Discovery 300Tdi oil leak

[SparkyMark]

Hi all,

I have what would appear an occasional oil leak from my Discovery, that looks like it could be the rear crank, but that was changed when the clutch was changed last May.

Some days it will drop a massive drip, which can be several cenitmetres across.

Gaskets/seals that have been changed are:

rocker cover gasket, both breather hoses, sump gasket and as mentioned rear crank oil seal.

The head and block seem quite oil free now, but looking underneath, the oil seems to drip down from the strengthening web on the off side, towards the back of the sump, but the bottom of the bell housing can also look wet.

I don't think it is leaking from the rear crank anymore, the thread on the wading plug doesn't seem to get really wet.

We did wonder whether the head gasket was starting to go, and pressuring the crank up, but it's been in the same state for a good thousand miles or so, (and has, thinking about it always leaked something, but seems to be worse that it used to be.

The engine has just turned 170000 miles, and has been regularly maintained, and is free from any rattles and clanks - starts instantly and pulls well. I've owned it for 10 years and done about 60000 in it.

I know they do leak oil, but my driveway is starting to look an oil tanker has run aground on it!

Does anybody have any ideas on where oil can travel from, if the side of the block seems quite dry?

Thanks - Mark

[eddyoz]

Maybe the T seals ERR913 if the vacuum pump is ok?

[lyron]

if you look down by the vacuum pump. is it oily round the outer casing???. if so it will probably be the casing rivets starting to loosen and leak,or also could be the pump to engine gasket leaking. another place to check is of course the rocker cover gasket they are a bit of a swine to get to seal right.

ron.

[SparkyMark]

Thanks eddyoz - Think the vacuum pump is ok - seems dry round it, but looking at the T seals, they'd be worth a look at.

Whereabouts do they actually go - I can guess somewhere near the rear of the sump?

[eddyoz]

Have to remove sump and number 5 main bearing cap to fit the T seals.Use plenty of lube and a couple of feeler gauges to ease the seals past the block.

[Snagger]

Given the location, I'd say it was the vacuum pump or its mounting plate. The rivets securing the outboard end of the pump casing stretch and allow a hairline crack in the powder coating. The pump is operated by a cam on the cam shaft and takes quite a pounding, so any looseness in the mounting bolts could also cause a leak between the pump casing and the block.

If the T-seals were leaking, you'd be losing oil through the bell housing - the bell housing to block gasket would need to have failed for bad T-seals to leak externally.

[davyd8899]

stupid suggestion, could it be coming fro the back of the sump??

[xorigamixartstx]

Is is possible to actually get ride of all the leaks from a land rover ;-) ha ha

[davyd8899]

just re read and saw you already done the sump!! :blush:

mind you i did mine and it still leaked out of the back of the sump!!!