300tdi oil leak, main journal?

[Shane@EVS]

Is it normal for there to be an oil leak at the rear crank Journal?(well yes I know it is a land rover)
I've replaced the rear crank seal and re-sealed the oil pan but have a small drip coming from between the oil pan and the bell housing adapter. It is NOT coming out of the bellhousing weep hole. The only place I can guess is the rear main journal. I've heard this is a problem spot, and don't want to try and replace it, and still have it leak........
Any help is appreciated.

Oh and I need to have this fixed like yesterday!

[pendy]

I got your message on this.

It a common problem. You need to smear all surfaces of the gasket and mating face with a light layer of right stuff when replacing the rear main seal gasket. But keep the sealer away from the seal surface and crankshaft. The main seal gasket is your problem I am 99% sure. There are not enough bolts retaining it so it often leaks even after replacement. Sometimes after replacement if not sealed up well it may stop leaking after the engine temperature is cycled a few times.
Also I hope your gasket was the steel type with the black material on both sides.

Always a bummer after an install.

JP

[Shane@EVS]

Thanks JP,
If it is the rear crank seal, wouldn't that leak out the weep hole?
I think it is leaking at the 'T' piece seals on the sides of the rear main bearing cap.

I guess I'll be replacing both...........

[pendy]

There are no t piece seals on a 300tdi. It has a seperate housing with a gasket to the block. did you replace the seal and not the gasket?

What you are describing is a gas motor.

JP

[Shane@EVS]

See page 63-64 of the 300tdi engine overhaul manual or page 85 and 86 of the PDF version.

oil seals fitted to main bearing cap #5. I think this is the source of the leak. To change these I would also need to replace the "crankshaft rear oil seal" which is what you are refering to.

The crankshaft oil seal I would think would leak out the weep hole rather than the engine side of the bellhousing. And yes I did replace the gasket with the new seal. I did not use "right stuff" since the manual didn't call for it, but I will on the next one......

[pendy]

The oil pan gasket material is applied over the area you are questioning. Below the crosses. And the gasket housing is covering it at the back. It is the rear main seal gasket itself that is the leak. I have seen this many times before from others dealing with this problem. Of course it happened to me some years back as well. Before they offered the better style gasket it was even more difficult to deal with.

Of Course you could be dealing with a leaking oil pan gasket as well. If it has been sitting on the oil pan for some time it can smash the sealing material out.

Regardless I'm sure you will sort it out. Unfortunatly it will require a fair amount of dismantling.

JP

[pendy]

Do you have a really old engine you are working with? I've seen them leak between the oil pan and engine bell housing when a gasket was the problem. Or at least resealing the gasket cured the problem.

Crazy G at RDS left me message that you may be on the right track with your cross pieces. I looked in the parts fische. ERR913 packing slip (x2)

Hope that helps. I think he has them in stock.

[Shane@EVS]

Thanks again JP,
I'm planning on replacing the T pieces, the other areas you mentioned all get done along with it, so either way I should be able to stop it.

[Shane@EVS]

UPDATE:

Pendy was 100% right. The oil was leaking past the gasket on the rear crank seal. The whole length along the bottom. From there it leaked between the bellhousing and back of the block. I put in a new crank seal and gasket along with layering both sides with right stuff.

Thanks again JP.

[junkyddog11]

the legend
now I'm hoping the rear mains I've replaced w/o the "Pendy smear" don't leak.........