oil leak From transfer box, should i actually be worried?? or is it one of...

Hi, im totally new to landrovers been after one for a long time and finally managed to get one, Its a 1989 rover 90 one of the last straight Turbo diesels.. its been great and couldn't ask for anything better, but now im getting familiar with her; im starting to notice bits and bats.. one of the main issues is an oil leak from the transfer box/gearbox seems to be both tbh, there is never a massive puddle in a morning sometimes a drip or two sometimes nothing... is this something i should be worried about and need to get sorted, or is it just one of those landy leaks i keep reading about?? also there seems to be a small amount of diesel build up on the outside of the fuel tank which if parked on a hill, does form a small puddle in a morning, is this to worry about or is this another one of those things? and one final thing that may help; i have read that if the transfer box is leaking then it drips down onto your handbreak shoes or something and stops it working aswell as it should? now i have noticed, it will not hold on a hill on full cable...
could anyone please put my mind at rest on all this?? thanks alot, i hope to be able to build my knowlege of landys for the future as this will be the first of many!
thanks.

Landys do like marking their territory. As a general rule if there is oil then it will leak.
I started at the back on mine and moving forward repairing all leaks as i go.

ah... so its definitly a problem everyone has?! do you think itl just a worn seal that needs replacing, i have some fernox high temp sealant, do you think that would be worth giving a try, or is that a no go?
cheers!

Landy's leak in 2 places mate. Water in and oil out! Welcome to ownership

both gear box and transfer box hold slightly less than 3 litres each so even though most lrs have damp patches around seals and t/box sump etc and even the odd drip a pool begining would want looking at

thanks alot guys..
obviously its nothing too serious, and ye thanks for that, ill have to get used to these leaks... but ill certainly take it in and get it looked over to make sure...

red-september said:

Hi, im totally new to landrovers been after one for a long time and finally managed to get one

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Welcome to the brotherhood!

one of the main issues is an oil leak from the transfer box/gearbox seems to be both tbh, there is never a massive puddle in a morning sometimes a drip or two sometimes nothing... is this something i should be worried about and need to get sorted, or is it just one of those landy leaks i keep reading about??

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A few drips is nothing to worry about. Keep the various oil holes topped up at the service intervals and you'll be fine.

also there seems to be a small amount of diesel build up on the outside of the fuel tank which if parked on a hill, does form a small puddle in a morning, is this to worry about or is this another one of those things?

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Have a good look at the tank (from underneath and through the panel under the driver's seat) and check for any corrosion. If there's just a small hole or two it should be easy to patch up. Also check the fuel pipes to make sure they're in good shape and securely attached.

i have read that if the transfer box is leaking then it drips down onto your handbreak shoes or something and stops it working aswell as it should? now i have noticed, it will not hold on a hill on full cable...

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Check the cable adjuster (lift panel under driver's seat and follow handbrake cable from lever) to see if there is any adjustment that can be taken up. If so undo the lock nut and twiddle the other nut to take up slack. If that doesn't work you can use the adjuster on the back of the handbrake drum itself to tighten it up more. It's possible the shoes are so worn they need replacing, but they should last you for many a year so try the adjustments first.

It's not the most effective handbrake even when properly adjusted, so I'd park it in gear as well just to make sure, especially on a hill.