How tolerant of leaks can you be?

My old 1988 110 has been parked up for about 6 weeks after I had spinal surgery and couldn't drive. I did go out and heave myself in with some difficulty and run the engine for 20 minutes every few days though and this seemed to sort it. I am now ready to start using it again but have noticed ( well to be accurate the Mrs has noticed and may have mentioned it once or twice) a little more oil on the floor underneath than previous. Detailed inspection shows I have fluid from engine, gearbox and transfer box under there but to be honest there's mud and all sorts of crud that needs washing off before I can get a proper look. My mechanic says that he suspects its the rear seal from the engine and other seals that are leaking and I think that maybe the lay up has allowed them to dry out? I also think not being driven might have allowed the oil to remain rather then being dispersed by driving? To fix properly it may need an engine and gearbox out job which is a lot of cash to pay. I expect a 30 yr old landy to leak, even new ones leak, but am I being unrealistic to think that regular use again may improve it and lessen the leaks?

I don't think six weeks would make much difference, it's more likely that as it hasn't moved for six weeks, the rain hasn't had chance to wash it away. Mines been parked up three years and only one slight leak from the t-box.

If its leaking its broken and needs fixing, marking terratory, they all do that, blah blah, blah, bolloks, they arnt supposed to leak.

Sorry I appear to have been whining there. just a bit fed up as I am putting so much effort into getting this car absolutely right and this has got me a bit cheesed off.

If I leave my ninety for a few days I always get a drip from the transfer box. Regular use and it stops dripping
My engine also is ‘wet’ on the drivers side with oil. It doesn’t ever form a drip but it kind of looks like it’s coming from the head gasket as everything above that is dry.
I am tolerant enough to live with both until the warmer weather (I said the same thing last winter)!
Nobbers right though......they shouldn’t leak and “they all do that” doesn’t make it right!

steveyorks said:

just a bit fed up as I am putting so much effort into getting this car absolutely right and this has got me a bit cheesed off.

Click to expand...

When I was new to Landy ownership I was completely obsessed with finding and fixing every possible leak and thought that acheiving this goal was easily attainable.
Five years later I have come to accept that keeping these vehicles leak-free is possible, but it is a continuous, tiring and never-ending battle....

callisr said:

If I leave my ninety for a few days I always get a drip from the transfer box. Regular use and it stops dripping
My engine also is ‘wet’ on the drivers side with oil. It doesn’t ever form a drip but it kind of looks like it’s coming from the head gasket as everything above that is dry.

Click to expand...

Landrovers, like all machinery, like to be used.
Not sure what engine you have, but I doubt if it is the head gasket. More likely rocker box seal.

LeftFoot said:

When I was new to Landy ownership I was completely obsessed with finding and fixing every possible leak and thought that acheiving this goal was easily attainable.
Five years later I have come to accept that keeping these vehicles leak-free is possible, but it is a continuous, tiring and never-ending battle....

Click to expand...

It isn't that difficult. Clear greenhouse tape on the roof seams is very effective.

Just fix the leaks, one at a time, always use genuine gaskets from Land Rover, only use sealant if the work shop manual (not a haynes) tells you to and if so only use reinsosil (check spelling), you will get there if you do things properly.

its an engine out job to get to the seal between engine and gearbox and then gearbox out for the seal between gearbox and transfer box and then you may as well put a new clutch in and then........

The only Landy I've had that didn't leak was a 1954 86" 2.0ltr petrol OHISVE Safari, which would cruise at 85 all day without ever missing a beat!
Even John Craddock loved her when we met up at trials!

I parked mine up in the garage for almost 7 months and didn’t start it in all that time and it didn’t make it leak more, 6 weeks is nothing - I suspect it was leaking to that extent already and you just hadn’t noticed it

steveyorks said:

its an engine out job to get to the seal between engine and gearbox and then gearbox out for the seal between gearbox and transfer box and then you may as well put a new clutch in and then........

Click to expand...

The crank seal can be done by pulling the gearbox back to get to the seal, no need to take the engine out. And why put a new clutch in it, there could be 50 yhousand left on the old one.

nobber said:

And why put a new clutch in it, there could be 50 yhousand left on the old one.

Click to expand...

That is true if you are doing the work yourself. If you are paying a garage to do the work the parts are a fraction of the total bill as most of it is labour charges. So to save on future labour charges you may as well spend a little more on parts and get the clutch changed at the same time.
Last time I did my clutch I got a garage quote just out of curiosity, was £550 + vat. OEM HD clutch parts were about 120 total. So the rest of the cost must be the time to split the engine and box. If I was paying a garage that amount I would pay a little extra to get a clutch put in at the same time and save myself approx £400 of labour for when it needs doing anyway in the future.

nobber said:

The crank seal can be done by pulling the gearbox back to get to the seal, no need to take the engine out. And why put a new clutch in it, there could be 50 yhousand left on the old one.

Click to expand...

Personally, I always fit a new clutch when I separate a bellhousing.

My thoughts were exactly that plus the chance of oil contamination during the operation. Going to get it steam cleaned off and see how it goes but my trouble is I do like things to be right.....I hate it when there's something wrong.