Sump drain bolt fell out!

Bummer---everyone who sees this will be rooting for you.

Chances are that you are golden.  I watched some vw engine blow ups today on you tube.  People actually drain all the oil then run the engine at full power until it blows.  I was very surprised that this took 3-4 minutes so from what you described you will be fine.

Sorry this happened to you--please post and let us know everything is fine!

Ron, I feel your pain....Did similar to my new motor about a week after I bought it home...

didn't lose the plug, but damaged enough  to create a leak....Sump hangs low enough to be a

PITA. let me know how the plate works, I may need to do the same some day...

The sump does add an extra quart to the system, so it is worth it.......

We're with you, hoping for the best!

-=theron

Ron, do you have an added sump tank?

Thanks guys

Terry, I'm not sure what a sump tank is.

I like the added oil a sump gives me, but it's a real pain.  My car isn't lowered, but I've banged the thing three times in the last two months.  

Ron

I remember a few years back that Ricardo Baerga hit his on a pothole in Puerto Rico - same deal.  Critical area, that lower sump....

I've knocked out a couple sumps myself.

The last one has ended up costing me a bunch.

I run a CB thin line wide glide sump as it only adds 2" to the engine. The first time I bottomed out it cost me my Mainely sump plate with drain plug. The contact turned it into a potato chip. The second hit loosened the sump a bit. At least, that's what I thought. 

I noticed that I was weeping a little oil between the case and the sump so I tightened it up when I changed the oil. A couple days later it started to weep again. A clanking sound developed at startup as well.

I let this go for several months until I started losing oil pressure suddenly and sporadically. I would check the oil level, wiring, senders, everything checked out. I finally pulled the sump plate and discovered the oil pickup tube had broken loose from it's mooring at the bottom of the case and was moving freely.

You have to open the case to fix the tube. We discovered that the tube had been bouncing against the camshaft (clanking sound)which had worn a hole into the tube, causing the drop in pressure. The sump mounting holes were disfigured as well.

So, new pickup tube, new camshaft, a "while we're in here" refresher and a new sump tank and we're good to go.

Best to check everything, Ron.

Really sorry to hear of that, Ronno.  Here's hoping the internals are okay, and all it needs is a good refill of ZINC heavy oil, as Henry recommends.

I'm loving my new to me IM, when I get a chance to drive it.

Hrundi.

well Ron - any updates on your motor?

maybe a skid plate is in order?  right now, my sidewinder header is my skid plate.  expensive skid plate.

I actually just came back to a computer to find out how it went.  ?????

The anticipation is terrible. I hope it will last.

-=theron

Try as I could I could not figure out how to attach a skid plate.  There isn't anything to attach the plate to, so I ended up not putting it on, even though I had already cut one out of aluminum.  Maybe this winter I can put the IM up on the hoist and figure something out.  I really do need something under the sump and merged header.

As for the engine......it lives!

I put in another 6.5 liters of Swepco, at $10 a liter!!, and fired her up. 

No smoke

No banging 

No knocking

No seized bearing

No rod through the block (okay, I'm getting carried away here)

I'm thanking my lucky stars on this one!

Ron

6.5 liters! If I put 6.5 liters of oil in my car it'd be coming out through the top of the carb!

Good luck Ron. Hope it's as it appears.

1.5 liter sump, full flow filter, and external oil cooler all add up.

A skid plate might be made like an old Beetle trailer hitch. the forward end attaches to the ends of the frame horns and the rear end attaches to the bumper brackets.

I used to put trailer hitches on all my Beetles even though I didn't do any towing. It protected their rears.

Glad to hear that all seems okay, Ron.

Bob

Sweeet!

and Robert, really Hrundi? A Peter Sellers fan??

-=theron

Birdie num num?

I thought that picture looked familiar.  Is today's mystery "Who is Hrundi?"

Hey Bob, does your dog bite?

^ I believe it's Bob Carley, although it took me a while.

Ron-

*cough*

drysump

*cough*

...it's not my dog!

Yes Stan, I'll go with a dry sump, cause it's so easy to install

I think I'd rather switch to a Subie engine ...just a bit more work

Robert, you old bugger

While answering you post I kept on thinking, "Boy this photo looks familar.

Ron

Yeah. There's that.

Heck, I've always been a fan of Peter Sellers, and the name Hrundi V. Bakshi has always stuck in my mind.  I've used it a couple of times in different situations, always to see if anyone recognizes it.

Glad to see, though, that your engine seems to be fine.

You got it, Stan.

Hrundi 

I didn't realize we could change our user name.

On the interwebs, you can be whoever you wish to be, Podner.

I just wonder if Maynard D. Krebs is related to Maynard G. Krebs...what would MaryAnn do...or which one would MaryAnn do........?

Scott, I have NO idea what you're talking about.

Ron

Bob Denver's character in Dobie Gilless was Maynard G. Krebs.  The rest is a reference to Gilligan's Island, also starring Bob Denver.

Not sure if you changed your name again, or I was hallucinating the "D."

I remember watching The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis when I was a kid.  I loved the Maynard G (yes, I mistakenly put in a D) Krebs character.

Ron

Lane-note that "84im" correctly spelled Gillis. Them Canadians from Canadia know how to spell!

Yeah, I was guessing - and too lazy to Google it.

I'm having a hell of a time keeping my sump plate nuts tight.  I carefully tighten them up and a few days later I find they're not longer really tight.

Since I have a center drain plug I won't have to take the plate off again, unless I have to take of the sump itself.  Should I try Loctite? 

Ron

Ron,

As  I mentioned above, I had a similar problem after banging mine. It ended up that the impact had distorted the holes on both ends of the sump. The metal is thin and soft on these sumps.

Rather than purchasing a new one (with the same issues) Tony has replaced the damaged threads with sert fittings and built up the material around the holes. It's being surfaced now.

I'm posting this link for repair of standard sump studs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...&feature=related

(I believe a repair stud is like this: http://www.bughaus.com/Stud_-_N144521.htm )

Ron:

I've used those repair studs a lot in the past (they're pretty popular with the Porsche set, too) .  

They're easy to install with the engine in the car (up on a lift is the way to go, but up on jack stands is OK, too) and once installed (with Loctite RED ) they're well neigh bullet-proof.

gn

My Berg sump doesn't have normal studs.  Looking in the big plate hole it looks like long bolts-I can see a bolt head.

Anyone else have a Berg sump?

I'll also try using some high temp Loctite on the nuts.

Ron

Those Berg sumps are BIG. No wonder you're slapping the ground with it.

Stan's right, dry sump it.