Thread: Rear Main Seal - 300 Tdi

Gday

i just recently had my defender serviced before the service it had no major leaks.

i had a look after the service and the oil level was about 4mm above the full notch on the dipstick.

now just in the last week or so it started leaking quite majorly (a leak the size of a computer keyboard in just under two hours). so i rang up a mate who is a rather experienced mechanic, and he reckons the rear main seal is gone. i dropped it off to the mechanic last monday who did my service and he beleives the same thing, rear main seal.

i am just wondering is there any chance that because it was overfilled with oil that this has caused the seal to blow? to much pressure on the seal because of excess oil.

or am i just hoping i dont have to fork out over $400+ to get it fixed?

would i have a strong argument if i told the mechanic this?

Thanks for your help

Jock Hamilton

Originally Posted by waynep

If it is a rear main seal it will be leaking from the drain hole in the bell housing - fairly obvious. If you have a wading plug fitted in the drain hole ( you shouldn't have unless you are going on river crossings ) the oil will build up and eventually leak out wherever it can ( usually at the rear mating face of the bell housing).

If it's not leaking from there, it may be something else.
What type of oil is it engine or trans ? Is it clean or black oil ?

If it's just been serviced, first thing to check is that the engine sump drain plug is done up tight. ( I've had numerous occasions where they haven't tightened it or not replaced the copper washer )

Also sometimes when refilling they spill a bit and it wells somewhere and drops on the ground later on ( on a Disco it usually wells in the top of the front diff housing)

But your mechanic friends would know that and check for it.

The size of the leak you describe is a worry - my main seal when it went was only a few drops a day and got not much worse till I had it done with the clutch overhaul.

yeh i crawled under and had a look its leaking from the bell housing plug. pretty sure its engine oil. and its also blackish but its new oil