Leaking Sump/resealing Sump

[MANWHORE]

Hey guys

My daily driver (not skyline), it's a subaru liberty 91 model (ej22) has a leaking sump. I've checked repco etc, but there is no sump gasket listed for that model.

I'm guessing that it uses a liquid gasket.

I'm looking to reseal the sump so that it doesn't leak anymore.

What would be the best product to use?

What would be the best way to applying that product?

Any other tips?

Cheers

[RBwhatever]

Gasket silicon is your friend. $8 for a tube. You can pick it up at repco. It just be a matter of applying a bead of silicon and refitting the sump while its still pliable. Also before applying the silicon, it's probably an idea to give the surface a light sand down. Make sure you clean all the filings out of the sump afterwards.

Edited June 26, 2007 by KeyMaker

[MANWHORE]

Thanks for that keymaker

What brand of gasket goo is a good one? Every auto store I ask recommends a different one. Some guys recommended any rtv sealant. others recommended locktight blue. others recommended permatek. Any difference?

does it have to be oil resistant?

How nasty is that gasket goo stuff? e.g. will it be a bitch to clean off in the future if I ever need to redo the sump again?

[RBwhatever]

I've got the Silastic brand one, and after its dry or set you can literally rub it off with a swipe of the hand.

As for the best brand to get, Loctite is probably the best you can get, and you pay for it too.

[MANWHORE]

oh ok. I'm assuming that it's oil resistant and also heat resistant for use on a sump? (silly question, but I always ask silly questions so I may as well )

[RB30-POWER]

Just have a look (brands don't matter much) at all the coloured RTV sealants at an auto parts place and they state on the packets if they are designed for sumps etc i.e. oil proof. You can't go wrong really.

From what I can tell, the colours relate to temperature more then anything, they all seem to be oil resistant and O2 safe.

I've used the orange and grey ones with plenty of sucess in the past.

Just make sure the surfaces are real clean when you apply it. Use a scraper and Gasket Remover spray to aid removal of old crap.

You may have to hit the holes back out on the sump, if you get what i mean, that way when you torque it up, it will pull it up tight, sometimes the bolt holes get pushed flat or out and the actual sump surface does not sit flush, even though the bolts are torqued up. If that makes any sense....

Edited June 27, 2007 by RB30-POWER

[MANWHORE]

yep yep, I get what you're saying - sounds like what would happen if the person before went a bit agro and overtorqued it, it would bend the sump inwards, and no longer sit flat

[Duncan]

be careful when you do it, you can have too much liquid gasket as well as too little. I used locktite but they should all work.

[MANWHORE]

Thanks duncan and rb30. One last question. What sort of curing time are we talking about?

e.g. I take the sump off, clean it, apply silastic. Then put it back on, torque it.

Can I then fill it with oil and start driving?

or can I fill it with oil and not drive it for a day?

or can I not do anything at all until it's fully dried?

Cheers fellars

[SECURITY]

that stuff usually doesnt need long to set. usually around an hr or 2.

but seeing as though you'd want to be 110% sure i'd be doing it in the afternoon/evening, leave it overnight till you drive it the next morning, fill it up with oil then off you go.

if you need it urgently then 2-3hrs should be fine.

a tip before you start (if you're only dropping the sump - not completely removing it): be careful when taking the sump gasket off. chances are bits of it will be pretty fried onto the block and/or sump, when getting it off be very careful not to get ANY into your sump.

[RB30-POWER]

longer the better for curing, but yeah as above try for a couple of hours atleast. (o/night ideally)

if you don't rush it to much you will have a perfect end result.

[MANWHORE]

Thanks so much for your help guys. Will give it a go maybe this weekend and i'll let you all know how it goes.

Yeah, I'm a perfectionist, so i'd want to be 110% sure it's perfect (not to mention i'd hate to have to take it off and scrape all of the gasket off again) On my subaru, the sump is fairly accessible. There are no swaybars and everything in the way, so i'll just take the sump off, clean it up well etc. Much easier.

[_x_FiReStOrM_x_]

If you pull the sump off and there is an old gasket on it, you'll have to put once back on... you can buy sheets/rolls of gasket paper and cut your own. Just buy the appropriate thickness paper. If it does require a gasket, be carefull not to over-torque the sump bolts, as it'll squeeze the gasket out.

Personally i'd use the permatex stuff on a sump, as it sets semi-solid. As for curing, basically it'll begin setting while you're bolting everything back up and will fully cure when heat is applied (ie, while engine is running). So its pretty saft to refill with oil and start it straight back up when you're done.

Just make sure that it definately is the sump thats leaking, and not the rear main... the EJ's also have a small plastic plate on the back of the block (inside bellhousing when trans fitted), just up to the top right of the rear main, that is a common spot for them to leak unfortunately.

[MANWHORE]

Thanks for that awesome detailed response Phil.

She's an old girl - my daily driver wagon. It's a 91 model, so it's now 16 years old. Pretty much every seal is leaking.

Cam covers were leaking quite significantly. I changed them, so there's no longer oil coming from the top of the engine. I cleaned off all the old oil, but now there's oil all over the sump, but nothing above it, so it appears that it's coming from the sump.

I'm sure that the rear main is leaking too, because there's oil coming from out the back, but pulling the box out is probably a big job.

[_x_FiReStOrM_x_]

No worries mate..

Yeh if she's only a daily driver, and you're not noticing huge oil loss by the dipstick.. then i probably wouldnt worry about the rear main. At least wait till the clutch needs doing (if its manual).

[MANWHORE]

it's an auto and it's not really losing oil to the extent that loses a lot of oil. It might just need topping up 50 ml every few months. So that means that if I ever end up doing the rear main, it's either:

1. the leak gets worse such that refilling is required more often.

2. I can't help myself but to fiddle with it