Oil leak and wading plugs

[cardiff_gareth]

Was just wondering if you can leave wading plugs in when driving?

I bought some off Ebay for when I get round to greenlaning. The reason for mentioning this is that my Disco has an oil leak and I'm not talking a drip or 2. Got it back today after it was MOT'd as been off the road for about a month and parked up in work, came back and a small puddle. Drove home and pulled up, talked to my neighbour for about 5 mins and looked and another little puddle. It appears to come from the back of the engine, drivers side but I know as you drive it forces the oil back. So this makes it hard to actually work out where the oil leak is coming from.

So I was thinking of spraying engine with that petrol you can get from garden centres to break down the oil and then pressure washing engine. (can't remember what the petrol is called, Richard did tell me but its gone!) Now I don't want to be doing this on my drive for obvious reasons so if I sprayed engine could I drive it with the wading plugs in to a car wash or would it be unsafe especially with the sprayed petrol on the hot engine  

If this isn't the best idea in the world then pleaaaase help as the underside of my Disco looks like a mobile oil platform

[RichardM]

So I was thinking of spraying engine with that petrol you can get from garden centres to break down the oil and then pressure washing engine. (can't remember what the petrol is called, Richard did tell me but its gone!)

Gareth, I said parrafin not petrol! The stuff they use in green house heaters, you can get it in B&Q
If I was you I'd spray it on to the engine, leave it for the time it takes to drink a mug of tea, work it in with a stiff brush and then hose or pressure wash it off, with the car parked in the road, near a drain

[thermidorthelobster]

Driving a few miles with the wading plugs in will do no harm, but what you really need to do is sort the oil leak.

[cardiff_gareth]

Gareth, I said parrafin not petrol!

Thats the badger :lol:

[Frankie-Boy]

I had a similar oil leak a couple of weeks ago and it turned out to be the vacuum pump, its on the drivers side of the engine just to the rear of the oil filter.

The front panel of the pump should be fixed on with rivets but these drop out after a time and oil gets out, I noticed where the oil was coming from with the engine running, mine had cracked the outer panel of the pump and could be seen pulsating.

A replacement Vac pump could be your answer.

[Les Henson]

An oil leak quite often cleans the dirt off where it's coming out. Look for a clean patch after the engine has been off for a while. You might be able to get the whole engine steam cleaned for about £20.


Les.

[cardiff_gareth]

She's got a new vacuum pump on and the leak is coming up from somewhere higher :shock:
Going to google engine steam cleaners cardiff and see what it brings up

[ChrisW]

She's got a new vacuum pump on and the leak is coming up from somewhere higher :shock:

Rocker cover or oil seperator on breather?

Shouldn't be an issue with wading plugs left in, just make sure you take them out every couple of weeks and check there's no build up of any foreign object/fluids. If you know you're not expecting to do any deep water wading for a while leave them out until you're planning another trip  

[cardiff_gareth]

She's got a new vacuum pump on and the leak is coming up from somewhere higher :shock:

Rocker cover or oil seperator on breather?

Shouldn't be an issue with wading plugs left in, just make sure you take them out every couple of weeks and check there's no build up of any foreign object/fluids. If you know you're not expecting to do any deep water wading for a while leave them out until you're planning another trip  

There is some congealed smeg on the bottom of the breather by the rocker cover. Richard saw it, are they easy to take apart or should I go to LR and see how much to replace  :?:

[cardiff_gareth]

Well just rang Vale4x4 in Cowbridge and they charge £12+vat to steam clean it.....its booked in for the 14th, my next day off  :P