Rover v8 sumps.

[jenand40]

I have a Rover 4.2 engine fitted in my Triumph Stag with an SD1 sump. I have never managed to get the sump to seal correctly, there has always been a drip from at least one of the bolts. The sump mating flange was checked for flatness before fitting and I used a thick gasket. Have seen, on EBay, that you can now get an additional support plate that bolts to the outer flange face to provide a more even clamping force. Has anyone tried these, are they any good?
Have also thought about using the later cast sump but I do not have a lot of room between the sump and crossmember. Does anyone have access to the SD1 and later cast sumps that could compare heights for me?

[DaveEFI]

I don't think they made a cast one in the SD1 shape - all at the back to clear the cross member?

[ChrisJC]

I found that the rearmost two bolt holes go right through to the inside of the engine. This means that oil will weep down the bolt threads and out of any tiny orifices between the bolt, washer and sump.

I fixed it with a load of instant gasket on the threads.

Chris.

[jenand40]

Dave, always a quick reply.

Chris, I did not realise that, I will try sealing those 2 threads.

Thank you both.

Andy.

[SuperV8]

I have a Rover 4.2 engine fitted in my Triumph Stag with an SD1 sump. I have never managed to get the sump to seal correctly, there has always been a drip from at least one of the bolts. The sump mating flange was checked for flatness before fitting and I used a thick gasket. Have seen, on EBay, that you can now get an additional support plate that bolts to the outer flange face to provide a more even clamping force. Has anyone tried these, are they any good?
Have also thought about using the later cast sump but I do not have a lot of room between the sump and crossmember. Does anyone have access to the SD1 and later cast sumps that could compare heights for me?

The sump has to also match with the front cover used. Cast ali sump was only used with the later THOR front cover - but anyway I suspect it would be too deep for a car application. I re-build my 4.6 using the GEMS ranger over steel sump which came with my engine and it was much deeper - only an inch or two from the ground compared to the previous 3.5 SD1 engine/sump.

If you have a cross bolted block I think one or two of these cross bolts also go into an oil passage and can weep?

[jp928]

The 2 rear sump bolts go into the rear main cap, are slightly longer than the other bolts, and should have a steel reinforcing strip to better clamp that edge of the sump.
jp 74 P6B S