Fixed one oil leak from oil cooler. Now I think it's leaking from the main seal

If its chucking oil out of the filler, with a blocked off breather connection, the engine may still be a bit worn and there may be more power yet to gain with looking at piston rings etc. But thats a longer term project.
Nothing to do with effects from blocking the breather, just a symptom of an older engine.

When its really knackered you get low compression and smoke/fine spray coming out of the filler..

 

Maybe in the future but I'm happy just plodding along for now.


So the engine is now 90% drip free. But now I think the main seal has a leak. It it is dripping at the bottom center back end gear box side. It only drips once parked up and engine off. My question is can this wait till spring time as it's an engine out job to fix?

 

That one is just down to how long you can stand the growing black mark. As my bus was parked outside, I used to use a baking tray to catch it, but eventually the tray blew away and I decided it was time to fix it.

WRT compression.. Just do a compression test for now, note the figures that you have, then you can detect any further degradation over time.

 

How do you know it only drips once parked up and engine off? I’d fix it now but as long as oil doesn’t get onto the clutch not much harm can be done.

 

I agree, I would bet it drips when the engine is running too, it's just that it exits out underneath the Bus, off and away.

 

90% isn't really very good As above, it will need fixing at some point, assuming it is the main seal. In the meantime, keep an eye on how much oil you're losing. It might at some point turn into a gusher...

 

No one likes a gusher.

I definitely will be leaking whilst the engine is running but I bet the force from the flywheel spinning forces it around the edges then whe. The engine is off I can flow down.

The problem is I have no where to take the engine out and it's to cold. Been quoted 600 from a garage to have the engine out and fixed which seems alot when it's just 4 bolts. So I think as long as it doesn't get worse I'll wait till spring and just keep a tray in the engine bay

 

It's a pain if you've got nowhere to take the engine out I wouldn't trust "a garage" to take an engine out if they're not familiar with aircoolers.

 

Sounds like a techenders job to me, if you can wait until May, that is?

 

Thats really because taking the engine out and putting it back takes time which is money. The parts cost is negligible, which is why DIY works. I have even built an engine outside, and you can often raise the rear end of the bus without removing the wheels, e.g. on camping levelling ramps and lower the engine inside the engine bay . Then work on it effectively under the back of the bus. Harder work but saves hundreds of pounds of garage time.

If you wear enough layers you can keep working outside down to about 1 degree C, the effort keeps you steaming....
But a crank seal doesnt stop the engine..I reserve working outside this time of year for things like a melted piston that put my main vehicle off the road... if it hadnt been raining every night that would have only taken about 2 days.