I've seen from previous posts that a manta big wing sump is a possibililty for a shallow sump for a 2ltr vauxhall. I've also heard that a caterham sump is a shallow one too.

I was speaking to a friend at the weekend who is rebuilding a vauxhall engine to go back into a caterham road car and he recons there were several different sumps on vauxhall raod cars and early caterham race cars used one of these.
Subsequently I've aquired one of these 'supposed' sumps for nowt, but wondered if anyone could tell me what a caterham sump normally look like?

The one I've got is shallow at one end and then steps down at the other to being 5-6" deep. (the base is on a slight slant)

If I find my USB cable I'll pull the pictures off my digital camera and post them here.

Andrew.

just to add, apparantly it normally has a nice baffle in it, though the one out of my sump is being used elsewhere so I haven't seen it....

hi ned, with mine i had the standard sump modified,sounds the same as what you have. i can send you some pics if you want,

Here's some pics at last.

Billy, is it the same as yours, it's alloy (!~@!)

Andrew.

yo ned,looks the same to me what i had done was to cut the deep part off,flatten the bottom and formed a gull wing on the side,your bell housing will dictate the amount you need to cut off

Err, looks like a standard VX 16v sump to me.....
There isnt a baffle as standard, only a windage tray (basically a plate that bolts inbetween sump and block). I'm afraid you will probably get terrible oil surge without serious mods, and is unlikely to give enough ground clearance.

HTH Stu.

Stu,

I have the windage tray on my new engine i recently purchased ( i now have a spare sump!)

what is the setup on yours as you mentioned oil surges and ground clearance problems.
thanks,

Andrew.

Lol Ned


I just noticed the picture on your temporary web site.. looks like the cranks trying to make a break for it partly disguised as a rag....

You going the conventional dizzy set up route then? I see a normal coil and amp module in the pic there..

G

Mr G,

The crank in the pic (here) is actually a spare I got with the engine, he had it lying around on his driveway!

At the moment I'm going the distributor route but will need an ignition box as I now have some 45's.

I have seen the distributorless 'wasted spark' systems around though - what are people here doing?

Andrew.

The cheapest way to get a spark to your engine is to use a wasted spark/ distributorless system off an early 1100/1300 HCS Fiesta. I have one on my X'Flow, cost me 15 quid for the whole lot - ignition module, wiring, coil pack, leads, crank angle sensor, temp sensor etc.

Instead of triggering off the flywheel as per the Fiesta, modify an 1800 CVH toothed front pulley and adapt it to the Vauxhall pulley. Mount the crank angle sensor appropriately next to it and you are away!

You get a good spark and an ignition curve that will do the job nicely. This is a common fitment on autograss Vauxhalls. The drawback is that the inbuilt rev limiter cuts in a 7500 rev/min.

i have a 20xe to.
the sump looks the same as mine aswell.
i have not heard about the fiesta route for the ignition. what i have worked out for myself is to use a distributor off an old cavalier aswell as its coil and module. i know that the advance curve may be out and someone told me a carb 1800 vw one has an almost perfect curve so i may use that. i will also be using weber 45's and if anyone has a basic setup for a standard xe i would like to know.

I've got a wasted spark MBE ignition module on mine (bought it dirt cheap though) but I did initially get the engine running as Dougal says. The correct drive for the dizzy can take some finding (there are two different types) but from there on in, no mods required just bolt the dizzy on and wire up the amplfier.
Ned, I eventually went for a Westfield sump, which is pretty much identical to an SBD sump. OK, so they cost, but I think of it as insurance rather than expense. An XE starved of oil at 7000rpm isnt a pretty sight.....
Even with a Westfield sump ground clearance isnt great, but a lot better than using the standard sump. Also the standard sump is designed for transverse installation in a road car, so when the engine is fitted the 'proper' way, oil surge will rear its ugly head, exposing the oil pick up pipe to fresh air, especially as you will be able to corner faster in the first place.
P.s. I also recommend that you fit ARP (or similar) conrod bolts. They have been known to fail, this little mod makes the engine virtually bullit proof.

Stu,

Thanks for the advice, I was going to go arp bolts as I'd heard this already, guide price for mbe ignition box (distributor) or wasted spark system and westfield sump??

thanks,

Andrew.

Guide price for sump....I was lucky, I went to the Westfield open day a couple of years ago, and bought it for 165 GBP, AFAIK they are normally around 210 mark.

As for ignition, dunno really TBH. Keep your eyes peeled in the classifieds of the Motorsport News...

Ned
yukspeed do a shallow baffled sump for £125 its made 3mm steel and wings similar looking to RS2000 ally jobbie. It seems to work ok. They also sell MBE ignition systems for XE's costs £400 inc coilpack, seems a lot, but i fitted mine, first turn of key it started!. It only has 4 wires to fit! Excelenttt!