I have a series 2A Landie, with a Ford V6 which has started to leak a lot
out of the
front r/h edge of the sump gasket. Tightening, as far as I dare, has made
little if any difference. Hanging a bottle under the car catches most of the
oil (rather than my driveway) but is a temporary cure, at best, as 50 m.p.p.
will bankrupt me shortly....

The problem is that the rear sump nuts are hidden by a chassis member,
making replacement a major rather than minor job. A friend was telling me
that some years ago he cured a similar oil leak in an XR3 with something
poured into oil filler - a sort of engine based Barrs Leaks. But he couldn't
remember what it was called, or where he got it. Worked though, it seems.

Can anyone suggest what this might have been - or come up with any other
cures that don't involve major spanner-work.


Thanks,



Ed. H.

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 13:04:15 +0100, "Ed Hughes"
wrote:

A friend was telling me
that some years ago he cured a similar oil leak in an XR3 with something
poured into oil filler

1. Never listen to anything that an XR3 driver tells you.

2. The stuff is basically methanol. It swells rotating rubber oil
seals. It does have some use on gearboxes, if it's a shaft leak.
Doesn't work on Vauxhalls (allegedly) as they use a different rubber.
Does nothing on leaking gaskets.

3. Doesn't work in engines - it doesn't like heat and evaporates
before it gets anywhere useful.


Last time I used this stuff it was on a huge carrot-washing machine.
Lots of lineshaft drive and bevel gear boxes, and it stood unused for
9 months of the year. The goop worked pretty well. Now it gets turned
over for a few minutes every couple of weeks and the seals haven't
given a problem since.

Ed Hughes wrote:

I have a series 2A Landie, with a Ford V6 which has started to leak a lot
out of the
front r/h edge of the sump gasket. Tightening, as far as I dare, has made
little if any difference. Hanging a bottle under the car catches most of the
oil (rather than my driveway) but is a temporary cure, at best, as 50 m.p.p.
will bankrupt me shortly....

The problem is that the rear sump nuts are hidden by a chassis member,
making replacement a major rather than minor job. A friend was telling me
that some years ago he cured a similar oil leak in an XR3 with something
poured into oil filler - a sort of engine based Barrs Leaks. But he couldn't
remember what it was called, or where he got it. Worked though, it seems.

Can anyone suggest what this might have been - or come up with any other
cures that don't involve major spanner-work.


Thanks,



Ed. H.



This seems like its a broken gasket or the rubber gasket insert that's
out of place. Tightening will only further split the gasket.

This type of sealer may not work as it swells "rubber" to create the
seal again. They use it for auto transmissions where seals/O'rings are
involved. Engines where the front or rear crankshaft neoprene seals leak.

A new sump gasket maybe still your only answer using tools that can
access the nuts and bolts and being able to drop the sump.

rm

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 22:38:33 +0100, "Tony Tynan" wrote:

1. Never listen to anything that an XR3 driver tells you.

Is that always true Andy?

I have to live in Brissel. Another one of those pikeywagons drives
past at 3am with a stero that sounds like a Vincent with a loose big
end, and I'm firing RPGs at them.

"Ed Hughes" wrote in message
...


I know is obvious but have you cleaned out the crankcase breather hoses &
flame trap.

If it coming out the the gasket or more likely the seal any kind of stop
leak won't work, such products only tend to work on pre-1960s oils seals
which had a higher natural rubber content, more modern seals are neoprene
like sythetic elastomers and the solvents and oils in the goop don't
penetrate into the seal material anything so well.

Bad idea I know, but is it possible for you to drop the sump even a few
millimetres so you can squeeze some sikkoflex-style sealant in the gap?
There's no substitute for fixing it properly, but that might keep things
going until you can get around to popping the engine out.

Mike.

"Ed Hughes" wrote in message
...
I have a series 2A Landie, with a Ford V6 which has started to leak a lot
out of the
front r/h edge of the sump gasket. Tightening, as far as I dare, has made
little if any difference. Hanging a bottle under the car catches most of
the
oil (rather than my driveway) but is a temporary cure, at best, as 50
m.p.p.
will bankrupt me shortly....

The problem is that the rear sump nuts are hidden by a chassis member,
making replacement a major rather than minor job. A friend was telling me
that some years ago he cured a similar oil leak in an XR3 with something
poured into oil filler - a sort of engine based Barrs Leaks. But he
couldn't
remember what it was called, or where he got it. Worked though, it seems.

Can anyone suggest what this might have been - or come up with any other
cures that don't involve major spanner-work.


Thanks,



Ed. H.