Kris81

New Member
Hi guys

Following on from my recent intro post where I stupidly declared my sump plug to be missing, I see to have a fairly significant oil leak from the off side front of the engine.

Is there any usual suspects for this? Likely cost to repair at a specialist?

Also, if anyone knows what the threaded hole in the picture below is for that would be great!

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That's what I'm thinking, be for a sump guard or something.

Will get it into a specialist for the oil leak
 
The question on that threaded hole has come up before, no has a definative on it.

As for oil leaks, it's very hard to diagnose from a picture of the sump as oil will run down the outside of the casing.. look for the higest point without oil and it'll be below that. valley gasket, rocker covers are common..
 
It's definitely Coming from the off side front of the engine, there's a lot more oil there than the near side.

The rockers have definitely been weeping, I'll look into what the valley gasket is
 
It's definitely Coming from the off side front of the engine, there's a lot more oil there than the near side.

The rockers have definitely been weeping, I'll look into what the valley gasket is

Valley gasket covers the V between the 2 banks of cylinders. Generally leaks down the centre of the front cover.
 
here's a picture of the block with heads on..
4.6V8_3.jpg


The valley gasket sits in the 'V', rocker covers there at the top.. neither is a train smash to do. just getting clear access. the other option would be the front cover.. if its all low down.. sump gasket
 
And then there are the crank oil seals. So, wash it all off and then look to see where it reappears!
 
That threaded hole has me baffled too - I had a post about it.

Still have no idea..but could be an under tray or so.

I'll ask when I'm at a specialist in the coming week - maybe they'll know!
 
That threaded hole has me baffled too - I had a post about it.

Still have no idea..but could be an under tray or so.

I'll ask when I'm at a specialist in the coming week - maybe they'll know!

That sounds about right. Some sort of acoustic cover.
 
Cheers guys... So the saga continues...

After I topped up the oil yesterday (and managed to overfill it) I set about draining some off today.

Long story short, whoever last did the oil change has managed to strip the sump plug as it took a ridiculous effort to remove and now won't fully re-tighten.

Got to get to the airport tomorrow morning at 5am too!

Rac collecting on a flat bed on Thursday to take into the garage. Hopefully just a bolt rather than a new sump
 
I bought our 1996 4.6 in September 2000 on 53000mls from a garage in Leeds. The service book was showing 6000ml services at Rocar Moores in Huddersfield....I phoned Rocar Moores before completing the deal and their service department assured me that if a service was stamped in the service book they would have changed the oil. Therefore this V8 had had 6000 mile oil changes from new, rather than the 12000mls which LR specified. This helped to seal the deal, and I have continued 6000ml oil and filter changes ever since, she is now on 181000mls and still on the original engine and transmission....which I am told is very rare!
She has leaked oil since we bought her in spite of various main dealers and independent garages efforts to rectify. These include.....in approximate order.....new oil pressure switch, new sump plug (came back from main dealers with thread stripped!) new crankshaft pulley seals, new valley gasket and rocker cover gaskets....and she's still leaking! She usually needs a litre of oil at 3000mls after the oil change.....and is now reduced to second car after our 04 plate 4.4 Vogue.
Would find it hard to part with the old girl now! The bottom line is.....P38 V8s leak oil...don't panic!

Peter.
 
Quick update:

I can recommend halfords universal temporary sump plugs.. This has kept the car running for the last week.

Mechanic is back from holiday on Monday and he's going to have to helicoil the sump as the thread is gone.

Plus today, some moron in a Volvo with no spatial awareness managed to drive past me and smashed my wing mirror into my drivers window. Result one shattered window and destroyed wing mirror.

Thankfully I've found a replacement from a breaker for £48 and the glass will be £70 for excess.. Still a pain for someone else's incompetence behind the wheel.

Hopefully that's the last of my bad luck for a while!
 
Sorry to hear about the sump, Kris, in our case the plug itself was stripped by the main dealer, and the sump was ok.....what happened to the days of steel sumps and brass plugs??
All done for a very good reason!

Peter.
 

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