1.8 20v Sump is a piece of psssssh1t

[Golf20vv]

Howdy folks, I'm long time Golf fan - 3 generations, but mums Mk4 has me rattled.

She overfilled it with oil and did a 250 mile round trip after which the top end was making a horrible racket. It sounds like the top isn't getting oil so I'm hoping there's something that isn't half a piston blocking the oil pickup.

Anyway the sump won't come off. It's the two poxy bolts at the gearbox end obscured by the flywheel. I've bought flexi drive attachments, tried 1/4" socket sets, modified tools, tried ball head Allens (one of the bolts now has the broken ball lodged in it) and generally scratched my head.

I'm at the end of my rope here big time. Seriously thinking of trying to drill these ******** out but don't have a ramp or pit so doubt I can get a drill upright under the car. So now I'm thinking of cutting the sump off the car and getting a replacement but I shudder to think how much filings would be sprayed at the bottom end.

I'm here as a last resort. Anyone got any ideas?

Cheers

George

[Crasher]

I had this happened to me and I had to slacken the gearbox off and pull it back about 2cm to allow me a straight shot at the bolts. The symptoms worry me though, it should not rattle when over filled. Is this a 1.8T or straight 20v non turbo?

[Golf20vv]

It's the non turbo Crasher. Let me ask you this, what is supposed to / or can happen when you overfill a car. There's such a taboo about it but whats the reason?

The engine is running fine, but like I say the top end sounds like a '82 Ford Escort. I mean maybe a follower let go by chance or something but thats unlikely for that to have happened on an engine with mileage up on it.

RE slackening the g'box. Thought of that but won't I have to drop it completely and take the flywheel off too, technically the flywheels in the way not the box. If the bloody flywheel had a notch in it then I could get a socket with a UJ in there...

George

[dafydd]

Hi there, Ive just changed my sump and them 2 center bolts were a pig to do but i didnt have to much hassle, 10mm 1/4 inch drive with a 12 inch extention, or a long allen key with a ball type end..

[Crasher]

The oil can be ingested into the engine and burnt which can damage the cat and if extremely overfilled and cause the engine to hydraulic lock but I have seen engines with five litres too much oil in and they still run. The noisy top end makes me think low oil pressure but that normally afflicts the 1.8T. When you eventually get the sump off, inspect the condition of the oil pump strainer to see if it is blocked. Yes the flywheel is in the way, moving the box back help a little on the one I was doing but it wasn’t an 02J box, it was the 02K and I just need a little more room, but it was an odd one and only that once, I have not had the issue since. I hope you don’t end up pulling the box and flywheel, that’s a full days work on your back and not nice.