The Land Rover is presently just waiting for a sump gasket that looks as if it will seal properly. The rest of the engine has been reassembled. The sump is a problem due to the flange not being perfectly flat where it meets the mating surface on the engine block. Due to the way the sump was stamped out, the flange undulates slightly between the bolt holes. A papery-cardboard gasket left enough space between the bolt holes to pass quite a thick feeler gauge through at those points. This would clearly leak. I have a thicker cardboard one, but unless the cardboard is quite compressible, I think there's a high probability that will leak, too.
The original gasket was made of cork, and that would appear to be the correct material to use in this instance. 3 Bros. has asked a gasket maker to come up with some cork examples, and I'm hopeful that with a little luck they will be available to test some time next week.
Below: Not too clear, but does show the undulating surface. Were later sump flanges flatter?
