Xflow Oil sump question (facinating topic or what?)

[James Arnold]

As those of you with long and depressingly retentive memories might remember I have never been too sure how much oil to put in my Xflow. An engine build list I got with the car implies it's a Capri rather than Escort sump.

I now have the sump off. Can anybody tell me how to identify it? I was thinking of bring it along to the London Brighton on Sunday and trying to compare it to known items. ah I can see a happy day grovelling in the wet mud...

Failing that, how high should the oil in the sump be? I assume that it should be below the bottom on the big ends. With the sump off I should be able to check the capacity, if only I knew how high to fill it.

 

On a completely unrelated note a friend sent me a great web site for those of you interested in mechanical links.

You may like it, or you may not.

J

 

Edited by - James Arnold on 31 Oct 2001 17:31:20

[R2D2]

I don't think there is any difference between the Capri and the Escort sump on the crossflow engine. The Mk 2 Cortina had the sump pan on the opposite end of the engine.

 

If the sump hasn't been extended or messed with I would just fill it with the quantity of oil recommended in the original vehicle handbook and mark the dipstick.

 

If it has been extended it should be possible to measure the added capacity and add this quantity of oil to the standard amount and again mark the stick.

 

This just sounds too easy and its obvious that I am missing some information about your sump mods.

 

I seem to remember that one of David Vizard's books on the crossflow gave a diagram of a modification to fit a windage plate and some other mods and think he quoted an oil capacity. If not you certainly need to fill below the level of the windage plate so knowing its position may be a good guide.

 

Sorry I don't remember the detail.

[Roger King]

The Capri sump is approximately the same depth as the modified steel sump that Caterham use on their Crossflows. It is also quite well baffle internally.

 

The Escort sump is quite a bit deeper and not so well baffled. It would almost drag on the ground in a Caterham (slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean).