an annoying little drip

[edoh]

as my mum used to call me!
like man - like van -
the vans developed a little oil drip - just under the sump plug -
a few drops a day - when its parked up -

i changed the oil - new washer - new sump plug - (strangely shorter than the one that was on there?) - torqued the sump plug up to 18lbs -
still drips -
had a closer look - and the sump is dripping - not from the plug itself -but from the l/h side of the plug - !?!
where my fingies pointing -

i cleaned it up - and tried putting some araldite on it -
without any joy -
the oil slowly drips through -


any ideas mon amies?

[kevtherev]

Might be a stress fracture from over tightening in the past
Might be case mating surface leak.

Nothing you can do....unless you can find the crack or exact place and use JB weld to smother it after draining the oil and washing the sump out, there's no oil pressure in the sump, just maybe a little air pressure.

[edoh]

thanks so much for the comment rev -
i'll live with it for a while n check the dipstick regularly -
if it gets worse - might go down the jbweld road -

thanks again for your time and info - top man -

[edoh]

ok -
i've given it the full talcum treatment! -
(surely an essential part of every dubbers tool kit? 88 inch breaker bar? - check! super engine diamond cutter? - check! growlaction leg puller ? - check! errr..... supersoftie talc? - errr... - check! - )
to try n find out where the annoying little drip is coming from -

i'll leave it on for a day or two - but currently - 'the dark stuff' seems to be emerging from the sides of the sump plug itself?



my thinking is - give it a day or two n check that that's the only place that has darkened up with oil -
wash all the talc off n clean up sump - awkwardly sandpaper round sump plug -
drain oil - dry round sump plug - return original sump plug with new copper washer -
apply a smear of chemical metal round sump plug (ensuring can still get the 13mm socket on for other times) - fill up with 4.5 litres of fresh mineral oil - n see if that does the trick -
makes sense?

your comments always welcome -

just to make sure its nothing as obvious as a loose bolt/stud -

does anyone know what torque these should be tightened to?


thanks in advance -
edoh


ps - if anyone cants to get in talc is cheap - torque is cheaper puns - their very welcome!

[kevtherev]

torque figure is in the haynes... 18 ft lb or 25 nm

you're dying to put this chemical metal on aren't you.
I don't think VW used it... or that it will stick to oily metal

So lets find out if you tightened it up enough first.

Do you know what PTFE tape is?

[edoh]

indeed -

a little twirl round the plug before putting it back?

[kevtherev]

couple of turns applied with the thread as you tighten it
so that the tape does not "ball up" but tightens with the plug

I use it on mine

[edoh]

will give it a go tommorrow -

massive thumbs up to you - for the many useful hints -

[toomanytoys]

check there isnt a seconf washer thats been mullered up against the case causing the new one not to seal.. seen it before.. will see it again I reckon..
PTFE tape.. and dont try to over tighten the sump plug.. it will end in tears...

[edoh]

ps - the man from the motor factor shop - said -

'yeah - that jb welds allright for sticking fings together - but it aint no good for little cracks in metal - you need chemical metal for that mate - i've dun it meself - went over a road bump too fast - ad a little crack on the sump - stuck some of the chemical metal on - n its been right as rain ever since ' -

(he was from east london)

i hope!

tmt - thanks for the double washer idea - well worth a look and check -

most definitely - a little tape - with the thread - a new washer - a check on a 'double washer' - a gentle torque up to - 18 lbs -

and then the chemical metal!

[kevtherev]

.......and then the chemical metal!

hell yeah, slap it on
BTW I 've repaired gearboxes with JB and it does seal cracks but like them all....it's temporary

[edoh]

errrrr...
the tape suggestion has worked a treat!
many many thanks for the tip - wouldn't have occurred to me in a hundred years -
so -
big thank you kev n tmt -for your suggestions

all sorted -

dooes anyone want to buy 88 tubes of chemical miracle? 29 cartons of supersoft baby talc and an industrial barrel of jb weld that nice man from east london sold me?

[kevtherev]

dooes anyone want to buy 88 tubes of chemical miracle? 29 cartons of supersoft baby talc and an industrial barrel of jb weld that nice man from east london sold me?

That's the spirit.. very funny

[8673sharp]

This thread has hopefully solved my leaky issues that started once I did my first oil change! Quite a knock to the confidence truth be told, off to shop to pick up some ptfe tape, hopefully sell it at tool station and maybe some of this liquid metal which I have visions of being a cross between flubbed and terminator 2! I can hope!!
So thanks for the advice albeit secondhand!

[Plasticman]

remember when you apply ptfe to a rh thread bolt that when you look at the end of the bolt the tape should wind on clockwise, this helps prevent the tape from unwinding as you tighten
mm