Thread: Defender TD5 Major oil leak

Originally Posted by Defenderbuff

Hey all TD5 owners, I have had two Discovery TD5's and ran them until approx 250,000 kms and never had any issues with the engine. I now have a 2004 Defender with quite a few kms(408,000) and just drove it back from Brisbane(1700 kms) and didnt miss a beat. I understand this engine has had the head machined approx 5 years ago(maybe around 300,000 kms) and Im not sure what else was done.

I hoping someone can help. When I arrived home I noticed oil freely(read "****ing out") coming out at the sump gasket level just near the metal pipe that goes to the oil filter. It didnt seem to be coming from anywhere higher up the block. It must of just happened as the oil level was only about half down the dip stick. The rest of the engine and gearbox were oil residue free as the vehicle had had a complete degrease underneath about 300km before I left Brisbane for Victoria.

Can the sump gasket fail to the extent that oil can leak at a significant rate or is it more likely there is a split in the metal pipe that goes to the filter. Im not aware of the oil pump and metal pipe are set up so Im a bit vague on the diagnosis steps.

Can anyone help as I dont really want to drive it even to the mechanics!!

Doubt if it's the gasket. Check if both filters are tight. Check the oil feed to the turbo. This has a connection to the block near where you are saying, if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by Tins

Doubt if it's the gasket. Check if both filters are tight. Check the oil feed to the turbo. This has a connection to the block near where you are saying, if I'm not mistaken.

I have a TD5 currently slung from a hoist atm. If it helps I'll take a pic or two tomorrow when it's light.

It is also worth checking the oil cooler housing. My engine showed the same symptoms when this housing was cracked (without and warning signs).

The turbo oil return is in the first two pics. Could be that. The oil feed for it comes of the spin on filter housing, can't get a decent pic of that. The centrifugal filter dump pipe may be leaking, or the filter housings could be leaking from the gaskets. Not much else there unless it's coming down from the head or rocker cover.

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Thanks all for for fresh commentary. I did manage to find and old post from 2016 describing a possible cracked centrifugal housing but never found the outcome.

So, I have removed the turbo out of the way and removed the centrifugal housing. No obvious cracks.
For some reason I thought it might be the gasket on the oil cooler until I realised that the oil cooler is sealed inside the oil cooler housing and in fact the gasket is for the cooling system. I learnt something today

So I can only put it down to the the "o" ring that seals the centrifugal housing to the oil cooler. It must have been leaking on the engine block side because this part of the block had fresh oil residue on it.

As the engine has done 408,000 Ill probably replace the oil cooler and housing gasket, along with the "O" ring and replace coolant and oil filters and oil.