Ive got this idea in mind. It follows a sump slapping experience. The 3mm plate held up really well and only suffered gravel rash. I then thought it would be good idea to make an ali plate and bond it to bottom of the sump - hence the name sacrificial. The front end kicked up to form a sort of skid plate (my sump design is already kicked up at the front and seems to work very well - also helps to push oil down to pick up point)

Anyone done this - how effective?

I welded a 5mm plate to the bottom of my falcons sump when I notinced all the dents and scrapes. Its done very well. Not sure if glue could take the punishment not to mention heat cycles plus ally would drag on the tarmac but steel would slide due to it being so much harder.

why not weld 3 or 4 steel strips along the legnth of the sump. 25x3mm steel strip should do. That way if you ground out the strips take the pushment.

Darren

If your sump is hitting the deck then putting a plate under it is only going to decrease the clearance. At the next NE7ER's ask Jeff about what happened when he hit his sump in Kielder.

When he came down from a yomp, the sump hit the deck and deformed, bending the oil pick up pipe so it was suctioned onto the base of the sump, no oil, no engine

If I were you I would install a pair of timber skids under the chassis, running front to back. That way if you take off, when you land the skids take the hit straight into the chassis rails rather than the sump taking the full weight of the pintosaurous. IMHO you'll never manage to make a steel or ally sump which will take the weight of a landing car!

If you made them so they could be replaceable then you could hammer them all you want.

HTH

Mike

quote:

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Originally posted by Guinness
Darren

If your sump is hitting the deck then putting a plate under it is only going to decrease the clearance. At the next NE7ER's ask Jeff about what happened when he hit his sump in Kielder.

When he came down from a yomp, the sump hit the deck and deformed, bending the oil pick up pipe so it was suctioned onto the base of the sump, no oil, no engine

If I were you I would install a pair of timber skids under the chassis, running front to back. That way if you take off, when you land the skids take the hit straight into the chassis rails rather than the sump taking the full weight of the pintosaurous. IMHO you'll never manage to make a steel or ally sump which will take the weight of a landing car!

If you made them so they could be replaceable then you could hammer them all you want.

HTH

Mike

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I have a similar problem with a mini. It's lowered that far it's probably a bit much, but hey ho! I have a Dural sump guard which is a type of ally that is listed as armour plate! I've taken a few good chunks out of it but never bent it or the subframe it's bolted to, as it's bloody hard!

How about rubber mounting a plate under the sump using bobbin type mounts? It would offer some cushioning to prevent smashing a hole or fracturing the sump - it could mean the difference between scraping and smashing

It'll be timber slides for me as well.

I was just asking a general question to see what experience we have on here rather than to solve a specific issue. I should clarify that on my car its only in extreme cases that i get some contact and its not hard. Sump is as shallow as you can go whilst protecting the bell housing and it is ramped at the front. Base is 3mm and sides are 1.6mm. It is very tough as it is. True - a sacrificial plate does decrease the clearance further but only by 3mm or so. This can be compensated by modding enging mounts or one turn on the spring platforms.

For now ive decided to not fit such a plate. Engine mounts are off so ill try and get half an inch lift in them.

Interesting ideas coming up. Did anyone manage to suss out a suitable sjkid plate?


The mini issue is something that a local historic rally guy has as well. He is running an old Cooper S and wears sump plates out at an alarming rate.

I don't see how he could wear dural plates out that quickly. Mine's been on for 2 yards and only has 1 major scratch which is 1/4" deep. I regularly bounce the car off it, and you can often see glowing remains of it at night, but it's no where near knackered. There are supposed to last 2 years on rally stage minis, or so I've been told.

I have a nylon skid plate on my car, attaches to some spare holes on either side of the engine block. Made it from a flat piece of 6mm nylon shaped with a hot air gun. Seems to work, the car just slides over those big speed humps!
Rescued attachment skidplate.jpg