The sump gasket area is known leakage point and nothing to worry unduly about..
There is no need to have your Morgan suffer with a leaky Plus 8 sump gasket (or leaky valve covers...another frequent complaint I hear.) If these things are properly attended to, there is no leaking.
I find oil leaks in engine bays creates crud and the engine bays become unsavory to work in. I cannot recall how many sighs I have heard from Morgan dealers faced with another
such engine bay.
There have been a number of Plus 8 sump variations.
https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/plus8oil.htm#SUMPS In the mid-1990s, the MMC kept the earlier 3.9 steel sump rather than use the cast
aluminum version used by LR. They were wisely afraid it would hit things and crack...like the Roadsters notorious sumps do. Of course, these were very different MMCs. However, though I consider
the 3.9/4.2 the best of the lot as it has a greater capacity and yet is shallower (less hitting of the road) the best of the lot (I use them having,purchased them BEFORE their price spiked. ) it has an
Achilles heel. When LR switched to that sump (costless for them) they tried to adapt the sump flange to be used with silicone ( rather than a cork gasket to save a few pennies. 🙁 The result is a
siliconed sump that leaks like hell. That dismayed me to no end. I hate a deeply filthy work area.
The cure? Merely buy a cork gasket suitable for the 3.5s.
https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GUG703045SG Use only a tiny dab or two of silicone to hold it in place for a few seconds (high heat
Hylomar or RTV if you are very into details). You don't need it at all if you have another set of hands helping you) to hold it in place in the sump while you insert the bolts. IMPORTANT: Use the
GoMoG torque sequence for your the gasket and avoid a failure.
https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/Plus8SumpTorqueSequence.jpg That is the end of your sump leaking.
Other leak areas for this engine (and any other engine) can also easily be resolved with the right parts and knowledge. Of course, they ALL have important watchpoints to cure. A non-leaking engine
produces a welcoming engine bay rather than the need to keep your bonnet closed from sight at all times. BTW, I cannot count the Morgan mechanics around the world who admit they are repelled
by a grime-covered engine bay. Such bays discourage linger min them, which so often can spy other problems before they happen. I am not suggesting chroming everything...just cleanliness is fine.
something that can be produced with grime/degreasers and a pressure hose.
L.
