Deep finned aluminium sump

[Malcolm Parker]

The deep cast aluminium 'Nippy' sump that holds 6 pints is a pain when it comes to engine removal.  It holds far too much oil and will never get hot enough.   I favour the semi deep sump which has an angled front end.  On the Ulster engine I fitted studs in place of the horrible set screws and it can be tightened with much less fear of the crankcase threads stripping.   If you think about the thickness of the cast sump and the internal stiffening ribs, they don't hold a great deal more oil than the standard tin sump, which is an advantage.  I find that most Austin 7's need at least half an hour running before the oil is anything like warm enough.