Reply To: "Cracks" around sump drain plug

[BernieParticipant]

Julian,

I have never seen this before.

It is difficult to tell from your picture but it looks as if your sump is aluminium – as fitted to 11D engines in Tractions and then the later “D” Range.  If that is the case, it is a casting so there will be no “draw” marks from a manufacturing process.

However, there could be “flash” lines from this method of manufacture so I would suggest a good clean with some de-greasing agent then inspect to see if these are indeed relatively deep fissures – which would suggest cracking but could just be a casting phenomenon – or if there is simply a series of slightly raised material witnesses which are collecting muck.

If the sump is pressed steel I would still not expect to see cracks – no matter how much the plug may have been overtightened.

B…….