Changing oil/filter dry sump
Discussion
What is the best way to change the oil in a dry sump its a k series r400 was wanting to change the high pressure hoses at the same time as 1 of them has a slight leak from the swaged end and do you need to prime the system prior to starting the engine spoke to caterham and they say its a massive job to do this any help would be appreciated
Is yours a tank in bellhousing system or separate tank?
I have the bellhousing tank and changing the oil is straightforward. You need to drain the tank which means removing the blue plate (4 allen bolts) - use a big bowl to catch the oil as it tends to go everywhere as soon as the plate comes off (well it does for me
).You also need to drain the sump as some oil does stay there (there should be a sump plug). To refit the blue plate, clean it up removing any sealant and then use some Locktite 574 (or similar anaerobic sealant) to reseal it.
Change the oil filter as normal.
The hoses are straighforward to replace although a messy job due to residual oil in them.
To top up with oil put about 4 litres in the tank through the top of the bellhousing conning tower - you will need to remove the top of it which is probably held on by 6 small allen bolts although early versions were screw on. Refit the top of the conning tower, run the engine for a short time and then check the level. Top up through the cam cover oil filler.
I have the bellhousing tank and changing the oil is straightforward. You need to drain the tank which means removing the blue plate (4 allen bolts) - use a big bowl to catch the oil as it tends to go everywhere as soon as the plate comes off (well it does for me
).You also need to drain the sump as some oil does stay there (there should be a sump plug). To refit the blue plate, clean it up removing any sealant and then use some Locktite 574 (or similar anaerobic sealant) to reseal it.Change the oil filter as normal.
The hoses are straighforward to replace although a messy job due to residual oil in them.
To top up with oil put about 4 litres in the tank through the top of the bellhousing conning tower - you will need to remove the top of it which is probably held on by 6 small allen bolts although early versions were screw on. Refit the top of the conning tower, run the engine for a short time and then check the level. Top up through the cam cover oil filler.
What he said, although you can get the vast majority of the oil out of the bell tower through the oil temperature sender hole.
Possibly advantageous, although you do have to re-seal the sender. Also, the oil will come out is a more predictable direction, but it still has a habit of going all over the place
Possibly advantageous, although you do have to re-seal the sender. Also, the oil will come out is a more predictable direction, but it still has a habit of going all over the place
Thanks for getting back to me i dont no a lot about these cars when you say blue plate dont no its got a conning tower were i dip the oil level a lad i no who runs a garage has a oil sucking tool with a small hose on could i use that and put the pipe down the conning tower and extract that way once all oil is drained remove hoses and filter then just fill the engine as normal via the rocker cover inlet
CHARLIER400 said:
Thanks for getting back to me i dont no a lot about these cars when you say blue plate dont no its got a conning tower were i dip the oil level a lad i no who runs a garage has a oil sucking tool with a small hose on could i use that and put the pipe down the conning tower and extract that way once all oil is drained remove hoses and filter then just fill the engine as normal via the rocker cover inlet
the general problem with these tools is they dont get any of the swarf out the bottom, which just lets it build up and eventually cause damageI can only find a complete set with a seperate 'easy cleaning' tank on their site for a k-series. They only have the bell housing thing as a separate item. I was wondering if it's just because of the easier aftermarket installation. Maybe the bell housing doesn't fit every k-series? Other reasons? I just don't know.
Bellhousing tank vs separate tank:
Bellhousing tank is a neat solution given the space constraints of a Caterham. The downsides are 1) it's an engine out job to fit it 2) it only holds about 4.5 litres of oil which some people see as insufficient 3) its expensive.
Separate tank means you can fit with engine in situ, it holds a lot more oil and it's cheaper than the bellhousing tank. Downside is it takes a lot of space in the engine bay either using a shortened footwell or a special tank that fits between the radiator and the front of the engine (about where the Apollo tank is normally fitted).
Bellhousing tank is a neat solution given the space constraints of a Caterham. The downsides are 1) it's an engine out job to fit it 2) it only holds about 4.5 litres of oil which some people see as insufficient 3) its expensive.
Separate tank means you can fit with engine in situ, it holds a lot more oil and it's cheaper than the bellhousing tank. Downside is it takes a lot of space in the engine bay either using a shortened footwell or a special tank that fits between the radiator and the front of the engine (about where the Apollo tank is normally fitted).
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