Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Abiton on 19 August 2010, 16:26:52

Title: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Abiton on 19 August 2010, 16:26:52

Found in bottom of sump during recent crisis.   ::)
Made of hard plastic...

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc138/EZ_Pete/Washer005.jpg)

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc138/EZ_Pete/Washer002.jpg)

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc138/EZ_Pete/Washer003.jpg)

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc138/EZ_Pete/Washer004.jpg)

Probably not Vx's fault, as I have reason to believe the (one-piece steel) sump on my engine isn't the one that the engine was born with, going by engine number and reliable info.

Something valve-related?

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: CaptainZok on 19 August 2010, 16:58:31

Looks like someone dropped one when they were changing the cam covers.

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Shackeng on 19 August 2010, 17:24:15

Quote

Looks like someone dropped one when they were changing the cam covers.

Yes but what about the washer??? ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Elite Pete on 19 August 2010, 18:16:42

As Captain says it looks like one of the 16 O-rings from the cam covers.

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Abiton on 19 August 2010, 18:22:23

I agree it does look like that in the pics, but it isn't an o-ring, it's hard plastic, and has flat top and bottom surfaces. 
I remember the cam cover bolt o-rings being just normal round-section rubber?

Even if dropped in the head, I can't see it getting down to the sump, too big/stiff to fit down any oil ways I'd say?  :-/

If you zoom up to 400%, then look at the second pic, it also has a couple of little 'divots' on the circumference 180° apart.  :-/

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Elite Pete on 19 August 2010, 18:34:16

It will be an old one and its been squashed between the camcover and camshaft cap, its probably hardened with time and the little divots are where they are held on the camcover by little plastic protrusions ;)

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Abiton on 19 August 2010, 18:37:26

Ah, good call on the divots.  I reckon you've convinced me.  Guess there's either an oilway that can handle something that big, or it made its way down when it was younger and more flexible.

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: kcl on 20 August 2010, 06:37:18

Cam cover O-ring, they become very hard and old ones usually feel like plastic... I think that it would be good to find similar O-rings made of NBR or Viton to have longer life...

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: robson on 20 August 2010, 16:02:32

Just measured a cam cover O ring I took out when I did cam cover gaskets Quite flat and hard but the same sort of dimensions. How did it get into the sump someone that rebuilds engines may know.

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 20 August 2010, 17:36:37

The oil return passages from the heads are more than big enough to pass an old O ring.

And it definately is an old cam cover O ring, no question about that

Title: Re: What's this washer and how did it get in my sump?
Post by: Abiton on 20 August 2010, 17:57:36

Yeah, I just had a look at an old photo of the engine's head on the kitchen table, and I think there are a pair of large holes either side of the big wide waterway at the rear just beyond pot 4.  Are they oil returns? Looked bigger than the o-ring from what I could see.

What's the betting that this little bugger was sucked up into my oil strainer the other day, along with all the less identifiable crud in the sump?   :(