Lancia Delta Integrale specialists and enthusiasts
KEEPING
DELTAS
DRIVING
Redtop.
why not a red bottom?
While changing the oil in our Bobby's red Evo1 last week, I noticed how rusty the sump pan was. In the past, this item had been painted with a rubberised black underseal of some kind. This of course doesn't remove any rust, just covers it up.
The rust was really taking hold, so I dropped the oil, and let it drain for a few days. Then I removed the sump plate with its ring of
10mm bolts.
I cleaned the oil and the thick residue from inside the sump pan, then soaked it in cellulose thinners. The thinners made quick work of attacking the underseal, and I was able to scrape it off easily, I finished off the removal with a wire brush.
I then treated the outside to a good dose of rust converter, I got it good and dry with the hot air gun. I used a flap disc in my angle grinder to clean the metal surface, then I used 240 grit paper to get in the corners, and flat the surface down. This operation removed the rust that the rust converter missed, which was quite a lot!
I wire brushed the corners again and brushed them with thinners, so the whole sump pan was clean.
I removed the old gasket, which came away cleanly and left no bits, I scraped the old gasket goo out of the sump flange recesses, and scrubbed the whole thing again with thinners.
The magic of cellulose thinners, attacking the
rubberised paint
The paint removed, dish brush
and wire brushed off
Metal surface under the paint, rust really never sleeps. The only cure is removing the rust.
When the sump pan is clean and dry, use a straight edge to check the mounting flange. There's not much strength in this item and the bolts pull the flange out of true.
'Dress' the bolt areas with a hammer, use a wooden block
under the flange until the sides are quite flat.
I do love celly
thinners, it's good
for so many things.
Except skincare
that is!
Sump surface after flap
disc treatment,
most rust now removed,
sanding paper will
get in the corners
With difficulty! I left the paint alone to dry properly,
then a quick pad-rub and it was ready for glossing.
I masked off the sump plug and its mounting, then gave the outside 2 light coats of etch primer. I left this to dry for an hour, then sprayed 2 coats of red primer. Spray light enough coats so the paint doesn't flood the component, you don't want the paint surface to 'skin up', or the next coat of paint will make that skin wrinkle as the solvents attack it. We want a smooth finish here.
Around this time I decided to paint the sump red!
We sometimes have a red top, why not a red bottom?
So while the primer was drying I went up to our local Toolstation and bought a spray can of Industrial 'Safe Red' paint. I'm sure our young 'un won't mind!
On return I de-nibbed the dried primer surface with a Scotchbrite pan scrubber, dusted it off, and gave it 2 coats
of red gloss. It looks good!
Using a primer
close to the finishing colour
helps the gloss
coverage.
Flap disc
calculations.
Work that
lot out!
With the demise of our local hardware shop, the only option for consumables now is Toolstation or Screwfix, branches of both are close by us, and close to each other.
It's often difficult to judge a product on line or in a catalogue, and many are Chinese, but this aerosol gloss paint was good value,
and did the job well.
Metal rule straight edge checking the sump mounting flange...not very straight.
Careful
light tapping
with
hammer.
Better now,
not perfect,
but enough
to seal with
new gasket
I prefer a cork gasket with a bit of sealer to a rubber item,
I've had trouble in the past with a rubber gasket,
I couldn't stop it dripping, changing it for a cork gasket fixed the problem.
Here's the repainted sump in place, I've filled the
engine with oil and the seal is good. I think I like it!!
Well, it looks lovely, but I forgot to obey my own instructions
to check the mounting flange was straight. It wasn't!
Of course it should have been done before the painting, but I was gentle with the sump, and tapped the bolt holes flat with the turned edge resting on a wooden block. It's much better now.
