4722 replies to this topic

[Nev]

completechip, Nev can get good prices on the Garrett stuff.

Nev, give me a shout when you think you have a day in mind to start.

Thankyou Steve. I am skiing from Fri 15th onwards so not likely until end of Feb, assuming I dont break myself whilst on the slopes.

[Nev]

Grrrr, couldn't even find my compression tester in the garage (even though I remember opening it's box and seeing it approx 3 months ago). Had to order a new one off ebay in readyness for my return from holiday.

[siztenboots]

enjoy your skiing holiday , forget about the car and work for a bit, have a safe trip break fun time.

[Nev]

I finally got into the garage today and might possibly have some good news. I warmed the car up whilst the movie camera was on it. Oil was escaping out of the edge of the upper sump (near where the low oil sensor fits into it). It is bloody hard to see where exactly cos of the turbo + pipes being in the way, but is likely to be a crack or somthing in the upper aluminium sump. Luckily I have a spare on the shelf, so will get round to changing it today once I warm up again and the engine cools down. A lot of oil was coming out of it and is clearly the source of the oodles of smoke rising from the engine bay. From the video, I think I might have been imagineing the oil coming out of the exuahst, hard to know, as there is so much condensation. I took spark plugs out and they were a good colour. Tried the compression tester when it was cold but it barely registered as the engine was at 0 degrees and hadnt been run for 1 month (so no oil on the rings).

Edited by Nev, 02 March 2013 - 10:41 AM.

[siztenboots]

got a new gasket to put on?

[Nev]

Nope. I dont think it is the gasket TBH as there was oil on top lip of the upper sump (ie above the gaskets horizontal plane). I suspect a crack in the aluminuim upper sump. I will remove, inspect and review. May use a bit of RTV on the gasket when re-installing it. Its possible that I have over torqued up the tiny m4 bolts that clamp the lower sump to the upper sump and maybe that has stressed and cracked the upper sump. Either way, its an easy fix though I wish I had access to a ramp, crawling around on my previously broken back aint easy at my age in freezing temps! The roads are actually dry round here ATM, so I have some incentive to actually make the bastard car run !

Edited by Nev, 02 March 2013 - 10:55 AM.

[siztenboots]

be careful and wear eye protection

[Nev]

Well I took the lower sump off and low and behold a tiny little stress crack was in the roof of the upper sump. If you look at the pic (taken from under the sump looking towards the front of the car) it is just below the "Z" on the writing. That whole axis of the upper sump seems to have a few stress marks in parallel (if you look at the high res image on the host server), and the housing itself has split by the "Z".

Question: I've never used liquid metal, but would putting a blob on the crack work? It's not like it's under a lot of pressure or stress (I think). Or is there something better?

A tiny spot weld would work, but it would be quite a bother to get my welder friend down here with his rig and do it whilst upside down under the car.

Edited by Nev, 02 March 2013 - 04:23 PM.

[Kieran McC]

Liquid Metal, steel or Alloy putty stick will work, You will have to make sure the contact area is clean and oil free.

[Nev]

Thanks Kieran. I have already put a blob of epoxy on it. I think it might work - if it doesn't no great harm will come of it as the oil pickup will filter it. I cleaned it thoughly with brake cleaner about 5 times. If it doesn't work I will have to resport to dropping the exhaust pipe and upper sump which is quite a bit of a bigger job. I inspected my spare sump casting and that too has similar marks on it (though no hole). It must be a result of the casting process.

Edited by Nev, 02 March 2013 - 04:43 PM.

[TheHood]

Even if the glue works for now if it's a stress fracture how will epoxy / alloy putty stop it propagating? Major pisser I know, but if I had a spare to swap I'd do it now whilst the job is at least started. Also if it happens again you'll know there's something odd going on rather than blaming the repaired crack.

[MrSimba]

Yep can't see epoxy metal doing anything other than a 'get you home' fix on a stress fracture unless it was combined with a metal gause to dissipate the stress and strengthen the area? As you've a spare tho I'd change it over!

[Nev]

Yea, I know Im bodging it TBH, maybe it isnt a stress crack, but just a casting flaw, as it looked/felt like little flake had come away from the surface. The only way I think it could have cracked was when either I or the previous owner lifted the engine out of his/my car and rested the whole thing on the floor. Thus (if it is due to this) it shouldn't get any worse whist the engine is in the car... we shall see, but you guys may well be right.... I'll give the epoxy a poke tomorrow morning and see how tough/well keyed it feels before clamping the lower sump back on. Even if it only lasts for tomorrow, it would be nice to go for a dry drive seeing as I've barely driven the car for 2 or 3 months.

Edited by Nev, 02 March 2013 - 10:37 PM.

[The Batman]

Can't be expensive to replace a z20 sump is it? Cheap as chips for the z22

[jules_s]

I'm going to dust the vx off tomorrow afternoon if you fancy a blat

[Nev]

Well the good news is that I think I've cured the oil leak. Both with my epoxy, and also perhaps by re-tightening my oil feed pipes to the turbo - I will never know which.

The bad news is that I still think I have a water leak. The reason for this is because:

1. The header tank needs toppping up every 100 miles or so with a cup of water.
2. Condensation out of the exhaust seems a lot (even though it was pretty cold outside (approx 4 degrees C)).
3. Steam is rising from the exhaust/gearbox side of the engine (very difficult to ascertain where exactly).
4. There is some considerable condensation coming out of the guaze of the cam cover breather.

Personally I think it might be a mild head gasket failure, however to contradict this:

1/ I have no water contamination in the oil
2/ I have no oil in the water.

Perhaps (if it is the head gasket), water is leaking into the cylinders (and hence out of the exhuast) and out of the side of the engine (hence the steam out of the engine bay).

Any idea anyone....

This video demos it all (though towards the end the amount of steam rising from the engine bay isn't so apparent):

Edited by Nev, 03 March 2013 - 11:05 AM.

[Nev]

I'm going to dust the vx off tomorrow afternoon if you fancy a blat

You have PM Jules

[Boombang]

Sounds like you need to carry out a leak down test.

[siztenboots]

mine never had any water/ oil mix , just gasses into the water jacket past the hg.

[Nev]

Yes you are of course right. I might take it to a local place and get them to do it with decent equipment. I smight pull my finger out and try my compression tester again this afternoon. Might take it for a local run without pushing it too hard to see if it either improves or worsens the situation. It could even be a loose water pipe, god knows.