Disco 2 Steering box replace or output shaft seal!?

Jamiedc · Nov 14, 2021

Disco 2 TD5 2002 Auto Has Leaky Undercoat Seeking Swift Yet Lasting Solution

Hi All!

I have a conundrum.

Attached photo shows:

'power steering system fluid is leaking via the steering box output shaft seal, and crossing over the drop arm to the drag link ball joint.' (thanks @discool )

Options range from:
buying a stop leak additive
via:
replacing the seal
to:
buying a steering box because the leak may not be caused by the seal, but what's above it.

I could really do without spending £600 quid (no workshop or appropriate tools and no spare moolah to invest in them) to fit a refurb.

The leak is consistent but not gushing. I have a very long drive to do with a caravan connected coming up.

I have no experience of these types of problems.

She's done 122000 miles.

Any thoughts on the likelihood of it being anything other then the seal on an engine with this mileage on her?

Thank you!

Stanleysteamer · Nov 14, 2021

Jamiedc said:
Disco 2 TD5 2002 Auto Has Leaky Undercoat Seeking Swift Yet Lasting Solution

Hi All!

I have a conundrum.

Attached photo shows:

'power steering system fluid is leaking via the steering box output shaft seal, and crossing over the drop arm to the drag link ball joint.' (thanks @discool )

Options range from:
buying a stop leak additive
via:
replacing the seal
to:
buying a steering box because the leak may not be caused by the seal, but what's above it. I.E. THE ENGINE?????

I could really do without spending £600 quid (no workshop or appropriate tools and no spare moolah to invest in them) to fit a refurb.

The leak is consistent but not gushing. I have a very long drive to do with a caravan connected coming up.

I have no experience of these types of problems.

She's done 122000 miles.

Any thoughts on the likelihood of it being anything other then the seal on an engine with this mileage on her?

Thank you!

Do expand your post to see what else I commented on to make sense of my post.
If you are any doubt at all about whether it is power steering fluid or not, put a piece of white paper down, underneath it, weighted down with stones, AFTER you have cleaned it. Then run the engine and see what comes out, turn the steering from lock to lock a couple of times. If ATF comes out, i.e if that is what you have in the system, (I believe not all systems have it in, at least from origin) then that should have a different colour and smell than engine oil.
Whichever it is, just take a load of spare fluid with you I've been topping up my Auto box for ages now. not the same I know, but 1 pint every 500 miles! (Have since got it fixed at immense expense.)
Not the same thing I know. But keep an eye on both the power steering fluid reservoir and the engine oil level.
once you are SURE which it is you can think about getting it fixed one way or another.

neilly · Nov 14, 2021

Jamiedc said:
Disco 2 TD5 2002 Auto Has Leaky Undercoat Seeking Swift Yet Lasting Solution

Hi All!

I have a conundrum.

Attached photo shows:

'power steering system fluid is leaking via the steering box output shaft seal, and crossing over the drop arm to the drag link ball joint.' (thanks @discool )

Options range from:
buying a stop leak additive
via:
replacing the seal
to:
buying a steering box because the leak may not be caused by the seal, but what's above it.

I could really do without spending £600 quid (no workshop or appropriate tools and no spare moolah to invest in them) to fit a refurb.

The leak is consistent but not gushing. I have a very long drive to do with a caravan connected coming up.

I have no experience of these types of problems.

She's done 122000 miles.

Any thoughts on the likelihood of it being anything other then the seal on an engine with this mileage on her?

Thank you!

So is that picture your vehicle??
So are you sure it is coming from the steering box? as the power steering lines also run across the bottom of the radiator area and may well be corroded.

Cheers

Jamiedc · Nov 14, 2021

Stanleysteamer said:
Do expand your post to see what else I commented on to make sense of my post.
If you are any doubt at all about whether it is power steering fluid or not, put a piece of white paper down, underneath it, weighted down with stones, AFTER you have cleaned it. Then run the engine and see what comes out, turn the steering from lock to lock a couple of times. If ATF comes out, i.e if that is what you have in the system, (I believe not all systems have it in, at least from origin) then that should have a different colour and smell than engine oil.
Whichever it is, just take a load of spare fluid with you I've been topping up my Auto box for ages now. not the same I know, but 1 pint every 500 miles! (Have since got it fixed at immense expense.)
Not the same thing I know. But keep an eye on both the power steering fluid reservoir and the engine oil level.
once you are SURE which it is you can think about getting it fixed one way or another.

Stanley thanks for getting back.

I am absolutely sure it is the steering fluid as the reservoir is dropping.

Topping up is an option, you are right!

I just don't know if I can bare the unknowns when doing 60 towing behind me. Knowing it's losing and having to keep that mental tally whilst driving isn't ideal.

When you got the fix did you try the seal first?

That seems like the lowest hanging fruit, or at least the least daunting!

Stanleysteamer · Nov 14, 2021

Jamiedc said:
Stanley thanks for getting back.

I am absolutely sure it is the steering fluid as the reservoir is dropping.

Topping up is an option, you are right!

I just don't know if I can bare the unknowns when doing 60 towing behind me. Knowing it's losing and having to keep that mental tally whilst driving isn't ideal.

When you got the fix did you try the seal first?

That seems like the lowest hanging fruit, or at least the least daunting!

The fix was for the auto gearbox.
It was simple, but very expensive. The bloke took the box off, separated the torque converter housing from the box, replaced the paper seal then put it back together. the problem was that the bolts had gradually loosened a bit. There are about 16 of them.
Doubt your box would go suddenly but don't hold me to it.

Bantam1 · Nov 14, 2021

Get a recon steering box.
I tried replacing a seal insitu and it simply didnt work, well not for long at all.
There was a place in sandycroft near chester that did refurbs. Its where I bought my last box and its been perfect for the last few years now.

tilly2 · Nov 18, 2021

I replaced my steering box seal two years ago... No leaks still.

discool · Nov 18, 2021

tilly2 said:
I replaced my steering box seal two years ago... No leaks still.

Lucky you. I wasn’t, with my RRs steering box with an iffy seal stared dripping, i’m an engineer so replacing oil seals is easy peasy instead of getting a garage to sort it, but it took me three hours my antique puller couldn’t handle removing the drop arm so had to go shopping and get a bigger puller, replacing the seal just took 10/15 minutes or so once the drop arm was removed.

Anyway 1000miles and one month or so onwards the seal started leaking again, just when an MOT was due, so into the LR main dealer it went for the MOT plus it’s annual service they stated possibly a worn output shaft so will they will replace the box which added just £250 to my service bill.

Now I have a used once puller purchase in1995 now a lump of rusty metal kicking around the garage floor somewhere.

Disco 2 Steering box replace or output shaft seal!?

Jamiedc

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