Losing the will trying to find engine leak!

Am really losing the will to live with my 92 RRC. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.
Approx 13 months ago I rebuilt the engine using a reconditioned bottom end. Once back together it was leaking oil from inside the bell housing.
So I assumed I had not fitted the crankcase seal properly. After replacing that twice. I then found that it was leaking from where the ladder frame meets the block behind the seal. The main bearing wasnt bolted in properly and was causing a lip, so torqued that up and then found that all of the under bolts were loose.
Engine went back in! only to find it was still leaking, so back out it came, and I found it was leaking from the ladder frame this time, after redoing that with Aerobic sealant the engine went back in again.
Guess what? Yep still more leaks, this time from the sump, so redid that.
After using it for about a month the leaks were still there, This time from the head gasket.
As this engine had overheated in the past, and I had began to doubt myself, I assumed I had misdiagnosed, and it was a warped head causing the prob all along, and I had originally not traced the leak properly so bought a new head and genuine gasket and cylinder head bolts.
But it was still leaking this time from the rocker cover. So replaced that again, as the Britpart one I had laying around for a while had visibly failed at the bulkhead end.
Then the leak appeared from the rear cylinder head gromit, (Although that was my fault as I hadnt used sealant). So replaced that and put engine back in 3 days ago!
Yesterday we did an hours drive and to my horror I found that now, rather than a steady drip, engine oil is pouring out! An hours drive emptied most of the sump?
The leak is still from the bulkhead end. Im almost ready to lift the engine back out again but did my best to look it over before getting the spanners out again.

The leak is coming from above the bellhousing/flywheel housing as its pouring down both sides, Its below the rocker cover gasket as its still dry there, The grommit also seems to be dry so assume its from below that? What else is there that oil could be leaking from?????
I can feel the grommit bubbling from pressure behind it when the engine revs, so I would think it could be a blocked breather?
But have already replaced the breather unit on the rocker and washed the pipe through with petrol to clean and check for blockages?

On my 3.5EFi I found that the breather/flame trap (ERC248) on the front of the offside rocker cover was blocked absolutely solid with crud. Replaced it but I know now it's possible to remove the wire stuffing for a thorough cleaning as it's rolled up to insert it.
The hose going from there to the plenum was oily but clear.
Where the hose joins the plenum it fits onto a metal pipe which is an interference fit in the plenum.
The breather passageway runs at 90 deg from the pipe towards the offside of the engine - the pipe has a hole in its side which needs to line up with the passageway.
The passageway then turns 90 deg towards the back of the engine & emerges as a small opening into the plenum on the inside of the butterfly flap.
Visible on the lower left of the tubular section of the plenum as you look in from the nearside if the butterfly is propped open.
This whole passageway was blocked solid & I ended up pulling the metal pipe out & using drill bits rotated with my fingers to get the crud out. The drills will pass through a hole which you can see just round the corner to the right of the pipe but needed the pipe out to do so. A clean lint-free cloth pushed past the butterfly into the plenum was used to soak up the solvent - aerosol of carb cleaner - I used to flush it through. Pipe then pushed back in with a smear of sealant.
I now flush this through each year.

Not saying this is your problem but it certainly cured most of the oil leaks on mine.

You might also want to try thoroughly cleaning the area where the leak appears to be coming from & then using one of the small inspection mirror-on-a-stick things to watch for the leak with the engine running. I've got several & they're very useful for looking into tight areas.
Did you use the tin head gasket or composite?

Following on from the breather point. Is it possible the block is being overy pressurised forcing oil out through the next weakest point?

A blocked breather could do this. Check the hoses for restricted flow.

when you pull the rocker covers off how does it look? Carbonisation of old oil under the covers ?

Thanks for the replies, I forgot to add in my intial post that its a 200tdi engine. I was thinking that all the symptoms seem to suggest a blockage of some kind. When I remove the rocker cover all is fine inside, The oil is still clear and only slightly tainted with carbon. I had replaced the breather unit on the side of the rocker cover approx 4 months ago, and have washed it through with petrol since. I cant remember washing the breather unit to sump hose now, (But knowing me I had). But am planning to check it today along with the tube it attaches to on the sump.
I managed to get the engine out last night and found I am correct that the leak is coming from above the flywheel housing, But because of feeling behind the head when engine was in situ I have disturbed the oil and cant tell now if its coming from the rocker cover gasket or grommit again. Surely the head gasket wouldnt be leaking that bad and just leak pure oil, with no signs of water in the sump etc would it?
The one thing that does spring to mind is the fitment of all the new rocker gaskets? None of them ever fit properly? They are always seem to be a few millimetres short? Making them not sit evenly all the way around the shape of the rocker cover. I have tried various companies but all seem the same? In agreement with
ukadamwest I think I have just been dealing with the symptoms and not the cause, making oil always find the next weakest point.

Ah. Just assumed it was a v8.

Best I can suggest is to thoroughly clean & refit it & see where the leaks coming from. Not what you want to hear but otherwise you're just replacing parts at random & hoping.

Not with Land Rovers but I have had cars leaking oil from the hg out onto the block with no coolant involvement. Last was a Pug 306 1.6 & on the TU engine that was a known issue - genuine replacement hg was now a multi layer steel instead of the composites used before.

Some suggestions here: http://www.glencoyne.co.uk/tdipage2.htm

As its a 200tdi you may well get more answers if you put a post in the discovery section as lots of then have 200tdi`s and know them inside out.

My philosophy is if I have an oil leak, I leave it alone cos as soon as a I try to fix it, all hell breaks loose. I think they are designed to leak.

Col

Landrovers don't leak they mark their territory

Colthebrummie said:

My philosophy is if I have an oil leak, I leave it alone cos as soon as a I try to fix it, all hell breaks loose. I think they are designed to leak.

Col

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british automotive engineering.. when its not leaking it needs to be filled.

I think I have found the prob? or at least the latest symptom! The rocker cover gasket has misaligned at the back and is bulging out. Ive had alot of problems with these as the old britpart one that I was saving for dire emergencies ripped in the same place. But that and the 3 Bearmach gaskets I have used never seem to fit properly and end up twisting when tightened. Will be ordering a genuine, but now Ive got worse probs as when removing the engine and rushing in the dark, I missed a coolant hose and broke the heater core so whole dashboard has had to come out!!!! At least I will get chance to replace the broken blower now that I could never be bothered to replace. Even if it has just cost me £200

I put some Hylomar on rocker cover gaskets, I know people reckon you don't need to but keeps em oil tight.

Col

Colthebrummie said:

I put some Hylomar on rocker cover gaskets, I know people reckon you don't need to but keeps em oil tight.

Col

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Yes will do this time! Everyone has always taken the mick out of me for my obsession with my Landys "NOT" having oil leaks, but over the decades Ive always managed to have non leaking landys after a wee bit of work. So its become a bit of an obsession with this one. lol. Even if it kills me I "WILL NOT" allow my 17th Landy be the first one to leak.

If you're having problems holding the gasket in place a tiny dab of RTV on outer edge can hold it in place long enough to get it all back together. Smear of Hylomar across any joins as Col says.

Grrrrrr said:

If you're having problems holding the gasket in place a tiny dab of RTV on outer edge can hold it in place long enough to get it all back together. Smear of Hylomar across any joins as Col says.

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The gaskets always seem to be a few mill too short and will never sit right in the first place? Only had this prob with the 200tdi? I have to stretch them, but then they often twist. I think this is what keeps happening as it keeps leaking just after the curve at the end of the cover. This will be the 7th rocker gasket now. (not all have failed) The first was a genuine and that never leaked, But had to redo the head gasket as when I first rebuilt the engine I had never worked on a 200 and didnt realize they needed angle tightening. Ever since then Ive had problems with the gaskets not fitting. Will go back to genuine again now!

They don't make gaskets like they used to, like most things unfortunately.

Col

True. You'll find that the BP sump gaskets for the ZF autobox need a bit of stretching as well.