hole in my sump :(

[newt]

just discovered i have a leaky sump, got underneath the car to find a very shocking attempt of a repair with liquid metal, its right behind the steering rack,

will i have to remove the engine to get it repaired or can it be welded in place, either that or fit a new sump

getting abit disheartened now :/

[E30BeemerLad]

engine out to replace sump, or if you can firmly support the engine from above like from a hoist, you could remove the front subframe and suspension

[newt]

great i hired an engine crane to do all the work so dont have one, fml :L

[pauldeacs]

we fitted a m52 sump with the engine in the car. we did have to lift the engine right up off its mounts though with the crane.

could you not just drain it down of oil and use some more jb weld or the like. im surprised you didnt notice the damage when you went to fit it. sad times

[newt]

you cant get the sump off without removing the gearbox and the flywheel :/ plus id have to fit the new sump and grind it back to take the m20 flywheel :/ so f*cked off, may just sell it :/

[pauldeacs]

ah sorry forgot you were running the m20 box and flywheel etc.

[e30-EVN]

As unfortunate as this may be mate its only a set back!
I'm in a similar position, the layshaft is fuked in the box I stuck on my m50 and its got to the point where selecting second gear I have to hold the lever in position and it crunches into gear then 2nd is usable, the box whines 1st,2nd,3rd (4th silent) and 5th slight whine!! I felt like giving up at first as I know the task ahead,, means engine out, new clutch kit and a good box, then I have to drop it back in.

I've used it to my advantage now though, I'm ripping the m50 out and attatching a new clucth kit and box to the back of an m52 engine so that in doing this mission of a job I get some goodness out of it. Its all doable mate and I urge you not to give up as it will be worth it in the end and you just know for a fact once it is done the car WILL make you smile! Get it done and good luck mate

Ant

[newt]

yeah ino mate, ive just bought a new sump and im gunna rip the engine out fit the sump, a performance clutch, an o-ringed head gasket and arp head bolts, then its all going back in after ive sprayed the engine bay gloss black and replaced the clutch line with a braided one,

i plan to turbo the engine this winter and run low boost (5-6psi) so that i can use standard fuel management until i have more cash.

so every cloud has a silver lining i guess, just abit of a pain, and i would of thought the guy on here who sold me the sump would of been decent enough to of told me had a hole repaired with liquid metal :/

life goes on i guess, and when im running 300+bhp ill be looking back and thinking wtf was i moaning about

cheers for that post ant, bit of motivation always helps

Adam.

[E30BeemerLad]

that's the spirit

There are always setbacks when doing engine swaps

[e30-EVN]

No worries mate, I aim to please lol

Plus I understand your frustration as I'm facing the same bloody mission, but hey ho we will crack on and look back and smile from ear to ear when our cars are what we wanted them to be in the first place

Bit harsh for a fellow zoner to do that to you though I must say!! Rude

[Brianmoooore]

Sump replacement neither requires removal of the gearbox or the engine.
Remove the top mount for the radiator, unscrew all four nuts on the engine mounts, place a large block of wood under the sump, and a trolley jack under that. Lift the engine as far as you can, making sure the radiator lifts up out of its lower mounts as you go, and keep checking for things being caught or squashed.
When it's up as high as you dare, remove the engine mounts, and replace them with large blocks of wood. Tie a rope between the engine front lifting eye and a roof beam if you're in a garage for added safety, then remove the jack and wood, followed by the sump.

[bss325i]

The best way to do sump gaskets on E30's (and most BMW's) is to use one of these,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-300-KILOGR ... 621wt_1139

The unbolt cross member and lower out of the way.

[eko]

Newt is it not weldable in situ?

[e30topless]

The best way to do sump gaskets on E30's (and most BMW's) is to use one of these,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-300-KILOGR ... 621wt_1139

The unbolt cross member and lower out of the way.

these are great, quite cheap too

[DanThe]

Upside down TIG weld? Ive changed an M50 sump by jack under the gearbox bellhousing and dropping the engine crossmember down, its a ballache but not impossible

[newt]

you will have to remove the gearbox and flywheel though, cus the new sump needs to be ground down to fit the m20 flywheel :/

ive come to terms with it and figured i may aswell do a clutch at the same time, and paint the engine bay as i rushed it last time and just cleaned the bay,

[blue30]

Can't you grind the sump before putting it on? You know where it needs grinding and roughly how much, do a test fit turning it over by hand to see if it catches. Got to be easier than taking the whole lot out?

[newt]

nah cus you need to remove the fly wheel to get to the the sump bolts, plus you need to grind abit of the head on the bolts,

its all good though, engine out means i can do a few other bits at the same time, may be getting a non vanos engine and stripping/re-building it for a turbo, so i could just wait till then and swap the engine over, i repaired my sump for the time being using more liquid metal

[e30-EVN]

@newt- you don't need to grind some of the head of the bolts away mate, where you grind the parts of sump where the long bolts go through just grind the whole thing back and use smaller bolts like I did, have a look in my m50 progress thread in this section mate, I've pictured it in there. Worked for me man