HELP!!! :( :( :( :( Rear main oil leak???

[spy]

Hi all,

This is a 200tdi disco lump I fitted into my 110.  Its been a job thats taken me months due to only spending an hour here and an hour there.  Anyway, now its finally in and running sweet it has an oil leak. :(

When I took the disco engine out it wasnt full of oil in the bell housing?  This seems to be a new thing at a bloody bad time.  The only thing that confuses me is it doesnt seem to be coming out the wading plug hole, its further forward where the flywheel housing meets the engine.  I have reached up the sides and its not running down the outside, its definately coming from inside. 

Does this look like rear main / rear crank seal?  How big a job is it?  I can get the engine out easy enough but after that whats involved?  Does it just hook out?  My local motor factors lists the seal "with alloy housing"?  Anyone know the right part number for it, I cant seem to find it on paddocks website...  When I fitted the tdi engine I reused the clutch (known history, only a few thousand miles on it).  I had no spare cash at the time and no real choice.  Ive not got much more now but i am thinking if I have to take it back out again its getting a brand new clutch, slave, fork, etc.  What else would you change while its out? 

Here is a pic of the swine, its enough to make me sick...  :(

[JIMBOBLY]

it does look like a rear main gone mate,possibly cause the engine has been standing for a while,the seal has dried out of oil,then when you go to start it,it burns the seal out :(

[spy]

Oh no... 

Im doing the mac in early march!  Looks like its coming out on saturday night...  :( 

Ever done one?  Is the seal easy to change?? 

[JIMBOBLY]

i'll be honest,i havnt done one on these,but usually,its just the case of prizing the old one out and in with the new one,easy enough,but when fitting the new one,make sure you lubricate the seal well,if you dont,it will burn out in no time,jim :D

[spy]

Cheers Jim, you have cheered me up no end! :roll:   :lol:   While your the only person replying, do you have an opinion on what else should be changed whilst I am in there?  Its obvious that I should have done the seal before I fitted the engine, I never thought.  Dont wanna make a similar mistake again.... 

[craig_midz]

its a piece of [throw it] mate to do either take engine out of gearbox drop the clutch off an the flywheel prise old one out an push new one in but when u get the new seal its on a plastic ring dont take it off this ring as other wise seal wont seat right just put platsic tube onto end of crank an slide seal down the plastic tube onto crank an then just bolt flywheel back on usin some loctite an put engine or gearbox back in but remember to drain oil out of engine first otherwise when u pull seal out u will end up wearin half the engine oil i learnt that one the hard way lol

[Les Henson]

If it's definitely coming from between the flywheel housing and engine block then it's not the crank seal, although you will have to replace it as you will have to remove the flywheel housing. The rear main bearing cap T-seals prevent oil from getting between the block and flywheel housing, so it's likely these are the culprit. Replacing the seals requires removal of the rear main bearing cap, so is quite a bit of work to do. If you're not prepared to replace the seals then you could alternatively degrease the flywheel housing/block mating faces and apply a continuous bead of silicone sealant to one face and then bolt the two together.
It could also be oil leaking from the sump at the back - this will run down the 'back' of the flywheel housing.


Les.

[spy]

Many thanks!  I have ordered a clutch kit and rear main.  I think the silicone plan sounds good to me.  I will have a look at the sump gasket at the same time but I am hoping it will be more obvious once its out and in front of me...

Sounds like a nitemare saturday night ahead for me then!   :'( :'(

Cheers all,

Mike

[Saffy]

probably doing my clutch and rear oil seal this weekend too :dance: Decided on engine out route as being the easiest for my situation.

Is the clutch kit part number same from both lt77 and R380 ? got some confusion over part numbers and descriptions on some supplier websites. (Might be anyidea for me to look on mircocat i guess)

[spy]

I have no idea, although I suspect its the same.  I thought the clutch part number was the same for most of the 4cylinders.  Although im often wrong..  :D  Engine out for me 2 :(

How do I get hold of microcat?  It would be a damn handy thing to have, especialy now I have disco engine in defender..

Cheers,

Mike

[Saffy]

I can see the part's book (paper) says that there's two part numbers for the clutch Kits on 300tdi engines.
so far AFAIK...

STC8358 is for the 300tdi's fitted with the LT77 gearbox (never seen one myself :-.) this is same part number for the 200tdi also.

STC50501 is for the 300tdi's fitted with the R380 gearbox, which is what I need... I guess.

Bit of a price hike between them too! Was going for genuine, changed my mind now.
Will go for the Borg&Beck kit at £107.36 from www.lrseries.com

for confusion some suppliers say the STC50501 is a heavy duty clutch, so does that mean the other one woudl fit and work anyway.... *shrug*

[JIMBOBLY]

everyone has said what i would of replied to you mate,hope it goes well for you,if i lived closer i'd give you a hand,if you get chance let us know how you get on,jim :D

[craig_midz]

mate theres no difference between clutchs on 300 200,s an vms as i work at a clutch centre an its the same code for all 3 an 107 quid for a clutch kit is very expensive try www.paddockspares.com as i only paided 70 odd quid for a v8 clutch from them

[Saffy]

mate theres no difference between clutchs on 300 200,s an vms as i work at a clutch centre an its the same code for all 3 an 107 quid for a clutch kit is very expensive try www.paddockspares.com as i only paided 70 odd quid for a v8 clutch from them

Cheers, ordered the STC8358 Borg Beck one from Paddocks and the saving went towards some silicone hoses. Ordered the rear oil seal and gasket from elsewhere as paddocks didn't have a genuine one listed. Doubt they be here by weekend so will do it week after.

[Chris Putt]

Did this on a prima engined 109 a few weeks ago, see if the mainseal comes with a fitment tool, if not then keep hold of your old mainseal and use it to help to protect your new one when you tap it home!!!!!

Chris

[extreme90]

what gearbox have you fitted the engine to ?
if its the lt defender box, have you drilled out the bellhousing at the bottom to refit the origional disco bolts that run righ the way through to the ladder ?

only if you dont, that causes the leak, i can take a piccy of the underside of my 90 to prove it, mine leaked there until i got around to finishing the job off and drilling the holes for the bolts, mines bone dry now, but you can make out where the oil was

just a coincidence that it didnt leak before that it does now  :roll:
or it just could very well be the crank seal  :roll:

[bogie]

all this fuss about a rear crank seal? r u on about the one behind the flywheel???????????????????

[spy]

If it's definitely coming from between the flywheel housing and engine block then it's not the crank seal, although you will have to replace it as you will have to remove the flywheel housing. The rear main bearing cap T-seals prevent oil from getting between the block and flywheel housing, so it's likely these are the culprit. Replacing the seals requires removal of the rear main bearing cap, so is quite a bit of work to do. If you're not prepared to replace the seals then you could alternatively degrease the flywheel housing/block mating faces and apply a continuous bead of silicone sealant to one face and then bolt the two together.
It could also be oil leaking from the sump at the back - this will run down the 'back' of the flywheel housing.


Les.

Absolute nail on the head!  I spent quite some time scraping the remains of the knackered gasket off and cleaning up.  It looked like new and I used a tube of instant gasket so should be OK.  Fingers crossed!  Crank seal in, clutch on and I have the pleasure if putting it all back together in the morning!  Thanks for the tip!

what gearbox have you fitted the engine to ?
if its the lt defender box, have you drilled out the bellhousing at the bottom to refit the origional disco bolts

Nope I havent yet!  Will drill some holes as it goes back together this time though.  Cheers for that.

all this fuss about a rear crank seal? r u on about the one behind the flywheel???????????????????

Ehh?????????????????????   :lol:

[Saffy]

no wonder it was slipping...



Oil seal only had a slight seep but changed it out anyway.