Oil leaks

[porteous]

My 1953 FMD has a few leaks. So far I have replaced a fuel pipe and tightened a few loose engine bolts, which has removed the fuel leak and reduced minor oil leaks, but now I need to get at the leaks underneath. There seems to be a little dropping from the front of the engine, a little from the middle of the engine and an awful lot from somewhere under the axle. My question really is where should I look first for the prime suspects? Having just punted £96 on 5 gallons of Morris' finest I would like to stop it all falling out. All advice gratefully received.

[thestig246]

there one on the front timming case it normally suspect, best thing todo is spray the engine with degreasent or somesort of cleaner, pressure wash it so its all clean then its far easyer to trace where the leaks are comming from,

good luck

[henk]

Put some white paper under the places were you think it leaks.
I think the timing cover will leak a the crancshaft seal around the belt pully of the dynamo.

[porteous]

Many thanks, especially the white paper idea, I will try that

[Pavel]

May I suggest that the 'cleaning' suggestion would be more beneficial as, with forward motion, oil has a tendency to travel towards the rear and drip at the lowest point. Besides, even tractors like a good clean sometimes.
Pavel

[AdrianNPMajor]

Cleaning with a degreaser and power washer is definitely a good plan.

Starting from front to back, your front engine leaks could be: timing cover gasket; front crankshaft seal (a rubber lip seal located in aluminium timing cover, which fits over and runs on fan belt pulley); front sump seal (semi-circular opening in sump rim that fits over front main bearing cap, with cork seal); front engine plate gasket.

The mid tractor leak is either the rear crankshaft rope seal or the gearbox cassette seal - if the oil emerging from beneath the bell housing is black, the leak is due to the crankshaft rope seal having failed.

Moving to the rear axle, there are a few seals that could be leaking: bull pinion brake seals (an inner rubber lip seal and an outer leather lip seal); hydraulic pump gauze filter inspection plate seal; rear axle drain plug plug seal.

In my opinion the seals marked in bold are the most likely culprits. I may easily be wrong!