Club 80-90 Forums

Hey!

I have fixed a Renault Scenic (1.4 16v petrol) sump some months ago, it was damaged because a stone in the middle of the track. I used a thing... I don't know how to explain... it is like Poxilina (it's like a glue but you have to heat it or warm it with your hands) and then I put it in the sump (if it is from aluminium or something like that). Of course you have to clean the sump first with petrol or something and sand papers (small size). Hope you understand me

you can mig weld aluminium, obviously with alli wire and the correct gas( i forget which gas though). take it to a fabricator or a local welder if they cant do it they might tell you who can.

Any shop with a tig will do it, shouldnt cost more than a tenner.
Mike

You will struggle to weld the sump up as the oil will have contaminated the alloy it is made of, so it will spit like mad and you may well not get a good seal.

New ones are still available and if memory serves they're just under £300. You may find one of the breakers has one, but these sumps are prone to failure from ignorance/rubbish alloy construction.

A professional TIG or MIG welder will always clean, grind back to clean metal, V-out and should be able to make a perfectly good repair. If the alloy is a high magnesium one, extra care might be required, though I think VW phased these out before then and expect the sump is a silicon based casting aluminium alloy, should be quite weldable.

Petrol would only be suitable for initial cleaning up, but degreasers such as Trich /MEK (Genklene) would be required around the whole area before welding, for a top job.

If its near the back, then could be due the way the bellhousing through bolts were tightened before all the set screws up into the block were inserted and nipped up.

The whole idea is weld the crack up, whcih certainly sholdn't continue to travel... see above, this is a low or zero stress component so shouldn't stress crack anyway.