[hairpin]

1996 RHD 300tdi 110.
I have a leak and not sure where it’s coming from. In addition to oil there are some drops of coolant on the bell housing. Inlet gasket is no good and am changing that but would it be causing oil to leak like in the pictures?
Any help much appreciated.

 

[Roverchef]

You need to pressure wash the $hit out of everything and once it's clean and dry take it for a ride. You'll be able to find the leak(s) a lot easier.

 

[John Z]

Pfft. That's clean 😂

 

[Capt Milks]

Oil pan Gasket and or rear main seal. Could also be your hose and or clutch slave cylinder. Just might be all of the above LOL

 

[hairpin]

So I cleaned and getting the leak again. It’s not the hose/slave cylinder — that is bone dry. Im obviously worried it’s a main seal but I am getting oil on the outside flanges too which makes me think this is coming from above?

This is what I get after wiping everything down. How the hell would coolant be down there?

 

[TheOneTen]

I recommend you buy small bottles of oil soluble and water soluble UV dyes, add an appropriate amount as directed, and then drive the vehicle for a bit. At night, look around the engine, starting from the top, to see if you see any dye.

Chances are, highest point is your leak.

 

[steinhnj]

Is your coolant blue? Looks like blue fluid in the picture. Is your washer bottle leaking when you use your washer? If it's coolant, there's a coolant hose on the back of the head. Maybe check the clamp to make sure it's tight.

Additionally, seen plenty of pics of the underside, but what does the topside look like? Valve cover leaking?

 

[hairpin]

Is your coolant blue? Looks like blue fluid in the picture. Is your washer bottle leaking when you use your washer? If it's coolant, there's a coolant hose on the back of the head. Maybe check the clamp to make sure it's tight.

Additionally, seen plenty of pics of the underside, but what does the topside look like? Valve cover leaking?

Yup. Coolant is blue but so is the washer fluid and come to think of it the blue in the pictures above is a lighter blue like the washer fluid so maybe some just splashed down there. I am worried about the oil leaking. I cleaned it completely and then went for a 20 mile drive and it’s leaking like this. I know the inlet manifold gasket is cracked and I’ll be replacing that this week but would that cause oil dripping from the bell housing?

 

[steinhnj]

Valve cover gasket looks good. The threaded hole in the flywheel cover (in your pictures above) is typically where a rear main seal leak will present itself (sure the old salts will pipe in here if I'm wrong). A clutch slave cylinder leak will present here as well, but you have an oil leak. Doesn't appear that hole is the source of your oil.

The UV dye is a great suggestion. No experience using it, however. Hard to tell with a black block, that's where the UV dye would help. Looks like 1 day and $30 bucks on Amazon could get you the UV light and dye necessary depending on where you live.

Get a bottle of ZEP purple power or your favorite degreaser and concentrate on the block area. Get it good and clean first.

Check to see if the crankcase breather hose has come off of your intake hose (runs along the back of the engine, over the bell housing). Oil coming out of your crankcase breather line to your intake is another problem, but at least you'd know where it's coming from.

 

[Uncle Douglas]

Valve cover gasket looks good. The threaded hole in the flywheel cover (in your pictures above) is typically where a rear main seal leak will present itself (sure the old salts will pipe in here if I'm wrong). A clutch slave cylinder leak will present here as well, but you have an oil leak. Doesn't appear that hole is the source of your oil.

The UV dye is a great suggestion. No experience using it, however. Hard to tell with a black block, that's where the UV dye would help. Looks like 1 day and $30 bucks on Amazon could get you the UV light and dye necessary depending on where you live.

Get a bottle of ZEP purple power or your favorite degreaser and concentrate on the block area. Get it good and clean first.

Check to see if the crankcase breather hose has come off of your intake hose (runs along the back of the engine, over the bell housing). Oil coming out of your crankcase breather line to your intake is another problem, but at least you'd know where it's coming from.

Who you calling old salt Capt ?

 

[hairpin]

Valve cover gasket looks good. The threaded hole in the flywheel cover (in your pictures above) is typically where a rear main seal leak will present itself (sure the old salts will pipe in here if I'm wrong). A clutch slave cylinder leak will present here as well, but you have an oil leak. Doesn't appear that hole is the source of your oil.

The UV dye is a great suggestion. No experience using it, however. Hard to tell with a black block, that's where the UV dye would help. Looks like 1 day and $30 bucks on Amazon could get you the UV light and dye necessary depending on where you live.

Get a bottle of ZEP purple power or your favorite degreaser and concentrate on the block area. Get it good and clean first.

Check to see if the crankcase breather hose has come off of your intake hose (runs along the back of the engine, over the bell housing). Oil coming out of your crankcase breather line to your intake is another problem, but at least you'd know where it's coming from.

I was under the engine yesterday and there is no bolt where the crank case breather is ….

 

[steinhnj]

There shouldn't be a bolt there. It's called the wading plug/fording plug. If you're going to do a water crossing (or go to Winter Romp), it's recommended to put a bolt (wading plug/fording plug) in there to prevent water from getting in there and mucking things up.

Normal operating mode is to drive with the bolt removed. Sometimes referred to as a tell-tale drain, if you see oil leaking from here, it means that the rear main seal is leaking, or the clutch slave cylinder is leaking. Since you have oil dripping off everything else under there, it's highly unlikely that the rear main seal is the source.

The crankcase breather is the small black plastic canister coming off the valve cover. Follow the hose that comes off of it. You'll see it runs aft and connects to the larger intake hose. Just make sure it's still connected. Long shot, but still worth checking.

 

[hairpin]

There shouldn't be a bolt there. It's called the wading plug/fording plug. If you're going to do a water crossing (or go to Winter Romp), it's recommended to put a bolt (wading plug/fording plug) in there to prevent water from getting in there and mucking things up.

Normal operating mode is to drive with the bolt removed. Sometimes referred to as a tell-tale drain, if you see oil leaking from here, it means that the rear main seal is leaking, or the clutch slave cylinder is leaking. Since you have oil dripping off everything else under there, it's highly unlikely that the rear main seal is the source.

The crankcase breather is the small black plastic canister coming off the valve cover. Follow the hose that comes off of it. You'll see it runs aft and connects to the larger intake hose. Just make sure it's still connected. Long shot, but still worth checking.

Very helpful. You’re referring to what they call cyclone breather I’m guessing. There’s a few hoses on that, are you talking about the one that goes straight down?

Also, I’m aware the wading plug should not have a bolt in it. But I was referring to another opening at the front of the sump cover. There is a hole for a bolt there (not part of the bolts for the sump cover) that does not have a bolt in it. I understood that to be a breather and that it should have a bolt in it.

 

[hairpin]

There shouldn't be a bolt there. It's called the wading plug/fording plug. If you're going to do a water crossing (or go to Winter Romp), it's recommended to put a bolt (wading plug/fording plug) in there to prevent water from getting in there and mucking things up.

Normal operating mode is to drive with the bolt removed. Sometimes referred to as a tell-tale drain, if you see oil leaking from here, it means that the rear main seal is leaking, or the clutch slave cylinder is leaking. Since you have oil dripping off everything else under there, it's highly unlikely that the rear main seal is the source.

The crankcase breather is the small black plastic canister coming off the valve cover. Follow the hose that comes off of it. You'll see it runs aft and connects to the larger intake hose. Just make sure it's still connected. Long shot, but still worth checking.

Here is a pic I just snapped of that breather hose that goes to the back. Not sure if it's cracked. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to get to.

 

[steinhnj]

Yes, that's the hose I was referring to. Appears to be some more of the mysterious blue fluid in that pic too.

Not sure what bolt hole you're referring to then on the sump cover. May need another pic.

 

[hairpin]

Yes, that's the hose I was referring to. Appears to be some more of the mysterious blue fluid in that pic too.

Not sure what bolt hole you're referring to then on the sump cover. May need another pic.

Yes, I see the blue there. Think it's worth pulling the hose off and inspecting it or does it look ok to you based on the pic?

I'll get under the car and see if I can grab a pic of the bolt hole I was referring to.

 

[hairpin]

Yes, that's the hose I was referring to. Appears to be some more of the mysterious blue fluid in that pic too.

Not sure what bolt hole you're referring to then on the sump cover. May need another pic.

Found where the coolant is coming from. Not sure what this is or which side it’s coming from but it’s dripping from here.

 

[hairpin]

Yes, that's the hose I was referring to. Appears to be some more of the mysterious blue fluid in that pic too.

Not sure what bolt hole you're referring to then on the sump cover. May need another pic.

This is the bolt hole I’m talking about.

 

[steinhnj]

Think it's worth pulling the hose off and inspecting it or does it look ok to you based on the pic?

Eventually, yes. But doesn't look like the source of oil you're dealing with. Always good to know what issues your engine has. Oil coming out of the breather making it into your turbo intake? Oil making it past the turbo into the intercooler? Oil making it into the intake manifold?

While you're blasting your engine with degreaser, squirt some on that hose and keep an eye on it.

Coolant hoses are the supply/return to the heater core. Not sure what the device is though.

Looks like oil dripping off your track rod too. Where's that coming from? You may need a few different colors of dye. Power steering can be green, engine oil can by red, coolant can by yellow...your engine bay's gonna look like a Grateful Dead t-shirt!

 

[hairpin]

Eventually, yes. But doesn't look like the source of oil you're dealing with. Always good to know what issues your engine has. Oil coming out of the breather making it into your turbo intake? Oil making it past the turbo into the intercooler? Oil making it into the intake manifold?

While you're blasting your engine with degreaser, squirt some on that hose and keep an eye on it.

Coolant hoses are the supply/return to the heater core. Not sure what the device is though.

Looks like oil dripping off your track rod too. Where's that coming from? You may need a few different colors of dye. Power steering can be green, engine oil can by red, coolant can by yellow...your engine bay's gonna look like a Grateful Dead t-shirt!

Haha. It will.

My 110 has the factory air con. I'm guessing that little device is actually a pump that opens/closes vents in the interior of the car -- i.e., i have a climate control console with buttons for opening vents. That no longer works so I'm wondering if I can just get rid of this and connect the pipes directly.