Trevor,
(from memory, so no guarantees over accuracy, but - )
You can remove that alloy block.
It is fastened up to the block casting with 2 cheese head setscrews,
which are countersunk into the alloy block and can only be accessed
after dropping the sump.
Beware, there is at least one, maybe 2, of the timing chain cover
bolts that screw into the front face of the alloy block. These also
need to be removed.
The alloy block is seated on a paper gasket, with gasket goo, and has
2 wooden (yes, wooden!) wedges on either side where it recesses into
the crank case casting.
The common problem, which may be the cause of the leak, is that the
front sump locating setscrews fix into the alloy block and easily
strip their threads. As the threadholes go right through to the inside
of the casing, not only you cannot tighten them once they have
stripped, but they also let the oil out!
Guy
PS, note that the 2nd MG that had to pull out of Le Mans this year
because of an oil leak! Must be a true MG!!
|