I was lying under the car ready to bolt the oil pan back onto the crankcase using the newly arrived gasket, when I wondered if perhaps some sealant was also necessary. Before installing all 23 of the bolts and spring washers, I decided to consult The Complete Official Triumph TR6 and TR250, 1967 - 1976, Comprising the official driver's handbook and workshop manual, published by Robert Bentley, Inc., Cambridge, Mass, otherwise known simply as "The Bentley".

My copy was obtained used from an Amazon.com seller, with just the right amount of wear and greasy smudges. It is a wondrous thing, with clear instructions for taking things apart and putting them back together again, accompanied by well-crafted drawings. Done by hand, of course, before the age of CAD.

Finding the right page, I learned that to re-install the pan I needed to "Place a new gasket in position and offer up the sump to the crankcase and secure it with the bolts and washers".

OK, no goopy sealant to mess with, so I crawl back under and start inserting and fastening the bolts. This is a bit tricky, especially at the start, when you are lying cramped on your back, "offering up the sump", holding it in position and keeping the holes in everything lined up with one hand, and trying to start a bolt with the other. A couple of bolts hit the floor and were retrieved, but one bounced on the collar of my beat-up white Tyvek jumpsuit and disappeared. After all of the other bolts had been started, I went in search of the stray. It was nowhere. Well, perhaps it fell into my jumpsuit and into my sloppy jeans. I thought of disrobing to search. Then thought of the UPS guy driving up with more parts to find an old guy running around a red car in the garage in his jockeys. I decided to search further elsewhere, and eventually found it under the tool box, crawled back under, and made a final offering.