and don't like all these plastic engine components that are being used these days - metal parts you can often "fettle" when damaged, Plastic? not so much.
 
Yup, I agree on the grounds that the steel ones do seem to rust out far too quickly. My old Cordoba had a steel sump and was still going strong on the original at around 19 years old so I've never understood why the Fiat ones rust out so quickly. However I've seen too many plastic components become unserviceable due to the engine heat distorting them and a steel sump will "give" or dent if clobbered whereas I think a plastic one would be much more liable to crack? Also, I'm just a bit of a dinosaur and don't like all these plastic engine components that are being used these days - metal parts you can often "fettle" when damaged, Plastic? not so much.
Totally agree..Give me Metal.........Bad Plastic!
Luigi
 
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