Oil sump - replace or leave patched up?

My van has been keeping me busy these last few weeks.

Drove to my brother's at the weekend 90 miles away, got up next morning to the beautiful sight of an oil slick emerging from the sump.
Found a hole about 4mm in diameter in the creased part of the sump casting and managed to clean it out and patch up with some "plastic padding - leak repair" from Halfords.

I was hoping it would be enough to get me home which it did and is rock solid. Its been fine for a few days and looks like it will hold out.
Removing the sump looks like it could turn into a sheared bolt nightmare looking at the state of them so I'm thinking of leaving as it is.
In fact I was thinking of cleaning the rust off the rest of the base of the sump and using up the remainder of the tube and painting over it.

Any reason why not?

you could spray them every day with wd40 en could try after a couple of days.
i wouldnt like driving with a hole in my sump   
your engine doesnt like it when its without oil.

next time you may not notice in time and could drive without or to less oil..

The little sump bolts tend to come out no problem. Never snappen a single one.

I have used that plastic padding on sumps a couple of times.

As long as you drain the sump first, clean the area that needs patching properly, and bond it up 100% oil free then it will last forever.

I lay sheets of tinfoil into the patch to reinforce it.

When undoing bolts always give them a little turn to do them up then undo them, this helps to free them off before winding them out.
I have never had a problem with sump bolts yet.
Another solution if you dont want to remove the sump is have a small patch welded in place if you can weld or know a weldor.
If you weld a patch just go slow with the weldor & its only really viable if the area to be welded has a good amount of oil above it (cools it down as you weld rather than catch fire).
Personally I would go for a replacement sump if possible, always the best solution.

i had to do a quick repair on my brothers vectra many years ago the engine slipped onto axle stand and cracked sump, we patched it up while it was leaking to get us home its was like it for 3 years till he sold car and never lost a drop

If you rub soap into the crack it stops it leaking for a few minutes while the epoxy sets.

The repair has held out quite well but I have been losing a small amount of oil. The current sump is in such bad condition it looks like the oil is simply seeping through the rust very slowly:



I've got hold of a replacement oil sump which is in decent condition and am going to use a gel sealant - can anyone recommend a good one or is there little difference?

That looks pretty bad lol! I've used loctite liquid gasket before and it worked well. Haven't had any experience with other brands to compare but no leaks so I would use it again

I used the loctite liquid gasket as recommended - all good for over 6 months - no topping up oil and no leaks!

harrythehamster wrote:The repair has held out quite well but I have been losing a small amount of oil. The current sump is in such bad condition it looks like the oil is simply seeping through the rust very slowly:



I've got hold of a replacement oil sump which is in decent condition and am going to use a gel sealant - can anyone recommend a good one or is there little difference?

That's shagged mate ......

I was going to post exactly the same thing last yesterday.

There is shagged, and there is shagged, and that is certainly shagged.

Yer might need to do sumpthing about that before it lets go and you become a city slicker!

I too have never had a sump bolt

I too have never had a sump bolt break. I try and remove the old gasket with a sharpened table knife and re-use it if I can't get a new one.
Then I prefer to use Hylomar Blue sealer made for Rolls Royce engines on all my engine rebuilds. We all have our different ways, methods and materials though.

Blimey PFM!! That's pretty corny, but you never fail to amuse.

Didn't think they had a sump gasket.

Thought it was just a bond job.

Cardboard gaskets I have come across on the few I have dismantled Matt. Nowhere near as many as you though. Am taking one apart later this week. Come to think of it I sent somebody a sump and it definitely had a gasket on it.
Trying to remember who it was as he asked if I could get it off without damaging the gasket. It was a black /grey coloured material.

HighlyJetted wrote:Didn't think they had a sump gasket. Thought it was just a bond job.

Some time ago I 'won' a sump gasket for a 993 - genuine Daihatsu part No 12151-87702-000. Not fitted yet though.