Evening all, fitted a new sump tank to the car over the weekend due to the old one being past rotten. This has cured the main leak off the sump tank but imagine my jubilation to come back to the car this evening for the drive home to find a nice small pool of oil formed under the gear box (about the size of a CD) and a smaller patch next to it consisting of coolant (about the size of the bottom of a drinks can).

There isnt any visable leak on any of the coolant pipe's and it appears to be coming through one of the metal pipes attached to the block, any suggestions on what to do there? paint and pray?

On the oil side of life the fly wheel cover has oil over it and the oil has run off there down the bottom of the gearbox and dripped. The oil level has dropped from MAX 2/3 of the way down towards MIN (some obviously had to go in to circulate from the whole system getting drained out) and I can't see any run/drip marks down the sump at all. Obviously it's dark and havent checked the back of the sump other than with a hand; but any ideas as to where else this could come from before I start pulling the sump off to re-seat it are welcome. Or any ideas as to how to find out where the leak is coming from if it isn't visually aparent.

Thanks!

Right, after letting the car sit on the drive overnight it appears that oil is running down from the flywheel area onto the sump and off the bottom of the sump aswell as the flywheel cover and the bottom of the gearbox. All the oil is clean (except for the dirt it has picked up outside the engine) and coolant also looks clean all but exterior engine dirt.

The oil leak is originating somewhere above the flywheel cover and dripping down both the cover and the sump tank now. Is this likely to be anything but a bad seal on the sump?

Coolant is dripping off one of the mounts near the flywheel cover and the gearbox/main block. Suggestiuons for where this is origintaing are appreciated!

I have attached images and they have descriptions added in the gallery.

thermostat? (managed to crack mine)

had the same kind of oil leak, traced it to coil pack holder, needed new o-ring (80p)

mzhussein said:

had the same kind of oil leak, traced it to coil pack holder, needed new o-ring (80p)

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OK cheers, I'l go take a look at it if i can get enough light tonight or tomorrow as I have the day off!

That hopefully just leaves the coolant to trace... reseated the thermostat when I did the coolant flush but I'l check it again!

no no, mine had a hair line fracture in thermostat....have a look, see if coolant seems to be just "emerging" from the metal, that means u have a crack...

mzhussein said:

no no, mine had a hair line fracture in thermostat....have a look, see if coolant seems to be just "emerging" from the metal, that means u have a crack...

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Ok I get you, I'l get and take a good look, at worst I have to replace that aswell.

tbh, id hope it was that, there only a tenner-ish

mzhussein said:

tbh, id hope it was that, there only a tenner-ish

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We'll find out in the morning. S4P is showing about £15 including delivery so I imagine the motor factors will beat that. No point buying till I find out for sure though!

Thanks for the help

np, do post back, do enjoy a mystery......lol

Oh don't worry, you'l get to find out how things go. I arent the kind do post a problem, then that I've fixed it and no more details!

Even managed to book a space in the grandparents garage to do the work in the dry!

nar, wet dark and cold is always a good motivator lol, good luck.

Ok, hopefully fixed the oil leak, I've been and bought the o-ring as needed and fitted it.

Upon closer inspection with a larger work lamp I can see that the core plug behind the bend in the in the metal coolant pipe that is fed from the bottom flexihose from the radiator is leaking coolant, unfortunately the Dealership I went to hadn't got any 30mm core plugs in stock at present.

How hard a job is it to replace this core plug, as I understand they are put in with a press originally and I will have to take the coolant pipe and probably exhaust manifold off to get to it. Will the radiator/cooling fans have to come out for space aswell and how long etc does this job take?

Searching for 'Core plug' brought several responses saying yes it was do-able but no details nor related info. The last thing I want to do is bugger up the engine by screwing such a job up. I shall ask the friendly garage on how much time they would recon it will take and a quote whilst I'm at it (if not just to persuade myself into doing i).

I'l add pictures up when I get near to my Nokia data lead...

Thanks again

Ok just got back home to find my data cable absent, it must still be in my locker at uni with a few other things.

Anyway, a new seal (for the whopping cost of 94p) has been put in, havent got any gasket seal left or similar so I will get some if it continues to leak if anyone recons that it isn't going to kill the car lol

Also found the coolant leak to be on the core plug as I said. Didn't get chance to call the garage, anyone have a rough guess as to how much a core plug behind the bottom coolant pipe should be from a garage or how difficult to it is to do?

My dad and grandad don't seem to like the idea of a core plug job as they were a pain in the rear (exact quote won't be repeated; for the kid's) from past experience with a gear box core plug from a Land Rover and probably one or two from a Vauxhall Belmont.

So, any comments anyone?

The car has done a 90 mile round trip today with no oil leaks coming down the cleaned surfaces, still the odd drip but mostly stuff i can't get to easily to clean!

Also just got back from the garage for a quote, they want £60 to change all 4 core plugs on the front, or £20 for the one that has started to give (as it's the most asccessible)

I think £60 for all 4 isn't bad and will stop any others giving out in the near future and having to for out repeatidly!

Have you put in any rad seal to try and stop this small leak?

Bernardi said:

Have you put in any rad seal to try and stop this small leak?

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it's past a small leak now to be honest, I've cured the oil out of the top and the sump and I still have an oil leak it seems but can't see where from. Here's hoping its just spilt oil! (though I'd have though that would have burnt of by now or some-ones trying to wind me up!)

Get the garage to just replace the leaking one. Leaking core plugs aren't a real problem.. so the others should be okay.

Ralf S.

I'm going to clean up and look at them as best I can to see if I can spot any rust, those that are rusting will get replaced but one definitely needs it!

The new thin oil leak hasn't happened this morning driving in so I'm going to experiment when I get home and the engine is already hot the effects of temperature vs the leak, it might just be it's gotten down to the height of the hole (of course will check the dipstick regularly from on just to be on the safe side).

I don't know if you've sorted this problem yet but if you havent you may want to change your crank seal to strop the leak, if you have sorted it wher was the leak coming from