Whilst I can understand that even with the correct tools these tiny terminals are often difficult to release and be withdrawn, it is most likely the barbs can be flattened in the process.  However, with a small tool such as in a pick set you can usually, carefully bend the barbs back out, to make the terminals lock again when refitted to the plugs.  So if you haven't cut all the wires yet, that might be worth trying first.  If the circular tube part has become misshapen, pushing a mating pin into it can re-shape it back, and if that also means the tube is tighter on the pin, that only increases the effectiveness of the contact, so can make the plug and socket better from an electrical point of view.  Just a thought that may save you replacing the whole thing.

Well done on the technique for re-fitting the sump cleanly and accurately, Anders.

Roy

The sump made it back on the car yesterday. I tested the procedure I thought out while I was checking whether the enlarged holes towards the clutch housing were oval enough, and it worked fine, apart from the shrink tubing that came in the way and was not necessary.

I've also attached a photo of the oil level sensor, which is now also fitted in the sump.

Thanks for your clarifying message, Roy. I agree, of course. Another issue with working with it under the car like this is that the sump must be positioned rather precisely and since I need to lie on my back I will need something to ensure I steer it in place correctly. I don't want the silicone sealant to be spread out all over because of my shaking hands and arms!

I gave that some thinking yesterday and found a solution this morning as I was walking the dog. I have a surplus of the long 7 mm bolts so I have salvaged three of them cutting off their heads. I have covered the unthreaded ends with a bit of shrink tubing to make them just a little bit thicker to be a good match for the holes in the sump. With two on the exhaust side and one on the inlet side I should have no problem steering the sump in place. I plan to use my lowest going jack to lift it so I can concentrate on fitting all the short 7mm bolts, the three long ones, and the two 10 mm bolts.

I think I now have it thought through, so I should be ready to remove the sump again, enlarge the holes against the clutch housing, clean the engine block side once more, do the silicone, and fit it tomorrow.

I got my toolset for releasing the pins from the connector. I think I spent more than an hour releasing two pins out of the six - and I'm not sure they're in a good state any more as I compressed them from all sides, so I have more or less given up, will cut the wires, and replace the connector with a standard six way modular connector. This connector is sitting in space created by the bulge in the chassis under the right hand rear light and there's a decent amount of space there for the bigger connector, so the only problem with this solution is that while the original connector can easily pass through the holes in the chassis, the 6 way modular connector which I'm going to replace it with can not. Fortunately it will be easier to release the pins after which the loom will be able to pass.

Clarity for all owners.
It is not the wires that are the main concern, although they will cause a problem if broken right where they enter and are sealed to the sensor on the outside.  The reason to remove the oil level sensor before removing the sump, is primarily because inside, it will foul the engine parts and will get bent or broken as the sump comes away from the engine, and they are irreplaceable.

And yes, you can remove the sump with the engine in situ, but you have to support it from above, remove the long driveshaft which means removing the semi-trailing arm first, and that entails disturbing the hub and hub bearing, and the brakes etc.  It will also drip oil for a surprisingly long time after it has been drained, so it will drip oil on you once the sump is off and becomes very messy, whilst you're trying to work underneath!

Now usually when the sump gasket is leaking, there are other leaks too, such as the timing case seal, and that means removing the crank pulley and that really means the engine has to come out as the bolt is extremely tight and extremely difficult to do in situ.  So the job to do all the things needed becomes simpler and easier if the engine is removed.

In Anders case, all the other work has been done whilst it was out, so wasn't necessary.

Roy

I trial fitted the sump this evening after cleaning it to a decent state. The RH driveshaft slid well into the gearbox with the support bearing fitting its housing well. So I only need to enlarge the lower bolt holes towards the clutch housing on the sump so the bolt will fit despite the sump sitting 1.5mm higher. The sump will be fitted this weekend.

Soap wasn't enough to clean the mesh filter. I used a pin to push most of the rest of it out but I realized it was hard carbon so ended up burning away the remains a few quick burns with a small blow torch.

I have a single question today: Have I fitted the cover correctly on the pump facing towards the flywheel and exhaust sides of the engine?

Also, below is a photo showing the slack in the pump chain.

Edit: i realized there are three bolts in the clutch housing

Yes, that's exactly the reason. My workshop, where I worked on the engine, is too small to have an engine stand inside, so I decided to wait with this job until it was back in the car. I have suspended it from the lifting eye as you can see in the attached photo, but also lowered the car as much as possible and put an axle stand underneath so it doesn't drop. I'm probably just paranoid.

Yes, the chain is loose, but looks fine. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow.

I've worked on cleaning the sump and the engine block face from the old gasket. I've also removed the cover and mesh filter in the oil pump, and I'm now cleaning the mesh filter in soapy water. Probably as expected, there was quite a bit of dirt stuck under and in the mesh filter.

Why did you remove the sump after putting the engine back in the car? Is it because of the difficulty of accessing it by turning the whole engine upside down when it was out of the car? I certainly found the engine difficult to turn over when it was out of the car and in hindsight I would have bought / hired an engine stand with a rotating fixing on it to help with this.

It's interesting to see that with some effort the engine can stay in the car if the sump gasket needs attention or something similar.

By the way, how is your oil pump chain? Mine seemed very loose but Roy said they usually are loose, but rarely come off.

Thanks very much again, Roy. I've ordered a set an continued with other work.

I have removed the sump this evening. And while I removed the oil level sensor long ago for fear of ruining the connecting wires, someone before me must have had a problem as the front part of one was in the sump. The picture isn't good but it's just under the baffle. I've now lost it in my oil drain pan.

My sensor is clean and intact in a box waiting to be refitted

Next jobs are cleaning off the remains of the old gasket from the engine block and the sump itself. I then plan to trial fit to ensure the driveshaft and bottom bolt between clutch housing and sump fit before I refit and seal it with silicone.

These terminals have barbs to lock them into the plug (two actually IIRC) just like flat type terminals, but because these terminals are circular rather than flat, you need a round tool to that pushes in, to push the barbs flat so the wire and terminal can be withdrawn from the plug.

You can buy these sets of terminal removal tools today off the internet, and they include numerous shapes and sizes to fit a range of terminals.
Such as this for a 53 piece set: See eBay item number:134461918142 or a 93 piece kit: item number 175659093015.  There are plenty of others to choose from too.

(sorry the URLs for these were so long they caused the page to be extremely wide)

Roy

Thank you, Roy! I wonder why I have not thought about this before, perhaps because this is one of the few minor annoyancies of the Murena which I quickly adjusted to just avoided filled up the tank completely. Only on one occasion have I had a problem with fuel spillage. But you're right, I should definitely correct this, and I will. Now that I think about it, I even have the original instruction for doing it on paper in my Murena manuals. Thanks again!

While I was fitting wiring under the car, I ran into a small problem with the connector in the trunk, MC4. I will renew the rubber grommets on the two places where the loom passes through the chassis and into the trunk so I need to take out the pins in the connector to pass the grommet over. I could cut it off and renew it completely, and while I could replace it with a modern water proof connector, the connector is good and fits under the carpet, so I'd actually prefer not to do that. But I can't find a way to undo these pins from the housing. If anyone has ever done this or just has an idea, please let me know.