Little metal bits in the engine (Yikes!)

[Julian Thompson]

Any thoughts on this:

 

1) Build car. Carefully, and obsessively wash dry sump bellhousing as instructed in manual.

 

2) Wash housing again.

 

3) 120psi airline on housing.

 

4) Repeat 2 & 3 until build partner goes to sleep.

 

5) Finish car, drive and drop oil at 70 miles. Lots of swarf in belltower. Strip all oil pipes and flush.

 

6) Cat midlands change oil again at 500 miles. No mention of any problems (swarf!).

 

7) 1100 miles. Am changing oil again. Couple of tiny bits of swarf on top of blue plate at belltower. Little bits of swarf stuck in filter in belltower. Clean all this out again.

 

8) (Most worryingly) Actual sump plug (after filter, remember) has a few bits of swarf stuck to the magnet. Remember this must be steel, not the alloy from the belltower! BUT - the sump plug itself looks to have been "caught" by something from above, and I think the swarf stuck to the magnet is actually from the sump plug itself. Certainly this plug wasn't damaged when it went in.

 

SO - are there any reciprocating bits *just* above the sump plug in a dry sumped K that could "catch" the top of the plug and damage it?

 

Is it worth dropping my sump to have a look inside? How hard is this to do - it looks just like those few bolts round the outside?

 

Bit concerned about all this, TBH.......

[Julian Thompson]

Answered my own question!

 

There is a baffle - looking steel thingy inside the dry sump pan. When I built the car I used a copper washer on the sump plug, which spaced the ford style magnetic bung back by a critical amount. When someone (not me!) put the plug back in after its 500mile service they elected to use some silicone sealant rather than a copper washer.

 

This meant that as the plug was torqued up it bit into the steel above and little bits chipped off - thankfully it is magnetic, of course, so the bits were contained.

 

I suggest that you grind the top 2mm off the thread of the plug so that if *anyone* else forgets to put the washer on it won't cause this problem.

 

The bits in the sump tower are a separate issue for sure and I expect that I won't find any when I do the next change.

 

I carefully checked the main filter for bits to see if any had got past the mesh in the sump tower, but it was clean

 

So that's it then

[Paul D Jones]

It apears to me if you want the job doing right there is only one person going to do it right thats yourself as long as you have the ability.

If not ignorance is bliss until the big bang.

 

Paul.

 

Paul.

See My Car Here

[Julian Thompson]

Tending to agree - certainly you can afford to dot all the i's and cross all the t's by spending a long time doing each job on your own car in a way that wouldn't be commercially viable.

 

Just can't understand why I'm still getting bits in the belltower - You should have seen how long I spent cleaning it out !

 

Maybe I got a bad casting?

 

Any ideas on a plan, or do I just leave it and as I say, at the next change hopefully have no bits?

[EFA]

Paul,

 

Absolutely 100% my view. Its not such a great skill anyway, and the money spent on professional labour soon covers the tool costs.....

 

 

 

 

Fat Arn

Visit the K2 RUM website

See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website here

 

[Paul D Jones]

Julian

I would use soft crushable alloy washers they give a better seal and can be used again in emergances. While you have the plug out cross drill the head and lockwire it to the sump.

 

Paul.

 

Paul.

See My Car Here

[Slipper man]

Julian

 

I had a similar experience with my R500 when I first changed the oil - lots of (some quite large) bits of bronze like material. I showed it to Minister who assured me it was quite normal, and probably some swarfe that didn't get cleaned out when the engine was built.

 

6,500 hard miles later and I have not had any problems, so I wouldn't worry too much. But I would change the oil myself - then you know what has been done.

[Peter Carmichael]

Did you flush the dry sump tank before fitting? The production processes usually leave them full of swarf and they need plentiful flushing with degreaser followed by a strong flow of water and air drying.

[Julian Thompson]

For sure guys I love to tinker with the car as much as driving it - that's half the fun!

 

The 500 service was done by Caterham cos they had the car in for SVA (you know about this!!!!!!!!!) and I thought it might be nice to have them "stamp the book" !

 

I don't know about you guys but I'm always arsing about with the car - it seems to get a "service" every hundred miles or so!!

 

I mean, it's had three oil changes and it's only done 1100 miles!!!!!

 

Keith - where do you think the bits came from in your case? Belltower - that's alloy, not copper, so I was wondering if you think it might have been from some other part of the motor?

[Julian Thompson]

Thanks Peter, I spent an inordinate amount of time cleaning out the housing using a carbon tet. degreaser and a 120psi airline until there was *no* chance of any bits being left.......

 

Which obviously didn't work.... I reckon there must have been a "clump" of swarp stuck in one of the less accessible orifices where the airline blast wasn't hitting (although it was on a remote hose stuck INSIDE the casting!!!) Perhaps the heat and general viscosity and relentlessness of the oil in usage loosened the "clump" and caused my problem.

 

Will I be okay now to carry on or should I undertake any other work?

[V7 SLR]

Loads of ali swarf came from mine for the first change, then subsequently less over the next couple of changes until I could see no more. doesn't appears to have done any harm.

 

Worcs L7 club joint AO.//Membership No. 4379//Azure Blue SLR No. 0077//Se7ens List Tours

 

[Julian Thompson]

Reassuring to know, Nige.

 

I'd have been happier to have not had any swarf in the oil but hey, if its good enough for you guys then I don't mind.

 

Hopefully the swarf-factor will be nil at the next change!