Help? 2.5TD bad oil leak above/near steering box LHD

Hi All,

Recently picked up a left hand drive 1990 90 with the 2.5 TD imported to the US from Italy. Engine has around 85k miles and was supposedly rebuilt around 80k. I recently fitted a catch can as I thought oil was leaking out of the bottom of the air filter housing but now realize there is actually a leak somewhere underneath the air filter housing and above the steering box. I can't figure out how to remove the air filter housing to figure out exactly where the leak is coming from, but it basically is dripping down right near the front left wheel, basically saturating the steering box, suspension and everything on the left side near the wheel. I have searched a bunch of posts on various Defender and Land Rover websites but can't find anyone who seems to have the exact same issue. It is impossible to tell where that leak is coming from when looking down from the engine bay as the gigantic tripod air filter housing is blocking everything and it seems impossible to get out the three bolts that hold it in place to diagnose. I'm sure I'll get to it but before I tackle that and pull everything apart I'm hoping to know what the likely cause is so I can order some parts or at least be prepared for the repair. Leak is bad, losing 1/2 quart in 120 trip.

Any information greatly appreciated for a newbie to these old rigs!

If it’s not the oil filter/housing, it could be the oil cooler.

meego said:

If it’s not the oil filter/housing, it could be the oil cooler.

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Ignore this. For some reason I thought it was a TD5

OJM said:

Any information greatly appreciated for a newbie to these old rigs!

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Pictures, All the pictures, both of the vehicle as a whole so we can be nosy, and also some of the side of the engine leaking (I apricate that may not show much but will give an idea)

@meego retracted his comment but the oil filter and cooler will be on the other side. There is nothing filled with oil under the air filter other than the pas box and pipes. which obviously would not cause engine oil to drop the level.

Here are some pictures. A little background, I recently did an oil change and put in Rotella 15W40 and a new filter. I know some people run mineral oil in these engines and I couldn't source any locally and wanted to make sure I got some fresh lubricant in the engine as the vehicle had set for a bit. When I look at the side of the block on the left side it is a little damp where there could be some oil leaking there and some grime but I need to clean it really good and see if I can figure anything out. It's just very odd how it pulls under the steering box but appears to be oil when I look at it as there's no reddish tint. I'm going through a decent amount of oil when I do some highway driving around 120 miles round trip so I definitely am monitoring the oil closely but want to get this fixed. Unfortunately, I'm heading out of town for 10 days on business so going to have to deal with it when I get back and we'll update this post. If anyone has theories on whether this could be something like the oil pan gasket only leaking in the front left corner or some other points of leak on the left side of the block, much appreciated if you can share! Pictures attached