The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hmm thanks Dave - that's very interesting and potentially very useful. Any idea where I can find an 1850 double lip seal?

I've contacted a local engine reconditioner, who I've used for the Dolomite and other stuff too. Turns out they have an engine running rig - which means the engine can be out of the car - should make the oil leak readily visible.

Plan is to get the lump out tonight and drop it off there tomorrow. I'll have to leave it for a few days, but it is the best solution.

The horse-shoe gasket 143845 is also a likely candidate for leakage. I did notice that unusually the Workshop manual recommends a gasket cement for this one. I also remember that the base of the horse-shoe has to be carefully trimmed with a sharp knife after refitting. If nothing else you can inspect the sump gasket at the rear under this alloy plate and maybe clean it off and also add some sealant. There are 8 bolts holding this plate on, 2 from underneath and 4 short bolts and 2 longer ones which is important to avoid getting them mixed up. A yes, big thumbs up for the Loctite sealant round the outer edge of the oil seal is good. Last time I actually used Hylomar before fitting. It's my favourite .
HTH,
Tony.

Here are some useful links for oil seals, you need to find the code for the double lip seal, add the o/d, I/D and width and order from simply bearings or bearing King, ebay etc.

https://www.polymax.co.uk/blog/identify-oil-seals/

https://www.bearing-king.co.uk/article/ ... -oil-seals

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxserp=0

Malcolm

Thanks fellas, I appreciate all of your help.

I took the engine out this evening, removed the driveplate to expose the rear seal housing and the back of the sump. The new oil seal is bone dry, it is clearly not the cause of the leak. However the sump gasket is soaked in clean engine oil along the length of the rear seal horse shoe housing, particularly on the right side as you look from the rear of the engine.

A forum contributor mentioned having a bad leak caused by a warp sump, the replacement of which solved his problem. I've left my sump fitted to the engine for now - as I've arranged for the engine to be bench run. I will have to leave it with the engine shop whilst they slot it in, but this will make the leak very visible.

In the meantime, I will get another new sump gasket and source a second hand sump - any of you guys have a spare sump hanging off a nail waiting to be useful?

Couple of things. You don't need a test rig to run an engine for a few minutes - just support it on wood blocks, connect up the fuel and ignition and it will run quite happily, if noisily.
The sump, if it's distorted, will straighten very easily, no need to replace. A gentle hammering on a flat surface will sort that out, then check it with a straight edge.
And the best sealant I've found for sumps is "Dirko" grey. Modern cars use this stuff with no gasket at all. Used with a paper gasket its very forgiving of slight distortion or nicks in the surfaces.

Further to what Matt say's is that the sump usually distorts around the bolt holes where they have been over tightend in the past. So you might have to gently tap them flat first. That Dirko is brilliant stuff but don't use too much.

Tony.

Thanks for the continued help fellas. I've realised that I haven't checked the jackshaft plug in the rear of the block - so that's the next thing to do.

Useful intel on the sump, I will follow what you guys have recommended and get some sealant.

More soon

Best regards

Source of leak confirmed. It's coming from the jackshaft journal plug in the rear of the engine block - and the reason it's doing that - I completely failed to realise that the new engine block I got for the car - came without the plug.

Inadvertently, I've been running the engine with the end of the jackshaft exposed - and hence the oil has been flowing out of the 27mm gap where the plus should be! Entirely my fault - and why I've done 2 unnecessary engine removal and refits - deeply frustrating, but I'm just glad to have found the problem.

New plug ordered - so the lump can go back in again early next week - and stay in! Still the brakes to sort though...always something.

Big thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread for their time and help

Best regards

Result!

I had to finish building a refurbished Rimmers Sprint engine for a club member a few years ago, it also had that plug missing and I think there was another somewhere. I had the club member get on to Rimmers to send the missing ones. They supplied the whole set foc.

Dunhookin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 12:08 pm Source of leak confirmed. It's coming from the jackshaft journal plug in the rear of the engine block - and the reason it's doing that - I completely failed to realise that the new engine block I got for the car - came without the plug.

Inadvertently, I've been running the engine with the end of the jackshaft exposed - and hence the oil has been flowing out of the 27mm gap where the plus should be! Entirely my fault - and why I've done 2 unnecessary engine removal and refits - deeply frustrating, but I'm just glad to have found the problem.

New plug ordered - so the lump can go back in again early next week - and stay in! Still the brakes to sort though...always something.

Big thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread for their time and help

Best regards

This one!

An interesting solution ! Is this plug part number 154561 shown on page 1C-11L in the Sprint Parts book ?
This doesn't seem to be listed by any of the usual Dolomite suppliers.
However I did look at the TR7 and Stag parts listings and in the same positions at the back of the block they have a part 129077 listed and described as " Screw ; replacement for drain tap ". Which also appears on the Slant 4 block as a water drain ?
Any ideas please?
Thanks,
Tony.

I ordered the plug from Robsport, the part number supplied is 153972. It's a pretty standard looking core plug that could fit in the block cooling journals.

It's the right size - and will be going in with a smear of Loctite sealant. Robsport service is top notch - I ordered some bits at 4.30 on Friday afternoon, they arrived at 08.30 on Saturday!

This is the plug i mentioned early on,

Malcolm