Proper Aluminum Sump Installation

[RDKeysor]

Having acquired a new Moss-sourced aluminum sump at a bargain price and being in possession of a British sourced sump installation kit, cork gaskets, two additional small strip gaskets and a copper drain plug washer, and instructions, I'm looking for advice. The car is a '60 BN7. Did not get the longer bolts Moss says are required for this job nor the drain plug, but I am assured that the sump comes with the Moss instructions. I did observe from an on-line view of these instructions and noted some small modification required on the oil pump. Anyone know the proper bolt specs, thread and length, and the other concerns likely to be encountered installing one of these sumps? There is a good video on a sump install on a small block Chevy on You Tube, but I anticipate other concerns on this job, including the use of the cork gasket strips I see in my installation kit. Installation instructions are generally useful, but as I found when putting the the popular Bilstein shock kit, actually doing it expands on what the instructions tell you. Thanks to those who respond.

 

[bob hughes]

The mods to the oil pump generally belong to the filter that may clash with the sump - gently flatten the filter until the sump will fit. If you have bought a new high performance pump from say DW then the pipe needs to be trimmed gown by around 10mm ish - can't remember the exact dim. My bolts came with the sump so can not remember the dimensions- a good length would be to add up the thickness of the sump, the gasket and the flange of the engine and allow a mill or so protrusion beyond the engine flange. Normal screws are 1/4 UNF X 1/2 long according to the SC Parts catalogue but you will need longer.



Bob

 

[steveg]

My sump came from British Parts Northwest about 15 years ago. The cap screws are 1/4-28 x 1". I just pulled one and measured it. If you measure the block, gasket and sump flange, be sure to allow for the lock washer.

If you have to mail order these, suggest FMW Fasteners or Bolt Depot for better-than-hardware-store prices.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Before you remove the old sump, take a good look at the lowermost surface and the leading edge of the deepest part. Are they scraped or dented in?

Cast aluminum isn't susceptible to denting, it cracks.

I don't ever recall seeing a Healey with any appreciable road mileage that doesn't have a stock-steel sump that isn't dented in__I have three or four pans here that I 'll eventually straighten and patch up. BTW, I can weld aluminum too, but once it's had oil in those molecules, it gets a little trickier.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

...

Cast aluminum isn't susceptible to denting, it cracks.

Steel pans can crack, too. Ask me how I know

 

[Randy Forbes]

Steel pans can crack, too. Ask me how I know

True, but they're more forgiving than cast aluminum. Imagine what that same impact would've done to a fancy ribbed aluminum pan

Plus too, you wouldn't have to backtrack__though the trail would be easy to follow__to collect all the broken pieces of an aluminum pan!

I discussed this at length with Tim Kozlowski (Koz's Classics, a British sportscar restorer in SE Michigan) and he, like myself has yet to see a Healey come into his shop without a dented, in some cases severely so, oil pan on a Healey. Claiming that No Way would he put one on a customer's car__or at a minimum, do his best to talk them out of it.

They have their place, like on a smooth racetrack, but if you actually use your Healey like a car__driving it on the average city streets__then no (although places like Florida and California have better roads than parts of the country subjected to a range of temperatures from below freezing to approaching 100 degrees). Yes, they look cool, but if I got a smoking deal on one, I'd hang it on the wall and keep it as art.

 

[steveg]

I had Alfas with aluminum sumps from the early '70s until the mid '90s and have had my Healey aluminum sump since the early oughts. In that whole time, I hit a dip with my Milano sump and squished some fins on the front; on the Healey, I hit a rock at low speed turning off the highway - see picture. When I was in New Zealand, one of the 100s ripped open their sheet-metal sump exiting the ferry.

Very few incidents are catastrophic.

 

[John Turney]

I've banged my aluminum sump several times. No cracks yet, but the fins are slightly worn down (or is that up?).

 

[RDKeysor]

Thanks for all of the comments regards my post. I will take them all seriously and will probably follow Steve's advice on purchasing new bolts. I'm hoping to get our Healey club to do this as a club tech session. That worked on the installation of my 3.5 differential gears. And finally, of course my car's pan shows signs of having been battered a bit. I think there is even some braze around the drain plug, but I'm not going out to the garage to check.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Best of luck to you.

 

[Dandare]

I think there is even some braze around the drain plug

,

I think that may possibly be original??

Danny

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I got a nearly perfect used pan for my BJ8 and didn't see any braze on it (I think the only place you would see it stock would be around the threads). My old one, however, had about a half-pound on it.

 

[Dandare]

Yes, I assumed he meant around the drain plug hole for some reason.

Danny

 

[RDKeysor]

Yes to Danny's observation.