Tiger ERA Sump

Time to replace the tall original Focus sump with the shorter ERA sump from Tiger.  On the later Black Top Zetec engine both the steel sump pan and the alloy lower crank case need to be removed.  Here is the engine with just the sump pan removed.  Visible is the plastic oil pick-up pipe.  This cannot be shortened so will be replaced by a earlier steel pick-up pipe that has been modified by Tiger (chopped, shortened and welded).

 The lower crank case removed.

Four bolts in two of the main bearing end caps are replaced with Silver Top Zetec bolts that have a threaded stud on the top.  Tubular steel spacers are added to allow the windage tray to be at the right height.

The windage tray, again from an earlier Silver Top Zetec, is bolted on to the four studs using thread-locked M8 nuts.  The modified pick-up pipe is bolted on using a new gasket.  This pipe is attached to one of the studs via a mounting bracket.  Washers were used as spacers to get the right height (8-10mm from bottom of new sump).  This was checked using a ball of Plasticine.

 

On trial fitting the ERA sump fouls with the oil pump housing.  This means the sump bolt holes do not line up.  A curved recess is present on the original lower crank case (seen lower left).

A similar recess was made on the ERA sump using a round file.

Sump mounted using a new gasket and the original bolts tightened to the specified torque.

Once the car is on the road I'll think about adding some baffles to the sump to prevent oil starvation when driven hard, e.g. on the track.

The next problem is one of the engine mountings.  I had previously trimmed this to make if fit around the water pump housing.  Now with the new sump on the engine mount hits the sump edge before being flush with the mounting holes cast in the engine block.  If tightened in this state the engine mounts will 'push' the sump sideways and the large engine loads will be transmitted through the sump - not good.  Next job then is to trim a little of the lower edge of the engine mount.