Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 15:40:02 -0000 From: "MJ Rabin" <MJRABINnopsamil.com> Subject: Cracked sump on a '95 900; Is there anything I can do short of replacing it....
Hello, Last week I brought my '95 Saab 900 for its UK MOT certificate. I had known for a while that the car leaked oil. It had since I had bought it about a year ago and my mother-in-law was the first to draw my attention to it when I parked it on her nice paving stones! But I had thought the leaking oil was down to improper installation of the oil filter or a bad gasket on the oil plug. Wishful thinking I suppose. However, while up on the lift, it was brought to my attention that there was a very small hairline fracture on the aluminium oil sump that a small amount of oil was leaking from. You could obviously see where the previous owner had grounded the sump over a speed bump or some such thing as they were big gouges on the leading edge of the sump. I can't remember ever grounding the car so severely myself. The garage gleefully told me that a new sump would be about £400 and that it would take a lot of labour to replace. My question is, is there anyway I don't have to go to the expense and bother of replacing the sump with a brand new one, or do I even have to replace the sump if I keep the car topped up with oil. I check the oil quite frequently and it rarely seems low, and when it does I simply top it up. Can I simply keep on with this regime. Alternatively, is there anyway to repair the sump without replacing it. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Yours, Jeff Rabin