Member Since: 08 Jul 2013
Location: värmland
Posts: 8
Need advice for repairing oil leak from crankshaft
I have been seaching high and low for weeks now to indentify a huge oil leak on my LR3 TDV6 2006. Both RH and LH side of the gearbox gets soak wet of engine oil. After cleaning off all surface oil a couple of times yesterday, I was able to identify the leak as coming from the lower drain hole in the joint between the motor and the gearbox, when the front wheels was raised compared to the rear. From that I conclude the leak must be from the sealing on the crank, and that the leaking oil hits the flywheel and get thrown in all directions towards the join between the gearbox and the motor. Been seaching all over the forum for good hints to save time when removing the gearbox (automatic). Anyone? Guess I dont need to take it down to access the crank seal, just , move it backwards 10-15 cm ? All hints is highly appreciated. Approxomate time consuption for the job?
12th Oct 2014 8:53 pm
Zebravanman
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 28
Hi, I think I had the same problem, but in my case it wasn't what you were thinking.
My problem was that the oil cooler (sits below the oil filter cartridge) was leaking from the base gasket (£17 to buy) it then proceeded to fill up the two voids in the V area in between the cylinders, when the voids get full of oil (approx 1/2 Litre) it then spills over the back of the bell housing in behind the flywheel and then leaks out of the weap hole at the bottom of the bell housing.
In order to check this on your vehicle, I managed to get hold of a syringe and connect a small ID pipe onto the end, manoeuvre the pipe below the oil cooler into the base of the V (you can't see this with your eyes) then pull up on the syringe - if there is oil being sucked up then its coming from the oil cooler base gasket or oil filter cartridge itself, there is also another void behind the oil filter and towards the bulkhead, I can post images if required.
If there is no oil, then all's good in that department, it's worth a try before you go pulling the gearbox off.
If you need further advise on this (I have just done mine) there are a few gotchas I could tell you about.
15th Oct 2014 5:46 pm
Zebravanman
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 28
Voids under oil cooler below
15th Oct 2014 6:02 pm
triumph_kjell
Member Since: 08 Jul 2013
Location: värmland
Posts: 8
Thank you so much, this was new and very interesting information for me.I was convinced that there was no way that an external leak could get in to the void space around the flywheel. Will investigate this thoroughly.
16th Oct 2014 7:23 am
Zebravanman
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 28
no problem, like I say, It's worth a quick check before you go pulling the gbox off, you need to get hold a syringe and extension pipe as you won't be able to see the oil from looking ontop of the engine / oil filter area. A couple more photos of the offending part and the void underneath it.
16th Oct 2014 7:04 pm
triumph_kjell
Member Since: 08 Jul 2013
Location: värmland
Posts: 8
Dear Zebravanman,
you saved me a lot of work not removing the gearbox without reason. I simply used a straight wire and stick down into the void under oil filter. Found there is about 5 cm with oil down there, and as you say, it is impossible to see! Now I guess it is impossible as well to say if the oil comes from the oil filter bracket (definitely not the oil filter housing), or the oil cooler. Will tare apart from this side anyway. Thanks a lot again. Your help is highly appreciated.
20th Oct 2014 8:01 am
Zebravanman
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 28
Glad to help.
The rest will be much easier to diagnose. To see whether it is the oil filter / housing / oil seal, simply cut a round circular hole in some rag and place it over the oil filter and push it as far as it will go down past the base of the oil filter housing - go for a drive. It the rag gets contaminated with oil then it would be the area around the oil filter. If it is dry as in my case it would be the oil cooler base gasket.
It's a simple enough job, give it a good half a day to do the job as removing the breather is a bit fiddly. Be really really careful of the fuel fittings which attach to the oil cooler as I broke one thinking it was a pull off rubber fuel pipe and it turns out it's not. The rubber fuel line is a 'red herring' and it is actually rigid fuel line which is heat shrank onto the barbed ends with a rubber outer. I thought I could pull it off the barbed end but it snapped off the fuel fitting below the fuel temp sensor and its very expensive and fiddly to do. I ended up repairing mine in the end.
Since replacing my gasket (a week ago) my engine is dry ! i gave my intake a good degrease as well when it is apart. Just one more note, there is a rubber O ring ontop of the oil cooler near where the fuel lines connect to, its where the large coolant pipe connects to. The manual says to replace this O ring but you cannot buy it, so be really careful when removing the water connection. If you damage the O ring then you have to buy a new oil cooler ! you can see the o ring in the above image.
All the best
20th Oct 2014 6:40 pm
Zebravanman
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 28
This is the fuel fitting I snapped and the two O rings you see in this picture have to be replaced and are available at a small cost.
20th Oct 2014 6:44 pm
decdecdec
Member Since: 17 Jul 2018
Location: Leszno
Posts: 11
Well thank You very much guys for developing this solution,
I was already serching the forum for tips to move gearbox and i've found this topic!
Tommorow i'll see if i also have as much luck as You've had.
Thats my first day on the forum and it looks like I hit bullseye.
Thanks once again and i will post back my results.
18th Jul 2018 12:01 am
Globetrotter448
Member Since: 21 Mar 2017
Location: Londonderry NSW
Posts: 1782
The auto gearbox oil overflow pipe also discharges into that area, so if your gearbox was overfilled recently it may be the problem.
18th Jul 2018 6:46 am
decdecdec
Member Since: 17 Jul 2018
Location: Leszno
Posts: 11
Thanks for that hint globethrotter!!
I'll check this out as well.
I didnt have spare time to do my disco yet!
But i quickly checked if there is oil between the "V"
And it is!
I simply took a long long tiny piece of plastic and pushed it between them and when i took it out it was marked about 2 cm of oil:)
I'll shurely report what i found when I'll open it!!
30th Jul 2018 7:01 pm
decdecdec
Member Since: 17 Jul 2018
Location: Leszno
Posts: 11
Well for anybody who is facing the same problem i'll attach some photoes that may somehow show You how does it look like.
But i'll also have some questions.
I have two problems with my disco3
1.oil leak under "transmission/cranshaft"
2.oil in coolant (no other signs of cylinder head gasket problem)
First of all:
Thats oil cooler which is between heads ontop of the engine
Mine looks like there is oil (mayonaise) in coolant section
Next photo shows You connections that are easy to destroy as shown on photo( ill type later how ill manage with this problem)
Here You can see how engine looks between heads after this operation
Some oil was there before i spilled it from cooler:))
And the gasket from under whole cooler.
As i suspected there should be leakage from cooler to the environment and oil to coolant leak
And what i found is that there was a lot of oil around cooler
And that when i put compressed air to oil section there was a leak to oil section
Thats why i opened it and i have found that there is worn gasket
That is where i stopped
For now i need new gaskets
New connestors
If you have any tips
Please let me know;)
Thanks
7th Aug 2018 4:11 pm
decdecdec
Member Since: 17 Jul 2018
Location: Leszno
Posts: 11
Well I serched internet and i couldn't find this complicated rubber gasket:/
Only solution i have found is to use a little bit of some hi temp.silicone and an old gasket.... thats how they do it in one LR specialised garage.
Do You have any other ideas how to fix that problem or where to buy that gasket.
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i gave my intake a good degrease as well when it is apart. Just one more note, there is a rubber O ring ontop of the oil cooler near where the fuel lines connect to, its where the large coolant pipe connects to. The manual says to replace this O ring but you cannot buy it, so be really careful when removing the water connection. If you damage the O ring then you have to buy a new oil cooler ! you can see the o ring in the above image.
