oil leak 300tdi

Just discovered a small leak from the front of my 300tdi. The oil is leaking
onto the axle at the front - suspect either front of the sump gasket or
front crankshaft oil seal(if it has one)!!!

Remember reading somewhere that there is an oil seal that is changed when
the timing belt is done.

Any thoughts before I get dirty???

Vince wrote:
> Just discovered a small leak from the front of my 300tdi. The oil is leaking
> onto the axle at the front - suspect either front of the sump gasket or
> front crankshaft oil seal(if it has one)!!!
>
> Remember reading somewhere that there is an oil seal that is changed when
> the timing belt is done.
>
> Any thoughts before I get dirty???

We can't guess - you'll have to get dirty. And when you've found your
leak, find mine!

"Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just discovered a small leak from the front of my 300tdi. The oil is
> leaking
> onto the axle at the front - suspect either front of the sump gasket or
> front crankshaft oil seal(if it has one)!!!
>
> Remember reading somewhere that there is an oil seal that is changed when
> the timing belt is done.
>
> Any thoughts before I get dirty???
>
If this is your first oil leak, you've done well, very very well.
Gordon>

Maybe it's me - got a Rangie and a 110 and neither of them have EVER leaked
oil - but they are V8s - I do NOT like diesels.....


"Gordoni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Just discovered a small leak from the front of my 300tdi. The oil is
> > leaking
> > onto the axle at the front - suspect either front of the sump gasket or
> > front crankshaft oil seal(if it has one)!!!
> >
> > Remember reading somewhere that there is an oil seal that is changed
when
> > the timing belt is done.
> >
> > Any thoughts before I get dirty???
> >
> If this is your first oil leak, you've done well, very very well.
> Gordon>
>
>

re: oil leak
Grab a torch and a cloth, lie under the front end, look between the pulley and the sump. On the front cover there is a small hole with a thread in. Wipe that clean and dry, then start your engine. Watch to see if oil starts leaking out of that hole. If it does, it's the oil seal on the timing gear, there are two seals there, a big round one that seals on the outer edge of the timing gear and a small o ring that fits over the crank and you push the timing gear onto it. It might be worth buying a timing belt kit with all the parts in it as you have got to remove all the timing belt and tensioners to do the job properly. Good luck, keep smiling! (but not while you're underneath!)

Hi Vince,

If it's the front crankshaft seal, the oil will be coming from the
inspection hole in the bottom of the timing cover. If that is the case, you
should get it fixed quickly, as it will get on the timing belt and possibly
damage that.

Hope it's just the sump gasket - mine has leaked from day one from there!

Graham Carter
Harare
Zimbabwe


"Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Maybe it's me - got a Rangie and a 110 and neither of them have EVER
leaked
> oil - but they are V8s - I do NOT like diesels.....
>
>
> "Gordoni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Just discovered a small leak from the front of my 300tdi. The oil is
> > > leaking
> > > onto the axle at the front - suspect either front of the sump gasket
or
> > > front crankshaft oil seal(if it has one)!!!
> > >
> > > Remember reading somewhere that there is an oil seal that is changed
> when
> > > the timing belt is done.
> > >
> > > Any thoughts before I get dirty???
> > >
> > If this is your first oil leak, you've done well, very very well.
> > Gordon>
> >
> >
>
>

Thanks for that - will check it out later!!!

Bloody hell - just noticed your address - are things as bad as they say over
there - or worse???

Such a shame used to be such a lovely country.


"Graham Carter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Vince,
>
> If it's the front crankshaft seal, the oil will be coming from the
> inspection hole in the bottom of the timing cover. If that is the case,
you
> should get it fixed quickly, as it will get on the timing belt and
possibly
> damage that.
>
> Hope it's just the sump gasket - mine has leaked from day one from there!
>
> Graham Carter
> Harare
> Zimbabwe
>
>
> "Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Maybe it's me - got a Rangie and a 110 and neither of them have EVER
> leaked
> > oil - but they are V8s - I do NOT like diesels.....
> >
> >
> > "Gordoni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > "Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > Just discovered a small leak from the front of my 300tdi. The oil is
> > > > leaking
> > > > onto the axle at the front - suspect either front of the sump gasket
> or
> > > > front crankshaft oil seal(if it has one)!!!
> > > >
> > > > Remember reading somewhere that there is an oil seal that is changed
> > when
> > > > the timing belt is done.
> > > >
> > > > Any thoughts before I get dirty???
> > > >
> > > If this is your first oil leak, you've done well, very very well.
> > > Gordon>
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Right, I've just been through this pain with my ex-300tdi disco. I did
the sump gasket twice, the front crankshaft oil seal, the lift pump
gasket, replaced the water pump gaskets because I though it was perhaps
water mixing with oil residue. After all the expense it turned out to
be the gasket BEHIND the timing cover casing between that and the
block. It leaks out of the corner on the nearside at the bottom and
drips directly on the front axle. At speed it flies back showering the
exhaust and the nearside of the sump.

Now you can bodge it by drying it right out with a cold engine and
slapping a load of sealant on it (the black sump stuff). Loosen the
timing case bolts around in that corner first. It might help the stuff
seep into the gap. Or, strip it all off (timing belt and gears with
front cover and casing) and replace the gasket. The bodge was ok for
about 4 months.

"Vince" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for that - will check it out later!!!
>
> Bloody hell - just noticed your address - are things as bad as they say
over
> there - or worse???
>
> Such a shame used to be such a lovely country.


Hi Vince

It's our Independence day here, so we've had a day off work. I had some
freinds around from the 4x4 club and the birding club, and we had a braii
(barbeque). Super relaxing day, with plenty of Castle lager and steak being
consumed. About a dozen of us are going to Mana Pools, a World Heritage
site on the banks of the Zambezi in 10 days time - great place for seeing
lions, hyaenas (leave a cool box out overnight and they'll take it, even if
it does just(!) contain beers), wild dog elephant, eland etc. I love my
1997 Disco 300Tdi, and recently took part in the SA 4x4 Ecochallenge (see
www.4x4ecochallenge.co.za and look at Africam selection phase - that's me
and my wife Jennifer in the second photo).

On the down side, back to work tomorrow. At current rates, $1,000,000
Zimbabwe is worth about 3 quid! The largest banknote is $50,000, so to
carry 1 pound, you need 6 notes, but those are in short supply, so you
probably are more likely to have 16 $20,000 notes. My house was bought in
2000 for 2.5 million, is now worth somewhere about 6 billion! Inflation of
900% at official rates is hairy - if you have any cash, you spend it. The
only reason that I can type this is that I have my own generator, as
electricity has been off for about 2.5 hours. Up until the last couple of
weeks, you could not buy fuel at a filling station unless you have paid in
forex - now there are a couple selling in local currency. No NHS, and
visits to the doctor just doubled in price. The signs of things not
working are becoming clearer every day.

So there you have two answers to your question! Yes it is bad, but you can
still ahve a great time.

Cheers!
Graham Carter
Harare
Zimbabwe
gcarter(at)mweb(dot)co(dot)zw