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Thanks Andy. PM sent. Cheers, John

No joy in my fresh attempts to remove the oil pan. To be honest I struggled to find a crevice big enough to insert any kind of encouraging scraper blade or the like. There appears to be some ancient adhesive between the pan and the crank case which is making the task difficult. As the joint is adjacent to the narrow floor panels (name?) between the engine and the chassis rails it is very difficult to wangle an encourager into the joint, so I decided to take the time to remove the left panel last night. In the third picture you can see that it is out. I spent more time on my back cleaning the ancient caked dirt and oil away, resigned to the fact that this is going to be trickier than first hoped. Mindful of O_D's exhortation to "first, do no harm"; is there any advice on how to proceed if it is glued together?

Thanks as always, John

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John,

Before you go any further, a block of wood between the jack and the sump(pan) would be a good idea to cover the "first, do no harm" premise.

Regarding the stuck sump, use as thin a blade as you can to start the process. A putty knife or paint scraper should be suitable. Try different points around the edge of the sump and wiggle/wedge it in as far a you can. Judicious use of a persuader, aka hammer, would also help. Then, after you manage to make some progress, insert a thin bladed screwdriver next to the wedged in blade/scraper and repeat. Repeat using a thicker bladed flat screwdriver or other suitable wedge shape implement. As you move around the edge of the sump remove the thin implements as you make progress with the thicker implements. I took the sump off my Coupe last year using this technique but in doing so probably could be more forceful than you because my sump is pressed steel while yours is aluminium(aluminum). Good luck!

I used a brake adjustment tool that was ground a little more on the end and pried ever so softly then ran a razor blade down the crack to separate the gasket.

Good luck

Thanks Mal and Desk Driver.

With your advice in mind, I'll spend some time on it on Sunday. I think I'll investigate removal of the right-side floor panel first, which looks a little trickier because it hugs the RHD steering assembly and exhaust. I'll have to do this carefully because there are loose and fragile remnants of insulation lagging hanging from the exhaust which I assume are asbestos. I will have to take some time to carefully shroud the asbestos before I proceed.

Then I'll take the time to patiently clean up all around the sump (oil pan) before finally attempting the careful separation you both endorse.

Thanks and cheers, John

PS: A big shout out for AJS who kindly sent me a set of pictures of his identical engine from his Phaeton, to use as a reference. Thanks Andy! Really appreciate the generous spirit within this forum.

When you're carefully prying the oil pan off (good advice given so far) also be mindful that you don't gouge the aluminum sump, as then there will be issues with sealing the gasket on upon reassembly. Slow and easy will give you the desired result, avoid the temptation to just pry on something trying to hasten the process. As I always remind myself, "they don't make these anymore ".

John,
If all else fails and you cannot get it apart you may try heating the flange with a heat gun. Adhesives generally let go at around 200 deg C. I don't know if you can get it that hot but it could be worth a try. Good luck

Hi John,
The door hinge cover screws are on their way. All the best with the sump. Phil

Thank you so much HA52, David M and Phil.

I worked around the car all day on Sunday but was ultimately unable to lay a finger on it. I spent the first half of the day clearing more of the old junk from around it so I can access it better. It culminated in getting bogged with a trailer load of old junk ready to cart away. I've only got highway tyres on the Land Rover and they all just spun in the mud. I'm not convinced the diff-lock was engaging correctly either. Anyway, by the time I'd sorted that out, all Packarding time had evaporated. Frustrating, but I'll have to be patient. Heaps more heavy rain forecast for the next 2 weeks so the area around the shed will remain as boggy as a Byron Bay Blues Festival for a while.

I hope to spend this coming Sunday on the actual car; not just the peripheral shed problems. I'll let you know how it goes prying off the sump.

Phil, that is exciting news! Thank you so much. Please just let me know what I owe you for those. I hope we can get you back down for when we are ready to try firing up the car; but the more I do, the further in the future that seems.

All the best for now,

John

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Sometimes some gentle tapping around the bottom edge of the oil pan with a rubber hammer will make the pan come loose...Ernie