Sump questions

techieboy

Can anyone confirm what metal the sump is made of? I'm assuming it's aluminium but just want to check before committing to a solution for question 2.notsure.gif

Does anybody know of a UK (or European) source of a weld on 1/8" NPT female boss or similar, so that I can get a temperature sender fitted in the sump. I think that's the best solution as the metal feels a bit too thin to get a reliable thread in a drilled hole. As ever, these things seem to be available in the States but can't find anything here. :crazy:

FLD

Yeah, its ally. I'd expect any engineering co would be able to make you a specific fitment. If your caught short I know a guy who'd do it but he lives in cuddington. Cant you just make an adaptor that fits in the level indicator socket rather than welding one in?

mandarinvx

Do you know if the sumps are different between models :think:

This is the one that came off a Vectra engine

Will it fit a VX

🙂

FLD

I assume they are the same. My VX has the oil level sensor but the car doesn't use it.

vocky

that looks like a vx220 sump as the baffle is bolted in dunno..

Techie - just get a plate welded on and then drill and tap it (I have a 1/8 npt tap)

mandarinvx

Bonus!

He did only say he 'thought' it was from a Vectra, he'd bought it as part of a job lot - the 'stripping a block' has a picture of the side of the block - does the VX have that oil sensor on it :think:

techieboy

vocky said:

Techie - just get a plate welded on and then drill and tap it (I have a 1/8 npt tap)

There's a surprise. :lol:

What's a sensible amount of meat for a decent thread?

sdbutler10

i cheated my my temp sensre, i brought a new sump blot dirlled all the wy through it and wealed on a 1 inch tube on he bolt which has a hole in it and tapped that tube, works fine for me

john2666

That sump definitely looks like a Vectra B sump, it was slightly modded for the vectra c (they put the sensor in)

slindborg

Matt you suck at google :p
http://www.earls.co.uk/earls/adapters/w ... pters.html

that was the first result to 1/8 npt female aluminium (UK selected)

techieboy

slindborg said:
Matt you suck at google :p
http://www.earls.co.uk/earls/adapters/w ... pters.html

that was the first result to 1/8 npt female aluminium (UK selected)

Latest Firefox has fcuked my Google UK search default so I was just getting screen after screen of US results and silly shipping fees.

Found the Earls option late last night but it's not listed in their online shop.Then found somebody on eBay selling them but he wanted £7.99 each and a couple of quid in postage. Despite having the "make me an offer" option, he wasn't open to offers and reckoned he was by far the cheapest in the UK. Cue one phone call to Earls this morning and there are two in the post to me for delivery tomorrow for less than the cost of one from the fleabay muppet - couldn't justify driving over to Silverstone to collect them.

Now to find someone who can weld.......

slindborg

😃

Become and ebay dealer yourself lol.

Hmmm cant the man of all things 2.2ish weld ali?
While you were at it, you should have got the fittings to make it into a dry sump 😉

FLD

I can weld it but I'm not exactly near by. Let me know if your really stuck. Thickness wil depend on how you thread it. Straight into the alloy go for min 5mm as it'll go soft when welded. If you use an insert you might get away with 3mm. (I assume its cast in LM5??).

techieboy

slindborg said:
😃
While you were at it, you should have got the fittings to make it into a dry sump 😉

A dry sump was what got me in this mess in the first place. :lol:

FLD said:
I can weld it but I'm not exactly near by. Let me know if your really stuck. Thickness wil depend on how you thread it. Straight into the alloy go for min 5mm as it'll go soft when welded. If you use an insert you might get away with 3mm. (I assume its cast in LM5??).

Aww crap, this is getting more complicated by the minute. I'd kind of assumed it would be a simple case of drilling a hole, fitting the boss in it and getting somebody to weld around it. Hadn't occurred to me that it might require a certain thickness of metal to weld to. Do you reckon "no more nails" will work? :think:

slindborg

Screwfix sell some "sticks like s**t" lol

techieboy

:lol: I so hope that's true.

vocky

someone with a TIG will be able to easily weld it on :thumbup:

I don't have a TIG :lol:

FLD

Ah, theres a boss! I figured you were on about the thickness of alloy required for a thread. If you have a boss to weld on that makes things easier, just a case of using a suitable rod. Give me a shout if your stuck. You have pm on .org with my number.

nickb777

All well and good but "I" would have to remove the sump and then weld/tap it what a bu..er

Think I might try the sump plug route again 8mm is the drill hole required. I do like sdbutler10s' idea but wonder if the oil would get changed often enough to get accurate readings?

slindborg

If you like to do fairly regular oil changes then imho in the sump bolt is a total pain in the ass way to do it.

You could put a temp sensor in the oil filter housing with one of the many take off, ok it will be a different reading, but its a better clue than nothing, and also saves removing the sump etc.

I just cheat and put temp tabs on various parts and see what they get to lol. ok not live nor that accurate but they do give a better clue than nothing.