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MG MG Y Type - Can I borrow a time machine please?

I removed my cam followers to check if they are turning correctly for an even wear pattern.
Two of them weren't so I smoothed out all the high spots on them and polished them 'on the wheel'.

I then had the bright idea to run the hone I use for brake cylinders through the cam follower guides in the block to remove any trace of burrs.

At the second hole I pulled out the hone before the drill had stopped turning, and of course the arms flailed wildly causing one of the stones to hit something hard, shear off and disappear into the block.
Yes, I saw it going in and I promise you I was 'not speaking French' for quite some time.....

It will now be laying peacefully in the sump but I'm having nightmares about it dissolving into the hot oil and ruining my newly recondition engine.

So I repeat, can I borrow a time machine please? I promise to use it only ones and I will not tinker with it.
Willem van der Veer

As in Macbeth 'What's done's done and cannot be undone'....I am sure we can all relate to it though..maybe next time you change the oil you can get a wire through the sump plug hole and fish the object out.
D MULLEN

I have to change the oil anyway, so if it doesn't come out with the old oil I'm planning to pour Diesel fuel through the cam follower guides hoping that will flush it out.
Willem van der Veer

I would drain the sump Willem and on a hoist I think you can get to all the sump bolts and then I would pull the sump off if I were you amd ger it out rather than risk the ruin of your new engine.

Paul
Paul Barrow

I'm certainly no expert but would be very wary of using diesel. This was discussed on the TD TF board recently under oils aint oils. If it was my car I'd follow Paul's advice. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,

I was amused by the miscommunication about Diesel fuel and Diesel oil on the the oils aint oils thread. In Dutch it's even worse because here the fuel is called 'Dieselolie' and the lubricant can be called the same....

I use V-power Diesel to clean parts because it has extra detergents in it. Diesel is very suitable for flushing out debris from a sump, but I wouldn't start an engine with only Diesel fuel as a lubricant.

That said, Diesel fuel has very good lubricating qualities. Modern Diesel systems operate at peaks of 1,500 bar (that's about 21,750 psi to non metric minded people) and the pump and injectors are lubricated by the fuel only. Just a litre of petrol in a modern diesel car will ruin the fuel system (£££€€€$$$).

Any Diesel fuel left after my flushing expedition will blend with the engine oil and won't contaminate it.

Paul,

If I can't flush it out I will remove the sump, just for peace of mind, but I'd REALLY loath that because now it is leak free with a rope seal and I'd hate to disturb that condition.

Willem van der Veer

Regarding removing the sump and disturbing the oil seal...I have done this about three times over the years and it has always worked (ie no real oil leaks apart from the odd drip) if you use an orginal (old stock) XPAG cork seal..allowed to 'breathe' first by moistening it i.e. its not dried out with age..also you use a small amount of sealant at the ends and smear some oil on the cork afterwards before putting the sump back on.
Modern cork replacement oil seals are slightly different than the original type - usually too wide and they dont fit properly in my experience...there is no reason you cant get a good oil seal using a cork oil seal..ok you may get the odd drip and some leaks after a high mileage but you need not pay vast sums for a modern conversion to a lip seal. Also clean out the scroll or screw part of the crank which is near the seal- its this thread that throws out (archimedes screw?)excess oil as well. I use a piece of string to wrap round it to clean it. Hope this makes sense as its hard to describe without illustration.
D MULLEN

This thread was discussed between 06/03/2014 and 08/03/2014

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