Why do Rovers leak?

Str0ud

Str0ud

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
492
6
53
Iowa
Ahhh...My leak lets me easily see the condition of the motor oil. I like to think of it as just another thoughtful design feature of the Rover. :cool:
 
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Iron Boots

Guest
bshinn said:
I know that the simple anwser is they are full of fluids. The Japanese can build the same basic piece of machinery (engine/******/axle) that will functon many years & 10's of thousands of miles without leaking. What gives? Poor materials, machine work, inferior sealants, shitty workmanship?

What gives?
Click to expand...

Honestly, It comes down to care and preventive maint...my 1990 FJ62 Land Cruiser leaked WAY more than my 1988 RRC does.

RJ
 
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gadams

Guest
Mine currently leaks far less than the last three Fords I owned and the last Nissan I owned. Come to think of it, thus far it leaks less than everything I have owned except for my wife's Mercedes. Oh no, I'm going to check the fluids right now!

Greg
 
Z

Zeus

Active member
Oct 6, 2004
31
0
Ellicott City MD
I don't believe any of you - except the guy talking about drama.

I bought my DI with 6K miles on it. Within the firt 2 years the following was changed under warrenty because of leaks.

Power steering hose.
Main crank seal
Transfer case exit seal
Rear side window seals - left one twice
Back window seal
Intake manifold still leaks coolent - I tightened it - now only leaks enough to stink.

My thought is this. During the time that LR designed the Disco1, with very little funding, they hiredco-op students from the local high school. To celebrate their "cool" summer work term the visited the pub every night for a few pints. The next day they returned to work and selected materials (rubber) that was easily available without concern of UV protection, chemical resistance, and fatigue life.

Thus we have what we have - a good excuse getting out of the house, playing with power tools, and getting stuck in the mud.

Now can you say the same for a Honda CRV, or Toyota RAV4? :confused:
 
R

rpm2429

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2004
54
0
denver, co
Sloppy tolerances, that is why these rigs can be pounded to sh-t and keep on trucking through the Amazon. It also allows the mud to just slide off. ( I would rather just sit in a rover on the side of the road, than push an Jeep.) Ron
 
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ducati

Guest
Discojunky said:
Its because they don't use gaskets!!!! The" slap some rtv on er' and put it together", isn't cutting it.
Click to expand...
My '03 was assembled with RTV on the area where the oil filter meets the alloy mount--because the alloy mount was machined poorly and the regular oil seal wouldn't seal. So instead of replacing the mount, the dude who built the motor decided to RTV it and screw it down right tight.

Guess what happened after the first oilchange? Yup, leaked like a seive. :mad:
 
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Asolo3j

Well-known member
Nov 8, 2004
1,267
1
Annapolis
I asked that same question to a dealer and we got into an interesting debate. When I asked him "Why isn't there a solution to the problem rather than a quick remedy from something to return?" he simply said... "it is what it is and get used to the leaks!"

I also asked him what he drives.... a Mercedes Diesel from 1985, Jeep Wrangler, and his wife has a Honda Pilot... Now theres confidence in letting him play with my D1. :confused:
 
GotRovr

GotRovr

Well-known member
Jun 16, 2004
377
0
What does a Land Rover Discovery Series 1 and a SR-71 Black Bird have in common :confused:

They both leak like hell when parked. For the SR-71 leaking is normal at storage ambient temps. The damn thing is designed to fly a supersonic speeds that generate high levels of heat which create a self-sealing condition caused by thermal expansion. Now I know a Rover won't do Mach 2, but is leaking more pronounced when parked in a garage or when being driven at normal speeds and operating temperatures?
 
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ducati

Guest
Most leaks seem to happen when the vehicle is just parked. The oil is hot, thin, and flowing out the crappy seals. Of course, it probably flows when you're driving, too, you just don't see it.

That is unless, of course, it's REALLY leaking, and then you get the clear splatter-towards-the-rear pattern that protects the undercarriage from rust. Except in the place you'd like to protect ;)
 
romigenv

romigenv

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2004
113
0
South Central PA
'01 Disco w/67k on the clock and no leaks. However, my point of reference is my first car, which was a 1978 MGB (which I still have). So compared to that, nothing leaks. Garage floor is now a nice shade of very dark chunky brown. But, first car I ever had, how can I think of parting with it? Rover seems to have "character" on the underside. Just the way I like it. I also used to work in the maintenance dept. of a paper mill when in college. And old paper mill. From the 1800's. Talk about leaks. I can't seem to work on anything that is clean. I don't know what to do. Seems foreign. Like hitting your second shot from the fairway. Foreign territory. Its a tough piece of machinery. Machinery is supposed to be dirty. From the inside out.

J
 
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