ZT-T 190 massive oil leak - Page 2

bsafly · 18th February 2021, 22:40

You should NEVER drive a car with the oil pressure light illuminated, I have seen the results on numerous occasions and it has never been pretty.
If you have escaped any damage you will be one lucky person! (Bear in mind it may not show it's head straight away).
Best of luck, Paul.

vitesse · 18th February 2021, 23:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by eggmanben

Thank you all for your replies, been reading it and got smarter doing both reading and looking.

It is the cap and it is the one at the opposite side of the airfilter. I took some pictures, will post them tomorrow.
Cleaned it up, smeared with reinzosil (my standby for these cases) and pushed it back in.

The plan is to put oil in, start it up, look and listen and then get some of the breather hoses loose. Which one should I start with?

Are there any hoses coming from the crankcase, maybe conveniently blocked from sight?

Well, as for driving with red lights on...
I took the risk. Not for the first time. Last time this went bad was in 1989.

And where is that 'thank you'-button?

And thanks for getting back to us with the confirmation.

Pushed it back in? Sounds too easy, I had to use a crowbar and block of wood to lever one back in. An alternative is to use an oil seal like in Tam’s post, any Land Rover dealer should have them as they’re used on the Freelander too. A good tip is to use the old cam cap, pop the centre out and with a cam bolt, having first made sure the oil seal is seated correctly, wind the seal in straight and true.

You have four breather pipes from the crankcase, exiting at the cam covers. I’d start with the easier front bank first and free the smaller vent from the cam cover (about 1.5mm) and almost certainly blocked and then repeat on the other bank. If you’ve lots of time remove the cam covers and clean the gauze filters. And then re-fill with oil and start.

I think the thanks button appears after you’ve made 10 posts.

Good luck

eggmanben · 19th February 2021, 10:14

No pictures yet, internet is down....
Well.

Driving around with no oil pressure is not something I normally do. I know what can happen and took the risk after some on the spot consideration. I couldn't park the car there, narrow street and currently the bus route, so I would've had to drive at least 300 meters and then would have made a mess on a public street with my driveway in sight. And all that with a car of - sad to say but that's what it is in Germany - very little value.
(Smartphone does funny things with the letters. Hope it's legible...)

Thank you for your help, I'll do that.

Removing the covers is on the list as well.

Almost forgot: crowbar and a piece if wood is exactly what I used. And some strong tape. Went smoothly.

eggmanben · 19th February 2021, 17:29

It seems like I got away with it.
Both the front breather pipes were clean, at least at the camcover joints.

Topped up the oil and started the engine. After any kind of rebuild I always let the starter motor turn for a moment and wait a beat, until at the third turn Iet the engine run for a few seconds and then for 10 and then a bit longer.
Oil pressure was good at the second turn and after the engine went out of the limp home mode it ran ok. Front camshafts were a bit noisy at first but came out of it after some time.
So far, everything's ok.
Testdrive though has to wait. To do something useful while waiting I took a look at the coolant - and broke the expansion tank cover. Or lid or what's its name...
Ordered a new one and as soon as it's here we'll see, what the engine does.

Thanks again!

vitesse · 19th February 2021, 17:57

You might well have got away with it, thinking back we had a tough winter and I heard of, think it was 3, cases of flying cam caps. Two at the back and one at the front, the two who had rear leaks suffered no lasting damage, but the one at the front contaminated the primary belt causing engine damage. Luckily the owner had just collected the car from a garage who admitted re-using one of the cam caps (they only had one new one) and replaced the engine.

Consider before driving, at least clearing the pinhole restrictions in the smaller breather pipes and ideally replace the cam cap for a new one or a cam seal.

Good luck

SD1too · 20th February 2021, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitesse

... the owner had just collected the car from a garage who admitted re-using one of the cam caps ...

Hi Mike,

I've done this with 100% success. Provided that the cap was removed with great care, which an owner doing DIY is more likely to do, it's the most practical solution to the problem in my view. Substituting a seal results in the exposed end of the camshaft rusting which is not something with which I would be satisfied.

Simon

vitesse · 20th February 2021, 07:40

Hi Simon,

I haven't consulted the Workshop Bible but suspect that Rover, as per practice, specified that new cam caps were to be fitted when the belts were replaced. And luckily for the owner, the garage held the same view. It was rather ironic at the time as the garage in Gävle could have phoned me and asked if I had some (which I did) - but instead reused one of the old caps.

I know your views on seals vs cam caps, but just advising that either a new cam cap fitted dry or even a seal might have a longer lifetime than a re-used, glued one. That at least was the unfortunate owners experience as he was driving home from the garage at the time, not even some weeks later.

Keep well

eggmanben · 24th February 2021, 16:07

Aaaaannndddd....
The testdrive was uneventful.
I drove 20kms circling in the neighbourhood and nothing happened. Apart from some odd looks from neighbours, when I passed them for the 4th time...

Oil and - filter are new as is the coolant filler cap, I cleaned up the whole underbody, no fresh oil appeared and tomorrow it's back to commuting. Splashguard stays off for a few days, but I think it might have gone well.

I probed into the breather holes with some welding rod but found nothing to worry about. Broke the plastic hoses of course. So making something to connect the remains of the hoses to the cam covers will be my next job.

And while under there I thought it might be a good idea to replace the rear engine mount which is no longer in service.

eggmanben · 24th February 2021, 21:33

And once more: thank you. Learned a lot about my car in a very short time. A car, that I swore I'd only drive and not fix.

19th February 2021, 10:14	#13
eggmanben Newbie MG ZT-T Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Köln Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts	No pictures yet, internet is down.... Well. Driving around with no oil pressure is not something I normally do. I know what can happen and took the risk after some on the spot consideration. I couldn't park the car there, narrow street and currently the bus route, so I would've had to drive at least 300 meters and then would have made a mess on a public street with my driveway in sight. And all that with a car of - sad to say but that's what it is in Germany - very little value. (Smartphone does funny things with the letters. Hope it's legible...) Thank you for your help, I'll do that. Removing the covers is on the list as well. Almost forgot: crowbar and a piece if wood is exactly what I used. And some strong tape. Went smoothly. Last edited by eggmanben; 19th February 2021 at 10:19..

24th February 2021, 16:07	#18
eggmanben Newbie MG ZT-T Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Köln Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts	Aaaaannndddd.... The testdrive was uneventful. I drove 20kms circling in the neighbourhood and nothing happened. Apart from some odd looks from neighbours, when I passed them for the 4th time... Oil and - filter are new as is the coolant filler cap, I cleaned up the whole underbody, no fresh oil appeared and tomorrow it's back to commuting. Splashguard stays off for a few days, but I think it might have gone well. I probed into the breather holes with some welding rod but found nothing to worry about. Broke the plastic hoses of course. So making something to connect the remains of the hoses to the cam covers will be my next job. And while under there I thought it might be a good idea to replace the rear engine mount which is no longer in service. Last edited by eggmanben; 24th February 2021 at 21:24..

18th February 2021, 22:40	#11
bsafly Just going about! Rover 75 CDTi Connie SE Tourer starlight silver and serpents. MG ZT-T 190+ in Raven Black. Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Great Leighs Posts: 468 Thanks: 626 Thanked 167 Times in 110 Posts	You should NEVER drive a car with the oil pressure light illuminated, I have seen the results on numerous occasions and it has never been pretty. If you have escaped any damage you will be one lucky person! (Bear in mind it may not show it's head straight away). Best of luck, Paul.

19th February 2021, 17:29	#14
eggmanben Newbie MG ZT-T Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Köln Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts	It seems like I got away with it. Both the front breather pipes were clean, at least at the camcover joints. Topped up the oil and started the engine. After any kind of rebuild I always let the starter motor turn for a moment and wait a beat, until at the third turn Iet the engine run for a few seconds and then for 10 and then a bit longer. Oil pressure was good at the second turn and after the engine went out of the limp home mode it ran ok. Front camshafts were a bit noisy at first but came out of it after some time. So far, everything's ok. Testdrive though has to wait. To do something useful while waiting I took a look at the coolant - and broke the expansion tank cover. Or lid or what's its name... Ordered a new one and as soon as it's here we'll see, what the engine does. Thanks again!

19th February 2021, 17:57	#15
vitesse I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gävle Posts: 2,533 Thanks: 395 Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts	You might well have got away with it, thinking back we had a tough winter and I heard of, think it was 3, cases of flying cam caps. Two at the back and one at the front, the two who had rear leaks suffered no lasting damage, but the one at the front contaminated the primary belt causing engine damage. Luckily the owner had just collected the car from a garage who admitted re-using one of the cam caps (they only had one new one) and replaced the engine. Consider before driving, at least clearing the pinhole restrictions in the smaller breather pipes and ideally replace the cam cap for a new one or a cam seal. Good luck

20th February 2021, 07:40	#17
vitesse I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gävle Posts: 2,533 Thanks: 395 Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts	Hi Simon, I haven't consulted the Workshop Bible but suspect that Rover, as per practice, specified that new cam caps were to be fitted when the belts were replaced. And luckily for the owner, the garage held the same view. It was rather ironic at the time as the garage in Gävle could have phoned me and asked if I had some (which I did) - but instead reused one of the old caps. I know your views on seals vs cam caps, but just advising that either a new cam cap fitted dry or even a seal might have a longer lifetime than a re-used, glued one. That at least was the unfortunate owners experience as he was driving home from the garage at the time, not even some weeks later. Keep well

24th February 2021, 21:33	#19
eggmanben Newbie MG ZT-T Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Köln Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts	And once more: thank you. Learned a lot about my car in a very short time. A car, that I swore I'd only drive and not fix.